Summering born to win the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf

DEL MAR, Calif. – Summering has the race record and pedigree to deserve the role of favorite in Monday’s $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Summering won her only start by five lengths in a maiden special weight race for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on turf on July 29 for owner and breeder Glen Hill Farm and trainer Tom Proctor.

Success on the Del Mar turf course runs in Summering’s female family. Summering is the first foal out of Wishing Gate, the winner of the Grade 2 San Clemente Handicap for 3-year-old fillies here in 2013. Wishing Gate was later second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks that summer.

Summering is part of a field of 11 that includes eight maidens in the mile turf race. The other winners are the English import Lady Prancealot, now trained by Richard Baltas, and Angel Alessandra, who won a maiden race at a mile on Aug. 10 in her turf debut.

Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Summering fought for the early lead and pulled away in early stretch, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 74. Van Dyke says Summering doesn’t need to set the pace.

“I think she can do anything,” Van Dyke said between races on Friday. “When I won the other day, as soon as she hit the wire her ear went up like she could have done more.”

Angel Alessandra rallied from sixth in a field of nine to win the Aug. 10 race by three-quarters of a length over the promising Hyde Park Corner, who is part of the Juvenile Fillies Turf field. Angel Alessandra is trained by Peter Miller, who expects her to put in another late run.

“Hopefully there is some pace because she comes from off of it,” Miller said. “We’ll have to move forward to win the race.”

Lady Prancealot is the most experienced filly in the field, having made five starts, all in England from April 3 to June 9. Lady Prancealot won a maiden race on the all-weather surface at Chelmsford City Racecourse in April and has not raced since finishing fourth in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Beverley Racecourse in northern England, a track with a stern uphill finish.

CERF Stakes: Miss Sunset is back

The eight-time stakes winner Miss Sunset returns from a layoff of more than three months in Monday’s CERF Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs. Miss Sunset won the 2017 CERF prior to a victory in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland last October, the most prestigious win of her career.

Trained by Jeff Bonde for Alan Klein and Philip Lebherz, Miss Sunset has not raced since finishing second to Marley’s Freedom in the Grade 3 Desert Stormer Stakes at Santa Anita on May 27. Marley’s Freedom has subsequently won two stakes – the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos in July and the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 25.

Mike Smith has ridden Miss Sunset to four stakes wins. He rides Miss Sunset on Monday for the first time since they teamed to win the Irish O’Brien Stakes for statebred fillies and mares at Santa Anita in March.

The CERF Stakes will be the first start against older fillies and mares for the 3-year-old Show It N Moe It, who won a stakes against California-breds here in 2017. Show It N Moe It was second in the Fleet Treat Stakes for statebred 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs here on July 29.