BackTrack: Summer Squall Completes Perfect Season

There was no doubt, but there was doubt.

Dogwood Stable's Summer Squall was much the best in Saratoga Race Course's $234,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) Aug. 26, crossing the wire 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Sir Richard Lewis in an impressive performance. However, the final outcome of the race was left up to the stewards. Fifteen minutes after the race, nothing had been settled.

The stretch run of the Hopeful had produced one of the roughest incidents seen at Saratoga in several years, and it appeared that Summer Squall might have been the guilty party. The stewards posted an inquiry, and a rider lodged an objection against Summer Squall. There was nothing left to do but wait.

Summer Squall's trainer, Neil Howard, leaned against the outer rail, fixated on the number four as it blinked on the Tote board. It was, he would admit later, agony.

"Stop blinking, stop blinking," he said to no one in particular, but the lighted four failed to heed his request. Finally. it did, and Summer Squall was officially the winner of the Hopeful, the first grade 1 race of the year for 2-year-olds.

Summer Squall, a tenacious winner, kept his record perfect at five-for-five and established himself as the top 2-year-old colt in training.

"He showed courage, and he continued to fight despite the fact that racing room was getting scarce," said rider Pat Day. "He's got a tremendous amount of ability."

The stretch battle began innocently enough. Adjudicating, Carson City, and Bite the Bullet were only heads apart as they negotiated the turn and headed into the stretch. Summer Squall sat fourth behind those three and was having trouble finding room, but nobody was bothering anybody else.

As the three leaders continued through the stretch, Day found a hole between Carson City and Bite the Bullet. Just before the eighth pole, he proceeded to bull his way through it. An instant later, the opening closed.

Summer Squall banged into Carson City, which in turn banged into Adjudicating. Day had to steady. Carson City, with Julie Krone aboard, hit the rail with dramatic force and barely finished the race.

It was not immediately clear who or what caused the problem. Obviously, the stewards also had a difficult time deciding.

Ultimately, they ruled that Bite the Bullet and rider Craig Perret came over to close the hole Summer Squall was about to go through, which caused Summer Squall to bother the other colts. Bite the Bullet was disqualified and placed sixth.

"He made a left-hand turn and came over on me," Day explained. "I'm lucky my horse was able to stay in there. If Bite the Bullet stays straight, there are no problems."

Not surprisingly, Perret's version was different.

"There were three together coming off the turn and there was not enough room for a fourth," said Perret. "The hole wasn't there, but he had committed himself, and he had to keep going. Someone had to pay for it."

In some ways, it was poetic justice that Summer Squall survived the inquiry. He ran an excellent race and deserved to be rewarded for it.

"Pat said that he was real gutsy," said Howard. "I think anybody sitting in my shoes would have to feel good about the horse."

Summer Squall, a bay son of Storm Bird—Weekend Surprise, has won four stakes, including the Saratoga Special (G3). He paid $3.80 in the Hopeful and completed the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16 4/5 over a fast track.

The Hopeful was worth $140,400 to the winning owners, members of one of the Dogwood Stable partnerships organized by Cot Campbell. Their colt has now earned $288,062.

Sir Richard Lewis, one of only a few horses in the race which did not have trouble, closed well in the final furlongs, but was never close to catching the winner. He finished 3 1/2 lengths ahead of Eternal Flight.