SUMMER BIRD (Birdstone), who secured the lead in the divisional race for
champion three-year-old male honors with a 3 1/2 length score in last month’s
Tarvers S. (G1), worked four furlongs in :50 3/5 over the fast main track at
Belmont Park on Tuesday. The Tim Ice-trained colt, who had a work postponed last
weekend due to inclement weather, is expected to make his debut against older
horses in October 3 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) over 1 1/4 miles.
Owned and bred by Drs. Kalarikkal and Vilasini Jayaraman in Kentucky, Summer
Bird made a belated debut at Oaklawn Park on March 1, then broke his maiden at
the same track 19 days later. He closed well to be third in the Arkansas Derby
(G2) in his stakes debut, but was a well beaten sixth in the slop at the
Kentucky Derby (G1). He made amends when defeating Derby winner Mine That Bird (Birdstone)
in the Belmont S. (G1), scoring by 2 3/4 lengths under Kent Desormeaux. The pair
reunited for the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park, when Summer Bird
finished six lengths second to Horse of the Year candidate Rachel Alexandra (Medaglia
d’Oro).
Summer Bird has bankrolled $1,573,040 from a line of 7-3-1-1.