Gordon Waterstone

Lexington, KY — Summa Cum Laude could not have finished off his 2-year-old season in 2020 on a higher note, posting four wins — including the Kindergarten final and his dead-heat triumph with the undefeated Perfect Sting in the Breeders Crown — three seconds and a third in his last eight starts.

Upon season’s end, Summa Cum Laude‘s earnings of $482,275 was the third most by a freshman male pacer, behind only his stablemate Southwind Gendry ($583,069) and Perfect Sting ($534,300).

Capping off his freshman year with the dead-heat Breeders Crown victory and then a close third in the $371,900 Governor’s Cup, expectations were high in the camp of trainer Ron Burke for Summa Cum Laude‘s sophomore campaign in 2021. However, as the month of August is winding down, Summa Cum Laude has yet to find the winner’s circle in seven starts, adding just $38,645 to his bankroll.

Summa Cum Laude‘s 2020 earnings of $482,275 was the third most by a freshman male pacer. Lisa photo.

Still, Burke has high hopes for Summa Cum Laude when he starts in the first of two divisions of the Somebeachsomewhere on Saturday night (Aug. 28) at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

The race is a final prep before the Pepsi North America Cup eliminations on Saturday (Sept. 4), where Summa Cum Laude is expected to be joined by Southwind Gendry — who was not eligible for the Somebeachsomewhere — in the chase for the C$1 million final on Sept. 11.

“I think we have him ready now,” said Burke about the son of Somebeachsomewhere out of the $1.3 million-winning mare Western Graduate. “He was struggling with some breathing issues and we’ve figured it out, and he’s been way better since.”

Summa Cum Laude will be driven by Yannick Gingras in the Somebeachsomewhere, starting from post five in the first seven-horse division (race eight), which carries a purse of C$86,250.

Six pacers will line up behind the gate in the C$85,250 second split (race 11), with the role of favorite likely going to Bulldog Hanover, a three-time Ontario Sires Stakes Gold winner this year whose 1:49 score in an OSS Gold last time out on Aug. 21 is tied as the fastest mile paced thus far in 2021 by a sophomore in Canada.

As for Summa Cum Laude, a $260,000 yearling purchase by Burke Racing Stable, Phil Collura, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi, his best finish of the year has been a third-place effort in the $276,150 Cane Pace on Aug. 7 at The Meadowlands.

Making his next start on Aug. 21 in the $100,000 Hempt consolation at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Summa Cum Laude finished seventh, unable to make up any ground in the 1:48.4 mile after getting away eighth.

“Last week he was loaded, before that he hadn’t been sharp,” said Burke. “He really hasn’t been good. I knew training him down but I couldn’t figure out why. But now finally we’ve figured it out and he seems like a new horse. He’ll get locked in sooner or later, you just have to get him good. It’s a long year and he can still put it together.”

Also on the Mohawk Saturday card are two divisions of the C$279,600 Nassagaweya for 2-year-old male pacers, two divisions of the C$227,300 Eternal Camnation for 2-year-old filly pacers, and the C$169,550 Simcoe for 3-year-old filly pacers.