Summer Sensation tops sprint

EDMONTON, Alberta - No one was able to catch the speedy Summer Sensation on June 23 when he led from gate to wire in the 6 1/2-furlong Journal Handicap, a race named for one of Edmonton's two daily newspapers.

On the holiday Monday card here at Northlands, Summer Sensation looks to score the newspaper double when he takes on six opponents in the Sun Sprint Championship.

Honoring Edmonton's tabloid newspaper, the Sun Sprint Championship is contested at 6 1/2 furlongs and carries a purse of $50,000.

There also is a hefty Alberta-bred bonus in the Sun Sprint that would see qualified horses take an extra $12,000 for a first-place finish, $5,000 for second, and $3,000 for third.

That bonus money will be of no concern to the interests of Summer Sensation, a California-bred who came to Alberta by way of Turf Paradise.

At that Phoenix track, Summer Sensation frequently was timed for the first quarter in 21 seconds and change and the half in less than 45.

In the Journal, Summer Sensation flashed the same sort of speed, clocking the first quarter in 22.40 seconds and the half in 45.40 before chugging home for a half-length victory in a rather sluggish 1:18 flat.

The remainder of the well-matched Sun Sprint field consists of the entry of Rindanica and Light of Gold, Frontier Express, Plagiarist, Laketon, and Ka Blui.