Summer Doldrums Takes First Step in Grand Slam

NEW KENT, Va., June 16 -- Trainer Rick Violette thought he might have a Kentucky Derby horse this past winter when his colt Summer Doldrums won the Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct by 5 1/4 lengths. Subsequent losses in the Gotham Stakes and Wood Memorial, however, left Violette on the outside looking in when the best 3-year-olds converged on Churchill Downs.

Unsure where Summer Doldrums belonged, Violette took a chance on the turf last month in New York and lost in a stakes race to Laurel Futurity winner Strike a Deal by a nose. Encouraged by the performance, Violette shipped Summer Doldrums to Colonial Downs for the Grade III $750,000 Colonial Turf Cup and Saturday watched his horse blossom. Coming off the far turn in seventh place, Summer Doldrums accelerated sharply under jockey Jose Lezcano to take a narrow lead in the stretch and then held off the late charge of Strike a Deal to win by a head.

The victory puts Summer Doldrums in position to win the Jacobs Investments Grand Slam of Grass and earn a $2 million bonus if he can follow up with victories in the $1 million Virginia Derby on July 21, the $400,000 Secretariat Stakes on Aug. 11 at Arlington Park and the $3 million Breeders' Cup Turf on Oct. 27 at Monmouth Park.

Violette, who slumped and let out a loud "whew" on his way to the winner's circle, didn't want to look too far beyond this victory, which carried a first prize of $450,000.

"The horse showed up; the jock showed up, and I even made my flight," said Violette, who is based at Aqueduct. "It's been a great day."

Summer Doldrums, ridden for the first time by the New Jersey-based Lezcano, won the 1 3/16 -mile grass race in 1 minute 55.68 seconds. Violette had attempted to secure Eibar Coa, who rode Summer Doldrums in her prior turf try, for the Colonial Cup, but that jockey chose to remain in New York to ride Take D'Tour to victory in the Grade I $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park.

With most of the top jockeys in the country tied up with other mounts, Violette went with the recommendation of a couple friends and tried Lezcano, who he had never given a mount to before.

"Everybody said he's a good rider, but I'd never ridden him," Violette said. "Wow. This kid rode a tremendous race. I thought we might be on the lead, but we were well back and he put his hands down and made a couple moves, which you can do with this horse."

Despite its large purse, the Colonial Turf Cup was weakened by direct competition from the Grade II $200,000 Jefferson Cup run Saturday at Churchill Downs. That race, also for 3-year-olds on the turf, lured six of the Colonial Cup nominees.

In the other featured race on the card, Silver Charades, a 5-year-old mare running in allowance races in Florida, shipped up and upset the Grade III $200,000 All Along Breeders' Cup for fillies and mares.

Ridden by late substitute Jose Valdivia, Silver Charades beat 10 other runners, running the 1 1/8 -mile grass race in 1:49.62 for trainer Martin Wolfson.