Very sad news by way of Japan came in this morning. Summer Bird, the Champion Three-year-old Male of 2009, passed away today, just days short of turning eight, after an unsuccessful battle with Colic.

The winner of three huge races in New York, was first sent to Japan at the end of his championship season for a run at the Japan Cup Dirt. Summer Bird fractured a leg while in training for the Grade 1 race, however. Hopes to return for his four-year-old season were ended when it was discovered the injury had not healed completely. First standing in the U.S., the young stallion was again sent to Japan after being purchased by Japanese interests late last year. His first foals are yearlings this year. As a show of tribute to the fallen champion, please enjoy these highlights from his short, but highly successful career.

Summer Bird first made noise on a national level when he rallied down the Oaklawn Park stretch to finish third in the Arkansas Derby. It sure looked like if the race had been only a little farther, he would have run down the leaders; not bad for a young colt making only his third lifetime start, and having only made his career debut six weeks earlier...

While the Arkansas Derby was his coming out party, it was in New York where he methodically moved to the top of his class. While most eyes were on the other Bird, it was the Tim Ice trained, and Drs. Kalarikkal K. & Vilasini D. Jayaraman owned colt who proved too much to handle in the demanding final stages of the Belmont Stakes...

The Travers was billed as the afternoon that the much hyped Quality Road was going to prove that he was the most talented three-year-old of the crop, but on a messy track at Saratoga, the big chestnut would have none of that...

In his first try against older horses, it was the other three-year-old, Quality Road, that would challenge the son of Birdstone in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. This time his foe was running his best, but it would not matter. Summer Bird looked him in the eye, and once again, came out on top...