Dullahan, Summer Front’s real threat in the Jamaica Handicap
Waterford Stable’s 3-year-old colt, Summer Front’s career is devoid of a Grade 1 victory, but whatever has been laid in front of him by conditioner Christophe Clement, Summer Front has come out good of it mostly, but Belmont Park’s inner turf track is preferred
largely by the colt.
The War Front colt will return his favourite track on 6 October, 2012, to vie for his first grade 1 victory in the Grade 1, $400,000 Jamaica Handicap over 1 1/8 miles on turf, where he will meet the likes of Dullahan and Optimizer.
Summer Front is currently exiting third in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes at Arlington Park, where he ran over a distance of 1 ¼ mile for the first time in his career and finished behind the winner Bayrir and runner-up, Finnegans Wake.
Coming into the Secretariat Stakes, Summer Front was coming off back-to-back victories, starting from the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes, where he defeated the likes of Howe Great in second, and then the overnight stakes at Saratoga, the Duluth Stakes. Both
were run over a distance of 1 mile.
Now, in the Jamaica Handicap, Summer Front faces a tougher challenge from Dullahan, who is coming off a victory in the Pacific Classic, and will be tough to reel back.
Grade 3 Saranac Stakes’ winner, Unbridled Command is expected to take part in the Jamaica Handicap, and trained Tom Bush is also aware of the threat Dullahan poses in the 1 1/8 miles turf race.
"Dullahan, he's an unbelievable horse," Bush said. "He hasn't won on the turf, but he's run fast numbers on it even when he didn't win, so he'll be tough.
"Summer Front and Unbridled Command are very close on the numbers, but Summer Front has run against a lot better horses than Unbridled Command has ever run against, and that probably means more than the numbers. I would love to just walk him across the street
and run, but I'm not sure it's the right race for the horse."
D. Wayne Lukas trained, Optimizer will be in good touch as well, especially after a good victory in the Grade 3 Kent Stakes, and will add another dimension to the Jamaica Handicap.
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