Summer Squall

Summer Squall (March 12, 1987 – September 22, 2009) was an American thoroughbred racehorse and sire, best known for his win in the 1990 Preakness Stakes, and his rivalry with Unbridled, whom he defeated in four of their six meetings. He later became a successful breeding stallion siring the Kentucky Derby winner Charismatic.

Summer Squall
SireStorm Bird
GrandsireNorthern Dancer
DamWeekend Surprise
DamsireSecretariat
SexStallion
Foaled1987
CountryUnited States
ColourBay
BreederW.S. Farish III & William S. Kilroy
OwnerDogwood Stable
TrainerNeil J. Howard
Record20: 13-4-0
Earnings$1,844,282
Major wins
Hopeful Stakes (1989)
Bashford Manor Stakes (1989)
Saratoga Special Stakes (1989)
Kentucky Breeders' Cup Stakes (1989)
Jim Beam Stakes (1990)
Pennsylvania Derby (1990)
Blue Grass Stakes (1990)
Fayette Handicap (1991)

U.S. Triple Crown wins:
Preakness Stakes (1990)

Background

Summer Squall was sired by Storm Bird, a son of 1964 Northern Dancer, "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history." His dam was Weekend Surprise, who was also the dam of 1992 United States Horse of the Year A.P. Indy. Weekend Surprise's dam Lassie Dear was also the direct female-line ancestor of Duke of Marmalade, Lemon Drop Kid and Ruler of the World.[1]

Bred and born on the land that became 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 career

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 at ages three and four, with Summer Squall winning three of those races, including the Blue Grass Stakes, and finished ahead of Unbridled in one other, the 1991 Pimlico Special.[2]

At Kentucky Derby post time, Summer Squall was sent off as the bettors' second choice behind Mister Frisky, a colt from Puerto Rico who had won a record sixteen straight races coming into the Derby including victories 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.

Summer Squall won the Preakness Stakes by 212 lengths. In beating Unbridled, his 18 seconds for the final 3/16 of a mile was the fastest in Preakness history. Summer Squall had bled quite a bit during his racing in Florida and required Lasix to deal with the problem. However, Lasix was still banned in New York in 1990, so he did not race in the Belmont Stakes, in which rival Unbridled finished fourth without the use of Lasix. Summer Squall went on to win the Grade II Pennsylvania Derby with the use of Lasix, but he bled again while finishing off the board and far back in the Meadowlands Cup.

Summer Squall competed at age four in 1991, and though he never won another Grade I, he won the Fayette Handicap; then in Chicago at Arlington Park, he ran second to Black Tie Affair in the Washington Park Handicap. He also finished second to Farma Way in the then-Grade I Pimlico Special.

Retirement

Summer Squall was a ridgling, meaning that he had an undescended testicle. However, this did not preclude him being used at 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.[3]

The sire of thirty-five stakes winners, Summer Squall produced offspring that included:

Summer Squall is also the damsire of Stevie Wonderboy and of Summer Bird, winner of the 2009 Belmont Stakes.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Summer Squall[4]
Sire
Storm Bird

bay 1978

Northern Dancer

bay 1961

Nearctic
brown 1954
Nearco
Lady Angela
Natalma
bay 1957
Native Dancer
Almahmoud
South Ocean

bay 1967

New Providence
bay 1956
Bull Page
Fair Colleen
Shining Sun
bay 1962
Chop Chop
Solar Display
Dam
Weekend Surprise

bay 1980

Secretariat

chestnut 1970

Bold Ruler
brown 1954
Nasrullah
Miss Disco
Somethingroyal
bay 1952
Princequillo
Imperatrice
Lassie Dear

bay 1974

Buckpasser
bay 1963
Tom Fool
Busanda
Gay Missile
bay 1967
Sir Gaylord
Missy Baba (Family 3-l)[1]

References

  1. "Thoroughbred Bloodlines - Mayonaise - Family 3-L". Bloodlines.net. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  2. "Unbridled, Summer Squall to bring their fabled rivalry to Classic end". Baltimore Sun. 1991-11-01. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  3. "Dogwood Stable News". Dogwood Stable. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
  4. "Summer Squall pedigree". equineline.com. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2013-06-01.
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