Summer Squall
Encyclopedia
Summer Squall is an American
thoroughbred
Stallion
racehorse
. He was sired by Storm Bird
, who in turn was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt
Northern Dancer
, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." His dam was Weekend Surprise, a daughter of the great U.S. Triple Crown winner Secretariat
. Weekend Surprise was also the dam of 1992 United States Horse of the Year
, A.P. Indy
.
Bred and born on the land that would become Lane's End Farm
in Versailles, Kentucky
by W.S. Farish III & W.S. Kilroy, Summer Squall was trained by Neil J. Howard
and ridden by National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
jockey Pat Day
.
Racing at age two, Summer Squall went undefeated in all five of his starts. As a three-year-old in 1990 he became known for his rivalry with Unbridled
. They met six times, with Summer Squall winning four, including the Blue Grass Stakes
.
second choice behind Mister Frisky
, a colt from Puerto Rico
who had won a record sixteen straight races coming into the Derby including impressive wins in California
in the San Rafael
and San Vicente Stakes
and the important Grade I
Santa Anita Derby
.
Running six lengths back, Summer Squall made a move as the field turned into the stretch for home but Unbridled
came with him, then pulled away to win. Pleasant Tap
finished third with Mister Frisky eighth.
by 2 lengths. In beating Unbridled, his 18 seconds for the final 3/16 of a mile was the fastest in Preakness history.
in 1990, and so he did not race in the Belmont Stakes
, in which rival Unbridled finished fourth.
Summer Squall competed at age four in 1991. He won the Fayette Handicap
at Keeneland Race Course; then in Chicago
at Arlington Park
, ran second to Black Tie Affair
in the Washington Park Handicap
. He earned another second, this time to Farma Way
, in the then Grade I
Pimlico Special
.
, meaning that he had an undescended testicle. However, this did not preclude him being used as a successful stud. He stood at Lane's End Farm
until he was pensioned in 2004 due to fertility problems. He was euthanized in September 2009 from infirmities of old age.
The sire of thirty-five stakes winners, Summer Squall produced offspring that included:
Summer Squall is the damsire of Summer Bird
, winner of the 2009 Belmont Stakes
, and also the damsire of Stevie Wonderboy
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
Stallion
Stallion (horse)
A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded .Stallions will follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" neck, as well as a somewhat more muscular physique as compared to...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. He was sired by Storm Bird
Storm Bird
Storm Bird was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse in Ireland. He was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt Northern Dancer, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." At age 2,trained by Vincent O'Brien, he won all five starts and was voted Champion in England and Ireland...
, who in turn was a son of 1964 U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 3-Year-Old Male Horse
The American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." His dam was Weekend Surprise, a daughter of the great U.S. Triple Crown winner Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
. Weekend Surprise was also the dam of 1992 United States Horse of the Year
Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year
The American Award for Horse of the Year is the highest honor given in American thoroughbred horse racing. It has been awarded since 1887 to the horse, irrespective of age, whose performance during the racing year is deemed the most outstanding....
, A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy
A.P. Indy is a champion stallion Thoroughbred racehorse bred in Kentucky, USA, by William Farish III and William Kilroy. He is known for his ancestry, his own record, and his successful progeny. He was sired by Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew through mare Weekend Surprise, who herself was sired...
.
Bred and born on the land that would become Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm which means beautiful woods and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought by leading...
in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
by W.S. Farish III & W.S. Kilroy, Summer Squall was trained by Neil J. Howard
Neil J. Howard
Neil J. Howard is an American Thoroughbred horse racing trainer.Howard began working for a racing stable in 1969 and went on to spend seven years as an assistant and stable foreman to future Hall of Fame trainer MacKenzie Miller before going out on his own in 1979.With Summer Squall, in 1990 Neil...
and ridden by National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
jockey Pat Day
Pat Day
Patrick Alan "Pat" Day is an American jockey. He is a four-time winner of the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1991...
.
Racing at age two, Summer Squall went undefeated in all five of his starts. As a three-year-old in 1990 he became known for his rivalry with Unbridled
Unbridled
Unbridled was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse.The colt was sired by Fappiano , by Mr. Prospector, and his dam Gana Facil, by Le Fabuleux. Unbridled retired with a career record of 8 wins, 6 places and 6 shows in 24 starts, and $4,489,475 in career earnings...
. They met six times, with Summer Squall winning four, including the Blue Grass Stakes
Blue Grass Stakes
The Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, currently sponsored by the Toyota Motor Corporation, is an American Grade 1 horse race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held annually in mid April at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentucky....
.
1990 Kentucky Derby
At Kentucky Derby post time, Summer Squall was sent off as the bettors'Parimutuel betting
Parimutuel betting is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the "house-take" or "vig" is removed, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among all winning bets...
second choice behind Mister Frisky
Mister Frisky
Mister Frisky is an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who competed successfully in Puerto Rico and California. Mister Frisky was Puerto Rico's 1989 Champion Imported Two-year-old Colt and Puerto Rico's Horse of the Year....
, a colt from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
who had won a record sixteen straight races coming into the Derby including impressive wins in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in the San Rafael
San Rafael Stakes
The San Rafael Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Santa Anita Park, located in Arcadia, California. The race is a Grade III event with a purse of $150,000 and is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile on the facility's Cushion Track synthetic dirt race track.Prior to...
and San Vicente Stakes
San Vicente Stakes
The San Vicente Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race run annually at Santa Anita Park. A Grade III event, the race is open to three-year-old horses willing to race seven furlongs on the dirt and carries a purse of $150,000....
and the important Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Santa Anita Derby
Santa Anita Derby
The Santa Anita Derby is an American Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds run each April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and carries a purse of $1 million. Inaugurated in 1935, it is considered the most important West Coast stepping-stone to the Kentucky Derby...
.
Running six lengths back, Summer Squall made a move as the field turned into the stretch for home but Unbridled
Unbridled
Unbridled was a Champion American Thoroughbred racehorse.The colt was sired by Fappiano , by Mr. Prospector, and his dam Gana Facil, by Le Fabuleux. Unbridled retired with a career record of 8 wins, 6 places and 6 shows in 24 starts, and $4,489,475 in career earnings...
came with him, then pulled away to win. Pleasant Tap
Pleasant Tap
Pleasant Tap was an American thoroughbred stallion racehorse. He was sired by 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Pleasant Colony, out of the mare, Never Knock...
finished third with Mister Frisky eighth.
1990 Preakness Stakes
Summer Squall won the Preakness StakesPreakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
by 2 lengths. In beating Unbridled, his 18 seconds for the final 3/16 of a mile was the fastest in Preakness history.
1990 Belmont Stakes
Summer Squall had bled quite a bit during his racing in Florida and required Lasix to deal with the problem. Unfortunately, Lasix was still banned in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1990, and so he did not race in the Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, in which rival Unbridled finished fourth.
Summer Squall competed at age four in 1991. He won the Fayette Handicap
Fayette Stakes
The Fayette Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late October at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky. A Grade III event, it is open to horses age three and older. It is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt and offers a purse of $150,000.The Fayette Stakes is named...
at Keeneland Race Course; then in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
at Arlington Park
Arlington Park
Arlington Park is a horse race track in the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights, Illinois. Horse racing in the Chicago region has been a popular sport since the early days of the city in the 1830s, and at one time Chicago had more horse racing tracks than any other major metropolitan area...
, ran second to Black Tie Affair
Black Tie Affair
Black Tie Affair was a thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by American businessman Stephen D. Peskoff, he was out of the mare Hat Tab Girl and sired by Miswaki, who also sired Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Urban Sea and who was a two-time Leading broodmare sire in Great Britain & Ireland.Black Tie...
in the Washington Park Handicap
Washington Park Handicap
The Washington Park Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the first week of September at Arlington Park Racetrack in Arlington Heights, Illinois. A Grade III event open to horses age three and older, it is contested on Polytrack synthetic dirt over a distance of a...
. He earned another second, this time to Farma Way
Farma Way
Farma Way was an American thoroughbred Stallion racehorse foaled in Kentucky. He was sired by Santa Anita Derby winner Marfa out of the Diplomat Way mare, Fine Tribute, a descendant of the very important sire, Nearco....
, in the then Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
Pimlico Special
Pimlico Special
The Pimlico Special is an American thoroughbred horse race held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland in mid May. It is raced on dirt over a distance of 1³/16 miles . The race is currently open to horses age three and older and offers a purse of $250,000.The Pimlico Special was first run in...
.
Retirement
Summer Squall was a ridglingRidgling
A ridgling or rig is a male animal with an undescended testicle. An undescended testicle is not a serious or life-threatening condition, though it may cause the animal discomfort at times...
, meaning that he had an undescended testicle. However, this did not preclude him being used as a successful stud. He stood at Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm
Lane's End Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm in Versailles, Kentucky established in 1979. The original land was part of Bosque Bonita Farm which means beautiful woods and was originally owned by Abraham Buford, a Confederate Army General. The land was later bought by leading...
until he was pensioned in 2004 due to fertility problems. He was euthanized in September 2009 from infirmities of old age.
The sire of thirty-five stakes winners, Summer Squall produced offspring that included:
- CharismaticCharismatic (horse)Charismatic is a stallion Thoroughbred horse, and is known as one of the closest challengers to the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing since the last winner, Affirmed, accomplished the feat in 1978. He was trained by D. Wayne Lukas, and famously ridden in the Triple Crown races by Chris Antley...
- 1999 Kentucky DerbyKentucky DerbyThe Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
winner, 1999 American Horse of the Year - Storm Song - won 1996 Breeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesBreeders' Cup Juvenile FilliesThe Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a 1 1/16-mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the United States or Canada as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.-Automatic Berths:Beginning in 2007, the Breeders' Cup...
, American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly - Summer Colony - millionaire filly, multiple stakes winner including the Grade I Personal Ensign HandicapPersonal Ensign HandicapThe Personal Ensign Stakes is an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held annually during the third week of August at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Open to fillies and Mares age three and older, it is contested at a distance of one and one-quarter miles on dirt .Since...
- Summer Mis - 2003 Illinois Horse of the Year
Summer Squall is the damsire of Summer Bird
Summer Bird
Summer Bird is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse, son of 2004 Belmont Stakes winner Birdstone. He was bred by retired cardiologist Kalarikkal Jayaraman and his wife, retired pathologist Vilasini Jayaraman, at their Tiffany Farm near Ocala, Florida...
, winner of the 2009 Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
, and also the damsire of Stevie Wonderboy
Stevie Wonderboy
Stevie Wonderboy is a retired Thoroughbred race horse. Competing in 2005, his performances that year, capped off by a win in the fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile, earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Male Horse. Going into the 2006 racing season he was expected to be a contender...
.