Summer Sunday scores in Ballade Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Summer Sunday ran to her superb recent works when taking Saturday’s $100,000 Ballade Stakes comfortably over another daughter of Silent Name, Silent Sonet.

Summer Sunday ($7.80) and longshot Without a Doubt dueled through moderate fractions in the six-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired fillies and mares. Summer Sunday assumed command entering the stretch, and then held off last year’s Ballade winner, Scotty’s Model, to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths in a time of 1:08.57.

Silent Sonet, the slight 5-2 favorite, nailed Scotty’s Model on the wire for second. Blurricane finished fourth, and was followed by Zestina, San Nicola Storm, Red Cabernet, and Without a Doubt.

Rafael Hernandez rode Summer Sunday for trainer Stu Simon, who was winning his second stakes of the young Woodbine meet.

“She relaxed good,” Hernandez said. “We’ve been teaching her how to relax in the morning. She showed up today. Everything worked [out] good.”

Summer Sunday banked $60,000 for owners William and Anne Scott. It was her second race off an extended layoff, a break which began when she sustained a knee injury in her victory here last spring in the Fury Stakes.

“She had a lower body injury, that kept her out, as we were preparing for the [Woodbine)] Oaks,” Simon recalled. “It was disappointing. The vets thought we should give her two to three months. With Mr. and Mrs. Scott’s patience, we said 'Let’s give her six months, and really make sure.' I’m glad we did. I said she’s never been better, and I think she proved me right. She’s just a dream, and she’ll run on different surfaces, too.”