Look Back: Summer Squall Answers Questions in Jim Beam

In conjunction with Tom Hall's Throwback Thursday features in BloodHorse Daily, BloodHorse.com each Thursday will present corresponding race stories from the pages of the magazine. 

This week is a recap of the 1990 Jim Beam Stakes (G2) at Turfway Park won by Summer Squall. Following is a recap written by Deidre Biles with the headline "Storm Warning." 

A former journalist and advertising executive, Dogwood Stable president Cot Campbell is no stranger to summing up an experience with an eloquent phrase. After Dogwood's Summer Squall won the $500,000 Jim Beam Stakes (G2) with a combination of power and poise, Campbell described the standout 3-year-old's campaign as "an agonizing sort of an ecstasy."

In the months leading up to the March 31 Jim Beam, the emphasis was on agony. The swift Summer Squall was a major winner at 2, but his promising season was cut short by a hairline fracture of the cannon bone in his right front leg. Then, while working in preparation for a return to the races, Summer Squall bled on Feb. 19 of this year, and his sophomore debut had to be delayed.

Throwback Thursday: More on Summer Squall

"It (the bleeding incident) was just something that happened out of the clear blue sky," said the colt's trainer Neil Howard. "There was no rhyme or reason to it as far as we were concerned. This colt gives 110%, no matter what, and you felt like he really didn't deserve to have it happen to him."

Examinations of Summer Squall's lungs did not pinpoint the bleeding's exact cause and no major damage was discovered. The decision was made to continue the ambitious Kentucky Derby (G1) quest, and the Storm Bird colt made his first 1990 start in the seven-furlong Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park on March 17. He finished a strong second to Housebuster, an accomplished sprinter.

"We thought the Swale Stakes was the acid test and Summer Squall passed with flying colors," Campbell said. "It was a hot, sultry day, and they ran awfully fast, but he didn't bleed."

The encouraging effort gave Howard the confidence to "get more down to brass tacks" with Summer Squall's training. Described by Campbell as a man who pays close attention to details, Howard emphasized long gallops, some up to a distance of 2 1/4 miles, in the bay colt's conditioning regimen.

The stamina-building strategy paid off in the 1 1/8-mile Jim Beam at Turfway Park in Kentucky. Sent away the 9-10 favorite, Summer Squall rallied from just behind the pace to triumph by 2 1/2 lengths. His time over the muddy track was 1:49 2/5, only two-fifths of a second slower than the track record. Jockey Pat Day never had to use his whip.

"This certainly took a load off my mind," said Campbell of Summer Squall's first racing attempt beyond seven furlongs. "I had hoped this horse would be a Derby contender, and in my opinion, he damn well stamped himself as one today."

Campbell oversees the Dogwood syndicate that owns Summer Squall, purchased for $300,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in July of 1988. The syndicate's 40 shares are divided among 28 people including William S. Farish, who bred the colt in partnership with W.S. Kilroy. Farish became a syndicate member after Summer Squall won in his career debut in April of last year at Keeneland.

Originally the syndicate owned four other horses, but that number was reduced by one with the sale of an Alydar colt, Campbell said. The remaining horses include Hitchcock Woods (by Nijinsky II), which broke his maiden at Santa Anita the day of the Jim Beam.

Also on the day following the Beam, Campbell and the syndicate members learned that Day had chosen Summer Squall as his Derby mount. The other top contender for Day's services was Unbridled, which the jockey had guided to victory in the Florida Derby (G1).

Day began riding Summer Squall in July of last year, and despite the colt's setbacks, "We always felt he was our big horse as a 3-year-old," said Fred Aime, Day's agent. "In the Jim Beam, he ran up to everyone's expectations. We were impressed because he showed that Neil (Howard) had him fit, that he could handle two turns, and that he could beat some nice 3-year-olds."

Summer Squall gave Day his fourth victory in as many tries in the Jim Beam's nine runnings. The jockey previously had won the race with At the Threshold (1984), J. T.'s Pet (1987), and Western Playboy (1989).

Despite the damp and gloomy weather, a track-record crowd of 16,872 turned out for the Jim Beam. Early in the race, Day kept Summer Squall on the rail behind horses. The colt had to be steadied twice by his jockey—on the first turn and again approaching the second—but neither situation caused a major break in stride.

Meanwhile, Bright Again, pressed by California invader Tight Spot, raced on the lead. Day ended his waiting game with Summer Squall when Tight Spot began to tire coming out of the second turn. 

"I had a handful of horse, although he was not uncontrollable," Day said. 

Angled away from the rail by Day, Summer Squall moved around Tight spot, then drew up alongside Bright Again and surged past the front-runner inside the eighth pole. Bright Again had no trouble holding the runner-up position, finishing eight lengths ahead of Yonder. Power Lunch was another six lengths back in fourth, and Tight Spot wound up fifth in the field of 10.

The $300,000 winner's share of the Jim Beam purse raised Summer Squall's career earnings to $600,072. The colt has won six of his seven career races.

"It surprised me that he won it (the Jim Beam) as handily as he did," Howard said. "To put it plain and simple, this was an important step for him. I was a little apprehensive about whether he would be tight enough to win, but it turned out that he ran a lot more of a race than I thought he would."

There was a brief scare after the Jim Beam when Summer Squall was kicked by his lead pony on the way to the winner's circle. The Dogwood runner sustained a scrape and a small cut on the stifle of his left hind leg. Veterinarian Rick Fischer said the cut was about three-quarters of an inch long and was closed, using two stitches, to prevent infection.

The following morning, Howard reported that there was no swelling around the wounds. Summer Squall's training schedule was expected to continue normally.

Howard anticipated that Summer Squall would be pointed for the April 14 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland but did not rule out skipping that race and training up to the Derby. Bright Again was headed for either the Blue Grass or the April 24 Lexington Stakes (G2) at Keeneland. Hall of Fame trainer Woody Stephens said he would run Yonder next in the April 28 Derby Trial (G3) at Churchill Downs.

"I really believe Summer Squall is the best 3-year-old out there right now," said Rusty Arnold, who conditions Bright Again. "My horse ran a game race and proved he has enough ability to compete with the top 3-year-olds but he got outrun by a better horse in the Jim Beam."