Summer Sunday trying turf in Royal North

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Summer Sunday has taken control of the female sprint division at Woodbine with back-to-back stakes wins and will try turf for the first time in Sunday’s Grade 2, $175,000 Royal North Stakes over six furlongs on the E. P. Taylor turf course.

Summer Sunday captured the restricted Ballade Stakes on May 11, and her first graded stakes victory in the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes on June 9. She has yet to race on the turf, but trainer Stu Simon said he believes she can carry 6-for-6 record on synthetic over to the grass.

“I always thought she would really handle it well, and I think she will,” he said. “I’m just quite certain she’s going to run on it. Synthetic is so close to turf in lots of ways, too.”

Summer Sunday’s pedigree suggests she should be able handle turf as well. Her sire, Silent Name, was a multiple Grade 2 winner on turf and has sired 13 percent turf winners over the past five years, according to DRF Formulator, while her dam, Dancing Allstar, was stakes-placed on turf and finished fifth in the Royal North Stakes in 2009.

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KEY CONTENDERS

Summer Sunday, by Silent Name
Last 3 Beyers: 93-92-58

◗ The 93 Beyer Speed Figure she earned in the Hendrie is the top last-out Beyer Speed Figure earned among this field.

◗ She figures to be forwardly placed early and will have to hold off a pair of American shippers who figure to be running late.

Oleksandra, by Animal Kingdom
Last 3 Beyers: 90-84-76

◗ She’ll make her stakes debut in the Royal North on the strength of back-to-back wins against allowance company at Belmont Park for trainer Neil Drysdale.

◗ She figures to be coming from off of the pace in the Royal North and would benefit from speed to chase.

Ruby Notion, by Great Notion
Last 3 Beyers: 85-81-91

◗ She’ll be looking to record her first win since last September when she captured the Grade 3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint over 6 1/2 furlongs. Following that start, she finished fourth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs last November.

◗ She finished off the board in two sprint starts this year, at five furlongs and 5 1/2 furlongs, and could benefit with added distance in the Royal North. Her victory in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint came over 6 1/2 furlongs.

Misericordia, by Dansili
Last 3 Beyers: 81-80-77

◗ She ships in for the Royal North off of back-to-back third-place finishes in turf sprint stakes. She was third in The Very One Stakes at Pimlico on May 18, and followed that up with another third-place finish in the Unbridled Elaine Stakes at Monmouth Park on June 8.

◗ She also figures to come from off of the pace in the Royal North.