Oak Tree Racing Back In Action at Pleasanton

Oak Tree Racing returns to the California thoroughbred calendar with the inaugural Oak Tree at Pleasanton race meet, starting Thursday, June 19. Oak Tree races on a Thursday – Sunday schedule through July 6.

Post time each day is 1:15 p.m. Pacific Time, except Friday, June 20, which get underway at 2:15 p.m.

Oak Tree is pumping up the stakes schedule at Pleasanton with the creation of three new stakes races:

• $100,000 Oak Tree Handicap on Saturday, June 21
• $100,000 Oak Tree Distaff on Saturday, June 28
• $75,000 Oak Tree Sprint on Friday, July 3

Kicking off the opening weekend is the $100,000 Oak Tree H., which drew a compact field of six. Multiple graded winner Summer Hit comes off a game score in the All American (G3) at Golden Gate most recently and is part of a fine one-two punch for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. This six-year-old gelding has yet to run here, but dons 17 tops three finishes from 20 career outings, with 11 tallies. The son of Bertrando was unplaced in his lone dirt run to date, but that came with Grade 1 foes and he gets another chance.

Also for this barn is Longview Drive, who was a big second in the All American (G3) last time. The five-year-old chestnut has earned all three lifetime wins on dirt and could fall into a nice pace with a possible early duel to run at in the lane. Bill McLean’s recent allowance winner Beast of Bourbon and Eoin Harty’s Footbridge, who has rolled home to a pair of very sharp wins in succession, also get notice in this contest.