Shea D Summer Makes Amends In Azalea

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Shea D Summer made amends to her loyal backers at the mutual windows Saturday at Gulfstream Park with a commanding 3 1/4-length victory in the $75,000 Azalea.

The Azalea, a 7-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies, headlined an 11-race program that also featured the $60,000 North Miami Beach Handicap, won by Harry’s Ontheloose.

Shea D Boys Stable’s daughter of Summer Front, who broke in the air at the start of her fourth-place finish as the 6/5 favorite in the July 10 Hallandale Beach, left the starting gate running under Emisael Jaramillo Saturday on her way to her third career stakes victory as the 8/5 favorite in a field of six.

“I think everything was in the break today. I just told Jaramillo, ‘Let’s just have a better break and get early position and go from there,” trainer Carlos David said.

Shea D Summer showed the way during a 22.97 first 1/4 of a mile before meeting an outside challenge from a headstrong Kamar Taj, who broke extremely awkwardly under Miguel Vasquez before rushing up to join the David trainee leaving the backstretch.

Kamar Taj, who was making her stakes debut after winning her first 2 career starts impressively, took the lead on the far turn while racing greenly, but Shea D Summer was far from done. The favorite kicked clear again leaving the turn into the homestretch and drew off through the stretch to win comfortably.

“I expected a little more pressure early from (Kamar Taj) and (Restofthestory),” David said. “(Kamar Taj) did come up and challenge her, but she responded really well.”

Restofthestory, who saved ground behind the pace, finished second, a head in front of Competitive Speed, the winner of the Hallandale Beach last time out.

Shea D Summer ran the 7 furlongs in 1:23.11.