Summer Sunday upsets 2-5 favorite in Belle Mahone

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Summer Sunday made her first start around two turns a winning one in Saturday’s $112,200 Belle Mahone Stakes, upsetting 2-5 favorite Souper Escape in the 1 1/16-mile route for fillies and mares at Woodbine.

Summer Sunday ($11.90) went straight to the front and set quick fractions under Rafael Hernandez. Souper Escape chased in second and took dead aim at Summer Sunday entering the stretch, but Summer Sunday dug in to win by a half-length, in a time of 1:44.08.

Art of Almost rallied outside to nail Souper Escape on the wire for second. Silent Tango wound up fourth in a field reduced to seven after the scratches of Saratoga Vision and Painting, who won the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion earlier on the card.

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It was a meet-leading 10th stakes score for Hernandez, who said Summer Sunday was headstrong early.

“I worried about [the pace] in the first quarter,” Hernandez said. “She was too much in the bridle. I wanted to get her relaxed on the backside. I tried to get her to come back, and she did everything. At the [three-eighths], I looked back at the favorite. She was right there, but I still had plenty under my legs. Turning for home, she switched her lead, and come get me.”

Summer Sunday, last year’s Canadian champion female sprinter, banked $72,000. Trained by Stuart Simon, the 5-year-old daughter of leading Ontario sire Silent Name is owned by William and Anne Scott.