Champion Summer Bird, who catapulted to stardom in the 2009 Belmont Stakes, has been retired due to complications of a fracture suffered last fall prior to the Japan Cup Dirt.

The son of Birdstone–Hong Kong Squall, by Summer Squall, burst on the scene when he scored an impressive 2 1/4-length victory in the Belmont Stakes at odds of 11-1 for trainer Tim Ice.

Following a second-place finish to Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell Invitational, Summer Bird rattled off victories in the Shadwell Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup (gr. I), defeating Quality Road both times. He then finished a solid fourth, beaten three lengths in the Breeders' Cup Classic, in which he was running on a synthetic surface for the first time.

Sent to Japan for the Japan Cup Dirt, Summer Bird sustained a hairline fracture of the lower end of his right front cannon bone. Surgery was performed to stabilize the bone, and it was hoped the colt would be able to return for a 4-year-old campaign