In the process, Summer Bird emulated his sire, Birdstone, who turned the
“The more races he runs, I think he’s going to get better,” trainer Tim Ice
“Winning this race means as much as winning the Belmont. I can’t say that I
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Sent off the 5-2 second choice, Summer Bird completed 1 1/4 miles in 2:02 4/5 under Kent
Desormeaux. Hold Me Back (Giant’s Causeway), the 17-1 longest shot in the
seven-horse field, closed from the back of the pack for
runner-up honors in deep stretch, and 3-2 favorite Quality Road (Elusive Quality)
finished third.
After breaking well, Summer Bird entered the first turn four wide, within a
few lengths of Our Edge (The Cliff’s Edge), who established an opening
quarter-mile in :23 while being pushed by Kensei (Mr. Greeley) to his outside
and Quality Road, who was stuck behind the pacesetter’s heels along the rail.
Our Edge continued to lead the way through a half-mile in :46 4/5, but the rest
of the field, excluding Hold Me Back, was bunching up in a tight pack around him
as they moved along the backstretch, with Summer Bird traveling smoothly up
close on the outside.
“In the starting gate, I thought I’d be sitting second-to-last (during the
early stages of the race),” Desormeaux explained. “But Tim has such confidence
in me, I was able to just take it as it comes. He left the gate wanting to run.
Within 200 yards, I was camped out behind the leaders, galloping along. I saw an
opportunity to clean him up, get him to the outside. From there, he actually
tried to make the lead, he wanted to run. I spent the next half-mile,
three-quarters, slowing him down, causing him to wait.”
Kensei took the lead as Our Edge began to quit entering the far turn, passing
the three-quarters mark in 1:11. Summer Bird was in a perfect striking position
and accelerated as he approached the top of the stretch, storming to the fore as
he straightened into the lane. He reached the quarter-pole with a one-length
advantage in 1:36 3/5 and continued to draw off in superb fashion.
“I was rating him,” Desormeaux said of his trip. “You can only rate a horse
who actually wants to go faster; otherwise you’re knuckling on him to keep up.
That is the ultimate feeling for a jockey, having a horse on his fingertips,
being on the bridle, not shoving on his neck, trying to make him keep up. That
was the exact situation I was in the Belmont; I mean I was restraining him until
inside the three-eighths pole, when I turned him loose. It was deja vu today.”
A non-threatening second to Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia d’Oro) in the Haskell
Invitational (G1) in his previous outing, the chestnut colt finished third in
the Arkansas Derby (G3) and sixth in the Kentucky Derby (G1) earlier this
season. Thoroughbred racing’s newest millionaire has now earned $1,573,040 from
a 7-3-1-1 career line.
The Kentucky-bred paid $7.80, $4.30 and $2.70, and keyed the $115.50 exacta
with the late-running Hold Me Back, who gave back $12.40 and $5.30 after
finishing 1 1/2 length clear of third. Quality Road, who split rivals at the
quarter-pole but lacked the needed rally in the final furlongs, returned $2.50.
It was 2 1/2 lengths back to the 6-1 Charitable Man (Lemon Drop Kid) in fourth,
and he was followed under the wire by Warrior’s Reward (Medaglia d’Oro) and
Kensei. Our Edge was eased in the stretch. The trifecta totaled $343.50, and the
6-1-4-2 superfecta was $1,139.
Summer Bird comes from a nice family. His second dam, Hong Kong Jade
(Alysheba), is a daughter of Ruby Slippers (Nijinsky II) and a half-sister to
1992 champion sprinter Rubiano (Fappiano) as well as stakes victress Tap Your
Heels (Unbridled). The latter mare is herself the dam of Grade 1 winner and
leading sire Tapit. Other daughters of Ruby Slippers have gone on to produce the
likes of stakes winner and Grade 3-placed Chitoz (Forest Wildcat); Woodlawn S.
hero and Friday’s Hill Prince S. second Affirmatif (Unbridled’s Song); and 2004
Summer S. (Can-G2) queen Dubleo (Southern Halo). Other notables in the family
include sires Relaunch and Glitterman.
“I have confidence in my horse,” Ice said when asked where his colt stacks up
in the three-year-old male division. “I’m glad the owners have enough confidence
in me to entrust him to me. I feel like I do (have the best three-year-old
male). He beat Quality Road today. There was a lot of hype of him (Quality Road)
going into the Kentucky Derby and nobody seemed to dismiss him coming off that 6
1/2-furlong race. I have a lot of respect for Quality Road and I have a lot of
respect for my horse. So maybe he is champion three-year-old colt right now.”
Quality Road, who missed the Kentucky Derby due to quarter-cracks, was making
his second start back off a lengthy layoff. He established a new track record in
the 6 1/2-furlong Amsterdam S. (G2) earlier in the meet.
“He bumped me off going into the gate,” jockey John Velazquez said of Quality
Road’s performance. “He didn’t break very good. There was nothing I could do,
but he came back and got himself back into the race. He handled it pretty well.
There was no room for me to go around the far turn. I had to wait for some
running room. Once we got some room, he was starting to run again.”
Hall of Famer Desormeaux recorded his first Travers victory aboard the
winner.
“This is the oldest racetrack in America and one of the most historical
racing events,” Desormeaux said. “The whole meet is special, and in my eyes I
just won the most special race at the meet. This made my entire summer here at
Saratoga and I want to thank the (owners), Tim, and most especially Summer
Bird.”