Classic winner and successful sire Summer Squall was euthanized Tuesday, Sept. 22, at William S. Farish’s Lane’s End Farm near Versailles, Ky., because of complications from the infirmities of old age. “He was an important part of one of Lane’s End’s great families,” Farish said about the half-brother to two-time leading sire and current Lane’s End stallion A.P. Indy.
A 22-year-old son of Storm Bird, Summer Cat was produced from 1992 Broodmare of the Year Weekend Surprise (by Secretariat). Summer Squall stood at Lane’s End his entire career before being pensioned because of fertility issues in 2004.
Summer Squall is represented by 37 stakes winners, including 1999 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male Charismatic, who won that year’s Kentucky Derby (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and ran third in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I).
Summer Squall, a Preakness winner himself, also is represented by 1996 champion 2-year-old filly and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner Storm Song, plus additional grade I winners Summer Colony and Summerly. The last-named won the 2005 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I).
Bred by Farish and W.S. Kilroy, Summer Squall was purchased by Dogwood Stable (Cot Campbell, president) for $300,000 from Lane’s End at the 1988 Keeneland July yearling sale. Trained by Neil Howard for Dogwood, Summer Squall captured 13 of 20 races and earned $1,844,282.
Summer Squall won all five races at 2, highlighted by a score in the Hopeful Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga. Prior to his Preakness score, he had run second to Unbridled in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I). In the Preakness, he beat Unbridled by 2 1/4 lengths
Summer Squall also was graded stakes winner at 4, taking the Fayette Handicap (gr. II) at Keeneland over Unbridled.