Summerly to End Career in Falls City Handicap

Edited Churchill Downs release
WinStar Farm's Summerly, winner of the 2005 Kentucky Oaks (gr. I), will bid for a victorious conclusion to her racing career when she faces seven rivals on Thanksgiving Day in the 91st running of the $300,000-added Falls City Handicap (gr. II) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/8-mile Falls City is scheduled as the 11th of 12 races, with post time for the first race set for 11:30 a.m. (EST).

Summerly will compete for the only time in the silks of WinStar Farm, which purchased her for $3.3 million earlier this month at the Fasig-Tipton mixed sale in Lexington. The 4-year-old daughter of Summer Squall will be bred next year to WinStar stallion Distorted Humor  , but racing manager Elliott Walden said a discussion with trainer Scott Blasi led her new owner to decide to run Summerly one more time in the Falls City.

"We talked with Scott after we bought her about how well she was doing and how disappointed they were that they didn't get to run her in the Breeders' Cup," he said. "If she wins it'll get her over a million dollars (in career earnings), which would be nice."

Summerly has one win in three 2006 starts, a victory marked her lone visit to the winner's circle in five starts following her Kentucky Oaks triumph. Her career record stands at 6-1-2 in 13 races with earnings of $891,633.

Churchill Downs handicapper Mike Battaglia has installed Summerly as the 5-2 morning line favorite in a competitive renewal of the Falls City in which only one entrant was listed at odds higher than 10-1. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan will ride Summerly.

The major obstacles to a happy ending to Summerly's racing days could be provided by a talented group of 3-year-old fillies that will face their elders in the Falls City. The group includes Oxbow Racing's Ermine (3-1), runner-up to Lemons Forever in this year's Kentucky Oaks; Dorothy Alexander Matz's Sangrita (4-1), winner of the Chilukki (gr. II) for Michael Matz; and Donald Dizney's Joint Effort (5-1), a two-time stakes winner at Churchill Downs that has never been worse than second in eight races over the track.

Post position--Horse (weight), Jockey, ML odds

1--Cursora (114), Julien Leparoux, 15-1
2--Summerly (120), Shaun Bridgmohan, 5-2
3--Ermine (114, Calvin Bore, 3-1
4--Sea Siren (118), Cornelio Velasquez, 8-1
5--Joint Effort (116), Dale Romans, 5-1
6--Cryptoquip (116), Robby Albarado, 8-1
7--Silmaril (116), Ryan Fogelsonger, 8-1
8--Sangrita (115), Rafael Bejarano, 4-1