Waterford Stable LLC’s Summer Cause lifted the mood at Gulfstream Park on Saturday, 6th December, as the 5-year-old prevailed with a well-judged ride by Tyler Gaffalione in the H. Allen Jerkens Handicap, using a solid early pace and a calm rhythm to defeat seven rivals in the two-mile test.
Gaffalione sat chilly on the 2-1 favorite when the early pace came up hotter than might have been expected over Gulfstream’s firm turf course, letting Dontsplashthepot show the way by open lengths with Belouni in hot pursuit during the first mile of the handicap. “They broke out of there alertly. I had really good position going into the first turn. They hooked up on the backside. They opened up pretty good,” Gaffalione said. “My horse maintained a really good rhythm. He was comfortable throughout. When I asked him, he kept finding. He really relished the distance today.”
Dontsplashthepot was hesitant to settle under Nik Juarez as he showed the way along the backstretch for the first time, with Belouni quickly closing ground to make his presence felt as Dontsplashthepot neared the finish line for the first time after completing the first mile in 1:38.37.
Gaffalione kept a cool head aboard Summer Cause, allowing the pacesetters to knock each other out before asking for his run. When he did ask the son of Summer Front, the Miguel Clement trainee advanced quickly leaving the backstretch before making a three-wide sweep to the lead and drawing clear by two lengths.
Coiled, who had settled even further off the pace, made a four-wide sweep under Jorge Ruiz to loom boldly at the top of the stretch but was unable to overtake Summer Cause. Padiddle closed from last to finish third, 6¼ lengths farther back. Dontsplashthepot held on for fourth.
Summer Cause, who carried co-highweight of 121 pounds with fifth-place finisher Risk Manager, ran two miles in 3:19.95, just .47 off Sir Anthony’s 2020 course record. Summer Cause was the only horse in the J. Allen Jerkens field to have raced at two miles, that coming in a fourth-place finish in the John Forbes Memorial at Fair Hill last time out.
Summer Cause’s fourth career victory in 17 starts gave Gaffalione his third consecutive victory on Saturday’s program at Gulfstream, where the David, FL native rode his first career winner, Holdin Bullets, on Sept. 7, 2014. “It’s good to be back home. It’s great to see all my friends and family,” Gaffalione said. “It’s great to see everybody and enjoy the great weather. It’s almost like a working vacation. We have a lot of fun, but we mean business too.”
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