'Rooney' could offer dream match-up

MIAMI, Fla. - Last year's inaugural edition of the Summit of Speed proved to be a success. But if the nomination lists are any indication, this summer's renewal could be even better.

The Summit of Speed, a series of four sprint races with total purses of more than $1 million, will be held on July 14.

Among the big names nominated to the Summit of Speed are multiple Grade 1 winner Dream Supreme and the Louisiana win machine Hallowed Dreams, both of whom are eligible for the $400,000 Princess Rooney Handicap. The six-furlong dash is the richest sprint for fillies and mares in this country.

Dream Supreme won the Test Stakes and Ballerina Handicap last year at 3 before concluding her campaign with a sixth against the boys in the Breeders' Cup Sprint. This year she has won the Grade 2 Distaff Breeders' Cup and Humana Distaff handicaps, and finished second in the Vagrancy Handicap in her most recent start.

Hallowed Dreams has won 23 of 24 career starts, the last two of which came at Lone Star Park. Her first 21 victories came in her home state of Louisiana. Owner-trainer Lloyd Romero has informed Calder officials he will either run Hallowed Dreams in the Princess Rooney or lay her off until the Fair Grounds meet in the fall.

Among the other notables nominated for the the Grade 3 Princess Rooney is Trip. The top local hopeful for the race is Precious Feather.

Trainer Todd Pletcher nominated five fillies and mares to the Princess Rooney and 12 horses to the four Summit of Speed Stakes. Among them is Texas Glitter, nominated to the $100,000 Calder Turf Sprint. Texas Glitter finished third in Churchill Downs's Aegon Turf Sprint to Morluc, who also has been nominated to the Turf Sprint. Morluc finished off the board in the Lone Star Turf Sprint in his last start.

City Zip leads the list of 3-year-olds nominated to the $250,000 Carry Back Stakes, which was captured by Caller One last year.

Puchungo surprises in Primal

Saturday's $32,430 Primal Stakes appeared to be a two-horse race between the multiple graded stakes winners Hal's Hope and American Halo. But nobody told trainer Ernesto Sarmiento, jockey David Lopez or the Peruvian-bred Puchungo, who used his inside post to good advantage.

Puchungo made all the pace en route to a two-length victory over 7-10 favorite Hal's Hope. American Halo finished fourth with no apparent excuse.

The victory was the first in three United States starts for Puchungo, who won two listed stakes in his native Peru last season. A 5-year-old gelding, Puchungo had finishing an even fourth after bobbling at the break in Hialeah's Tallahassee Stakes and a tiring ninth when trying grass for the first time in the Blazing Bart Handicap here earlier in the month.

Puchungo's unexpected performance also put a bit of a damper on the birthday celebration of Hal's Hope's owner-trainer-breeder, Harold Rose, who turned 90 on Saturday.