Nashtrick's debut win makes him one to beat in Summer Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The good-looking debut winner Nashtrick will jump up to stakes company Sunday at Woodbine in the Grade 1, $250,000 Summer, a Breeders’ Cup Win and You’re In qualifier for the Juvenile Turf.

After acting up at the gate in his debut over about seven furlongs on good turf Aug. 24, Nashtrick battled three wide for the lead on the turn before drawing off to prevail by 3 1/2 lengths.

“I was very impressed with his first race,” trainer Josie Carroll said.

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Last weekend, Nashtrick worked strongly over the main turf course with stablemate and fellow Summer entrant Avie’s Flatter, covering a half-mile in 47.60 seconds.

A field of 13 was drawn for the one-mile Summer. Along with the Grade 1 Natalma, it’s the co-feature on an 11-race card that has one other stakes, the $100,000 Vice Regent.

KEY CONTENDERS

Nashtrick, by Hat Trick
Beyer: 68

◗ Carroll has won the Summer once, with Bachelor Blues in 2003.

Avie’s Flatter, by Flatter
Beyer: 70

◗ He won his only race comfortably in a five-furlong maiden special on the Tapeta on Aug. 12.

“Avie’s Flatter worked extremely well on the turf the other day,” Carroll said. “We hadn’t seen him on the turf yet, so I wanted to see what he’d do.”

Jungle Warrior, by Animal Kingdom
Beyer: 66

◗ After breaking a tad slowly Aug. 4, he rallied wide from sixth to graduate in a six-furlong maiden special on turf, over which he worked a bullet five-eighths on Sept. 8.

“I like the way he’s going for this race,” trainer Sid Attard said. “He worked very well on the turf. I don’t think [the mile] will bother him. He’s a nice horse to rate.”

Fog of War, by War Front
Beyer: 77

◗ The Chad Brown-trained $400,000 yearling purchase defeated two next-out winners when notching his debut in a maiden special weight turf sprint Aug. 13 at Saratoga.

Federal Law, by Scat Daddy
◗ The lone European shipper in the lineup is adding blinkers and Lasix off a second as the favorite in an allowance at Chelmsford. He was previously seventh in the Group 2 Vintage Stakes at Goodwood.

Wallace, by Run Away and Hide
Last 3 Beyers: 80-56-57

◗ He made quite a splash when switching from Tapeta to the turf here Aug. 26, leading throughout the six-furlong Soaring Free Stakes over yielding ground. He’s since been sold for the second time, going from Attard to trainer Kelsey Danner.

Skychief, by More Than Ready
Beyers: 71-49-32

◗ The Mike Maker charge was a front-running third last time out in a maiden special weight route on the Saratoga sod.

Tricky Magician, by Magician
Beyers: 74-65-55

◗ After narrowly losing to Jungle Warrior, the talented maiden was a stalking second in the Soaring Free.

Vice Regent Stakes

The one-mile Vice Regent Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-olds includes Bold Ruckus Stakes winner Eskiminzin, who could be vulnerable on the turnback from a gut-wrenching fourth in the 1 1/2-mile Breeders’ Stakes. The logical alternatives in the seven-horse field are recent Ontario-sired allowance winners Silent Poet and Royal Laser.