Last year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) queen SUMMERLY (Summer Squall) probably will make her final career
start in the $300,000 Falls City H. (G2), the traditional Thanksgiving Day feature
at Churchill Downs. WinStar Farm purchased the four-year-old filly for $3.3
million at the recent Fasig-Tipton November Selected Mixed Sale and sent her
back to trainer Scott Blasi with this race in mind. The chestnut likely will be
bred to Distorted Humor next year.
Summerly was excluded from running in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) after
that event drew an overflow field. She will carry top weight of 120 pounds in
the nine-furlong Falls City, including jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.
Summerly has competed only three times this year, taking the Ashado S. in her
seasonal debut at Saratoga before running fifth in the Ruffian H. (G1) and
seventh in the Spinster S. (G1). She enters the Falls City, the scene of her
greatest victory, with a record of 13-6-1-2, $891,633.
Other contenders include SANGRITA (Mr. Greeley) and JOINT EFFORT (Runaway
Groom), the first two finishers in the Chilukki S. (G2) on November 2, Arlington
Oaks (G3) heroine CRYPTOQUIP (Cryptoclearance), and Maryland shipper SILMARIL
(Diamond), winner of the Maryland Million Distaff H. in her last start on
October 14.
The field, in post position order with jockeys and weights, is CURSORA (Arg)
(Candy Stripes), Julien Leparoux, 114; Summerly; ERMINE (Exchange Rate), Calvin
Borel, 114; SEA SIREN (Stormy Atlantic), Cornelio Velasquez, 118; Joint Effort,
Mark Guidry, 115; Cryptoquip, Robby Albarado, 115; Silmaril, Ryan Fogelsonger,
116; and Sangrita, Rafael Bejarano, 115.