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 said he 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 Lawrence.  “His jockey Tyler Conner 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,” Lawrence added.  “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.”

Wow Whata Summer is 8-1 on the morning line. He and Conner will leave from post number five.

Trainer George Weaver will send out the favorite in the Kent in the form of Main Event (5-2). The Bernardini colt has won two of four on the lawn, including a score in the Cutler Bay Stakes at Gulfstream Park two back. Eric Cancel is scheduled to ride.

Also figuring to get plenty of the betting public’s attention is the Brad Cox-trained Tommy Bee (3-1). He has been second in three stakes races, including last time out in the Caesars Stakes behind next-out stakes winner Stitched. Angel Suarez is named.