Summer Is Tomorrow, a stakes winner who set the fastest opening quarter-mile time in Kentucky Derby history last year, was euthanized on Oct. 29, 2022 after suffering a catastrophic injury in Dubai.
The horse's death was confirmed via email by owner Michael Hilary Burke, who campaigned Summer Is Tomorrow with Negar Burke. Though he did not have details on how it occurred, Michael Burke said Summer Is Tomorrow suffered fractures in both hips, and the injuries led the colt to be euthanized.
“He really was a brilliant animal and obviously we were very disappointed,” said Burke, the chairman and CEO of Chanelle Pharma in Ireland.
Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones of Airdrie Stud, the son of Summer Front sold as a weanling to Magna Carta Bloodstock for $25,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. He then finished under his reserve with a final bid of $14,000 at the following year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale before being sent overseas for the 2-year-old sale season.
Summer Is Tomorrow sold to Burke for $169,743 at the 2021 Arqana Deauville Breeze Up Sale, and he was sent to Dubai with trainer Bhupat Seemar. He broke his maiden at Meydan Racecourse in his third career start at the close of his 2-year-old season.
He established himself as a contender for the Group 2 U.A.E. Derby after winning the Al Karama Stakes at Meydan in February of his 3-year-old campaign.
Summer Is Tomorrow stretched out to two turns for the first time in the U.A.E. Derby, where jockey Mickael Barzalona put him on the early lead at odds of 25-1. He entered the top of the stretch with the advantage, and he looked like he might sustain a challenge from Japan-bred Crown Pride with a furlong to go, but he was unable to hold off his rival's charge, settling for second.
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If you appreciate our work, you can support us by subscribing to our Patreon stream. Learn more.Though he was defeated in the U.A.E. Derby, finishing second left him with enough qualifying points to make the Kentucky Derby field, where he would make his first start outside the U.A.E.
Summer Is Tomorrow was viewed as one of the Kentucky Derby field's longest shots in the weeks leading up to the race, and he left the gate at odds of 36-1. Similar to his U.A.E. Derby start, Barzalona shot his mount to the front, hassled on the outside by U.A.E. Derby rival Crown Pride through an opening quarter-mile in :21.78 seconds – the fastest opening quarter in the race's history.
He remained in front heading into the backstretch, through a half-mile in :45.36 seconds, the fifth-fastest in Derby history, before ceding the lead to Messier and Crown Pride at the halfway point of the backstretch. The colt eventually faded to last in the field of 20 behind eventual upset winner Rich Strike.
Summer Is Tomorrow never raced again after the Kentucky Derby, finishing his career with two wins in eight starts for earnings of $267,606.
The post Kentucky Derby Pacesetter Summer Is Tomorrow Euthanized After Injury appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
