Kentucky Oaks Winner Summerly Dies at Age 19

Summerly , the 2005 Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner, died after a bout of colic earlier this year, The TwinSpires Edge reported Aug. 30. She was 19.

The daughter of Summer Squall was raced by Winchell Thoroughbreds and trained by Steve Asmussen for the majority of her race career. WinStar Farm purchased her for $3.3 million from Eaton Sales, agent, in 2006 at The November Sale, Fasig-Tipton's selected breeding stock sale in Kentucky.

WinStar Farm president, CEO, and racing manager Elliott Walden confirmed the news to The TwinSpires Edge.

Winchell Thoroughbreds' racing manager David Fiske recalled a major "first" that Summerly provided the team.

"She was our first Oaks winner, my first Oaks winner, Winchell's first Oaks winner," Fiske told BloodHorse. "At the time, your first reaction is 'this will probably never happen again.' It was great. Ron's mother was there for the race. It was a big deal for us at the time."

Winchell and Asmussen teamed to win their second Kentucky Oaks with Untapable  in 2014.

Summerly was bred in Kentucky by T. F. Van Meter and Michael Lowenbaum out of the multiple graded stakes-placed Mr. Prospector mare Here I Go. Winchell Thoroughbreds purchased Summerly for $410,000 out of the Eaton consignment to the 2003 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

In her second start as a juvenile, Summerly romped by 14 lengths in maiden special weight during the Keeneland fall meet. She also placed in that year's Golden Rod Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs.

Summerly opened up her 3-year-old season with three straight wins at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. She rolled to a 9 3/4-length victory in an allowance optional claimer before taking the Silverbulletday Stakes (G3) and Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) by clear margins as well. The chestnut filly then returned to Keeneland that spring and was fourth in the Ashland Stakes (G1) after being bumped at the start, but rebounded to wire the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill and pull away for a two-length win under Jerry Bailey. 

Summerly closed out her sophomore season by placing in the Mother Goose Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park and Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. At age 4 she also won the Ashado Stakes when back at Saratoga. 

From 14 career starts, she collected a 6-1-2 record and earned $907,652. She made her final start for WinStar after being purchased at The November Sale in 2006.

As a broodmare, Summerly produced 12 foals, with five winners from eight starters. Her first foal was the stakes-placed Distorted Humor   son Kentucky Reign  and she also produced the Brazilian group-placed Unbridled's Song filly Allez Marie , who later became the dam of U.S. stakes winner Workaholic  and grade 3-placed Tomato Bill . Another son of Summerly's, Altito , by Bernardini, earned $304,333 on the track and set a track record at Indiana Grand in 2018 when racing 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.63.

Summerly produced a filly in 2020 and a colt this year; both are by WinStar Farm stallion Always Dreaming  . The 2020 filly is entered in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale with Eaton Sales, agent for WinStar Farm Bred & Raised.