Champion USA colt Summer Bird will be transferred from Kentucky to JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station for the 2013 northern breeding season.

Summer Bird (Birdstone) retired to stud after a career highlighted by Group 1 victories in the 2009 Belmont Stakes, Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup.  He covered 148 mares at Pauls Mill in 2011 and another 141 at WinStar Farm earlier this year.

“We think Summer Bird has a tremendous chance to be a successful stallion,” WinStar CEO Elliott Walden said.  “But we were approached by Japanese interests with a strong opportunity that the shareholders felt they could not pass up.”

The JBBA owns multiple successful stallion stations in Japan and stands such leading sires as Empire Maker and Johannesburg.

Summer Bird’s first foals will be yearlings in 2013.  He was bred in Kentucky by Mr Prospector descendant Birdstone out of the Summer Squall mare Hong Kong Squall.  He earned $2.32 million before an injury curtailed his career while in training for the 2009 Japan Cup Dirt.

SUMMER BIRD
Belmont Stakes winner under Kent Desormeaux