Summer Doldrums reverses fortunes in Colonial Turf Cup

Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's SUMMER DOLDRUMS (Street Cry [Ire])

turned the tables on Strike a Deal (Smart Strike) with a head tally in the

$750,000

Colonial Turf Cup S. (G3) on Saturday. The Richard Violette charge

missed by a nose to the runner-up in the Straight Deal S. most recently,

but returned the favor in this one, refusing to be passed late under Jose Lezcano. The nearly 4-1 fourth choice returned $9.60, $5.60 and $4.40 while

keying the $21.40 exacta, $410.40 trifecta and $2,599.20 superfecta (7-4-9-10).

Souvenir Slew (Souvenir Copy) led soon after the start and established splits

of :24 1/5, :48 4/5 and 1:13 3/5 for the opening six furlongs. The dark bay

still led turning for home and into the stretch, although the top pair were just

hitting their best strides. Summer Doldrums swung six-wide entering the stretch,

took a short lead at the sixteenth pole, and finished gamely to hang on, completing the 1 3/16 miles over the firm turf in 1:55 3/5.

Strike a Deal was 2 3/4 lengths clear in a fine second-place

effort, paying $3.80 and $3.60 as the 5-2 favorite. Souvenir Slew stubbornly

held on for the show, good for $8 at 20-1. Mysterious Peintre (Fr) (Peintre Celebre)

capped the super at 6-1 and was trailed by Love Dubai (E Dubai), Soldier's

Dancer (Lost Soldier), Brainy Benny (Ire) (Barathea [Ire]), Mint Slewlep (Slew

City Slew) and Time Squared (Fusaichi Pegasus). Adagio (GB) (Grand Lodge), Justy

(Danehill), Sahara Heat (A.P. Indy) and Wheels Up at Noon (Outflanker) were

scratched.

Summer Doldrums captured the Whirlaway S. earlier this year and placed in the

Gotham S. (G3), as well as the aforementioned Straight Deal. The colt boasts

$631,716 from a 10-4-2-2 career mark.

The winner was bred in Kentucky by Gentry Stable and brought down the gavel

at $150,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Produced by the

stakes-placed Dance for Dixie (Unaccounted For), Summer Doldrums has an unnamed

2007 half-brother by Rock Hard Ten.