Strike a Bargain tries turf

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Strike a Bargain will try to win his turf debut on Sunday at Woodbine in the Grade 2 Summer Stakes, one of two supporting stakes on the Atto Mile card. The one-mile Summer for 2-year-olds is worth $277,750.

Strike a Bargain was fourth when he debuted in a six-furlong maiden special July 24. He found seven-eighths more to his liking Aug. 21, when he won in a time of 1:25.

Trainer David Bell believes Strike a Bargain has much potential. "He's always trained like a nice colt," Bell said. "He's been a little bit of a slow learner, but he done real well the last couple of months. He's worked very well on the turf."

Tommy's Topper is another second-out winner in the eight-horse Summer field.

Tommy's Topper was a close second in his first start, at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track. He set slow fractions in a six-furlong maiden race on the grass Aug. 28 before winning easily.

Trainer Mark Casse has high hopes for Tommy's Topper, who's from the first crop of California sire Old Topper.

"I was surprised that he got beat first time, but the track was very tiring," Casse said. "I'd only breezed him a few five-eighths, and he probably just got a little tired. When I ran him back in the grass, it was just a gallop for him. Patrick geared him down at the eighth pole, and he won by a few lengths."

Trainer Mark Frostad entered two Sam-Son Farm runners, Go to the Sun and the blue-blooded Dance With Ravens, but said he would probably run just one of them.

Go to the Sun, a nicely bred Gone West colt, finished far back in his initial outing on the dirt. He then won a seven-furlong maiden special on the grass in quick time.

Dance With Ravens is a massive A.P. Indy colt out of 1991 Canadian Horse of the Year Dance Smartly. He overcame traffic problems to finish third in his only start, a seven-furlong maiden special on grass.

New York-based trainer Todd Pletcher entered Dubleo and Copyco, the first- and fifth-place finishers in the Continental Mile Stakes at Monmouth.

Dubleo has won his last three races with a front-running style, including the Sept. 5 Conti