Harrah's Hoosier Park: Atlantic Summer shines in Jim Doherty Memorial

Atlantic Summer squeezed through a narrow gap on the inside in the stretch and got up at the wire to win the Grade 1 $464,400 Jim Doherty Memorial for 2-year-old trotting fillies on Friday night at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Driven by Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Atlantic Summer hustled to the point from post nine and hit the quarter in 27 3/5. She then gave way to sit behind favorite Lainey W (Scott Zeron), who got away with a tepid middle-half of 58 seconds and 1:27 as 23-1 shot Westwinds Yahtzee (Kyle Wilfong) was parked throughout and in the first-over position.

Off that slow tempo the sprint was on the in the lane, and although there's no longer a passing lane at Hoosier, Lainey W drifted off the pylons enough that Wrenn Jr. and Atlantic Summer were able to knife through. Once she had the space, Atlantic Summer had enough time and enough trot to tag Lainey W on the line by a nostril in a 1:55 4/5 mile.

Westwinds Yahtzee was very game despite never seeing the pylons and wound up third and Creator (Dexter Dunn), who appeared to have trot but couldn't find room after electing to stay on the inside, had to settle for fourth. Madam Cheval (Jimmy Takter) grabbed fifth.

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"She's really handy and she's good-gaited. They decided to pull her shoes tonight, and she raced really well," Wrenn Jr. said. "She was well within herself tonight.

"I was just steadying her in the turn, making sure that she was going to get through the turn. I was hoping to go right but luckily I was able to find a little room late to the left and it worked out."

Ron Burke trains the victorious daughter of Captain Corey for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Jim Simpson, Larry Karr and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Bred by Winning Key Inc., Atlantic Summer has a summary of 2-1-2 from six outings, has put away $308,397 and paid $14.80 to win as a 6-1 offering.