Jeremy Brooks' Wow Whata Summer will be looking to prove that his recent upset victory versus graded competition was a not a fluke when he meets seven rivals in the $200,000, Grade 3 Kent Stakes at Delaware Park this Saturday. The mile and an eighth grass stake for 3-year-olds has been carded as the seventh race on the card with an approximate post time of 3:30pm.
In his last outing, Wow Whata Summer returned $168.80 after a posting a 1 ½-length triumph against seven foes in the one mile $400,000 Penn Mile over the Penn National turf course on June 3. In his only other outing this season, the home-bred son of Summer Front finished third in a 5-½ furlong turf allowance at Laurel Park on April 23. Last year, the Kentucky-bred trained by James Lawrence posted a record of a win and a third from five starts. His career record is two wins and two thirds from seven starts with earnings of $296,000.
Trainer James Lawrence has always thought highly of Wow Whata Summer, it had just been a matter of patience.
“Even going into the Penn Mile, we knew he had the ability,” said trainer James Lawrence. “Last year, we just absolutely loved this horse, but he never delivered with what we saw in the morning. We gelded him over the winter and gave him some time off. He just seems like a little different horse now in that when the jockey asks him to go, he goes. We hope he will repeat his effort he had in the Penn Mile in the Kent Stakes. We feel really good that he will. He is coming into the race very well. He looks great and he has been a very happy horse.”
Since his last outing, he has been training steadily at his home base at the Fair Hill Training Center. In his most recent work, he breezed six furlongs in 1:12.60 on the all-weather training course on June 23.
“He had a great breeze last week,” said trainer James Lawrence. “His jockey Tyler Connor breezed him and he said that he had plenty in the tank. I am sure there will be some tough ones coming in from out of town, but we are going to come ready to play.”
His final start last year and his first start this year were the two races his connections used to decide to stay with him going long on the turf.
“His only poor performance was on the dirt at the end of his 2-year-old season,” said trainer James Lawrence. “But gelding him and giving him time, really made a difference. I was very excited about his first race of the year at Laurel. He came from last going short and he finished third, but he finished strong which gave me the confidence to run him longer in the Penn Mile and he responded.”
$200,000 Grade III Kent Stakes
For 3-year-olds
at a mile-and-an-eighth (turf)
| # | HORSE | OWNER | TRAINER | JOCKEY | Wg | OD |
| 1 | Speaking Scout | Eclipse Thoroughbred | H. Graham Motion | Feargal Lynch | 119 | 4-1 |
| 2 | XY Time | Gelfenstein Farm | Bernardo Lopez | J D Acosta | 117 | 15-1 |
| 3 | Elizar | Madaket, Dubb Morris | Christophe Clement | Trevor McCarthy | 117 | 4-1 |
| 4 | Rod Two Rod (MTO) | Gelfenstein Farm | Bernardo Lopez | J D Acosta | 117 | 12-1 |
| 5 | Wow What a Summer | Jeremy Brooks | James Lawrence II | Tyler Conner | 122 | 10-1 |
| 6 | Main Event | Harrell Ventures | George Weaver | Eric Cancel | 117 | 2-1 |
| 7 | Uncle Irish | Kernan & Jagger | Jamie Ness | Jaime Rodriguez | 117 | 12-1 |
| 8 | King of Hollywood | MonmouthStud & Pinnacle | Gregory Sacco | Mychel Sanchez | 117 | 12-1 |
| 9 | Tommy Bee | LaPenta & Madaket | Brad Cox | Angel Suarez | 119 | 3-1 |
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