One mile just right for filly
ALBANY, Calif. - Summer Event makes her debut going a mile in a maiden race for 3-year-old fillies Monday at Golden Gate Fields.
There's a reason Summer Event isn't starting her career in a sprint.
"She has no speed," trainer Steve Sherman said. "She's just a big, long-striding individual."
Sherman handles the northern California string for his father, Art, and helped the barn win at a 25-percent clip last year. The Shermans enjoy good success with debut runners, but tried only two around two turns last year.
"She would be far back in a sprint, and I don't think she'd get anything out of it," Sherman said. "Running the first time out at a mile is not easy, but our plans are to keep her stretched out. I think sprinting is not her game.
"I don't normally like to run long. I'd like to sprint first, but I'm not scared to do it."
Summer Event is the first foal of the unraced Papoose Bay. She is by Event of the Year, whose offspring seem better when going long. The names Northern Dancer, Raise a Native and Prince John appear on both sides of her pedigree.
But Sherman says the decision to run her long in the first start was based on the way the filly has worked, rather than pedigree.
Summer Event should be fit. She has worked a mile, seven furlongs, and six furlongs three times.
"Fitness-wise, she should be okay," Sherman said. "She's had a number of open gallops at 1 1/2 and 1 3/4 miles."
Only one of the six fillies in the field has attempted two turns in her career, Queen Clytemnestra, who is stakes-placed sprinting but winless in 10 career starts. A half-sister to Cal Cup Mile winner Epic Power, she has three route tries around two turns but has never tried two turns on the dirt.
Round Trip Flight, making her third start, is by Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos out of stakes-placed Double Flight. She should be better going two turns than sprinting, and has four works since her last start, on Dec. 9.
Thirteen Hearts, stretching out after two sprints, also should like the distance.