My Summer Slew stalks, pounces

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - My Summer Slew won his first stakes in Sunday's at Hollywood Park, defeating a field that included a game pacesetter in the filly Unzip Me and the three-time Group 1 winner Scenic Blast.

My Summer Slew ($9.20) benefited from an ideal ride from jockey Alonso Quinonez, who had his mount well-placed throughout.

A 5-year-old California-bred gelding, My Summer Slew stalked Unzip Me through early fractions of 23.32 and 45.41 seconds before taking the lead in the final furlong. My Summer Slew held off a threat from Stoneside to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:08.40.

"I thought [Unzip Me] would do her thing and the plan was to sit off of her and pounce," said winning trainer Craig Dollase.

Stoneside finished a nose in front of Unzip Me, who was a length in front of Scenic Blast in the field of seven.

Scenic Blast, who won two Group 1 races in Australia and the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2009, was last for the first half-mile and was beaten less than two lengths.

Jockey Mike Smith guided Scenic Blast around horses entering the stretch, but said after the race that he wished he saved more ground. "If I had it to do over again, I might have stayed covered up and tried to split horses," he said. "After the race, he was like, Wait, okay. But it was done."

My Summer Slew, who is by Siberian Summer, has won 5 of 13 starts and $196,292 for owner-breeder Nick Cafarchia. The Kerlan was My Summer Slew's third appearance in a stakes. He was third in the Grade 3 Los Angeles Handicap on the synthetic main track here on June 5.