Even though Summer Colony, one of the top contenders for next Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff, finished a well-beaten third as the heavy favorite in her last start, the Oct. 5 Beldame at Belmont Park, her trainer, Mark Hennig, is keeping the faith.
The mile-and-an-eighth Beldame is run around one turn at Belmont. The Distaff, at the same distance, is run around two turns at Arlington Park.
For Summer Colony, that’s a big difference. The 4-year-old daughter of Summer Squall lost her first five starts going one turn, but when she finally stretched out to two turns two summers ago at Saratoga, the big bay filly ran off to score by 323/4 lengths.
Since then in two-turn races, Summer Colony is 8-for-10, with a pair of seconds. One of her victories came last February in the La Canada at Santa Anita, when she handed the Distaff’s morning-line favorite, Azeri, the only defeat of her career.
“The Beldame did nothing to discourage us at all,” Henning said yesterday. “She ran well, considering she didn’t like [the one turn]. If she improves as much in her next start as she did the first time she went two turns, we’ll be in good shape.”
In the Beldame, Summer Colony, who usually runs close to the pace, dropped eight lengths behind gate-to-wire winner Imperial Gesture and could only close half that gap down the stretch.
“Going two turns, she gets aggressive early,” said Hennig. “Going one turn, she loses contact. I think she’s puzzled by the fact the turn doesn’t come up right away, and she gets a little lost.”
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Today is “New York Showcase Day” at Belmont, featuring seven stakes races restricted to New York-breds worth $1 million in total purses. Affectionately referred to as the “Muskrat Ramble,” it’s the state-bred version of the Breeders’ Cup.
The tough old veteran Gander, runner-up last out in the Woodward, heads the field for the day’s finale, the $250,000 Empire Classic.