When she first exchanged hands, Summertime Lea was simply considered a means to produce effective transportation costs, yet the $225,000 New York Sire Stakes Final victress quickly proved she would be the main reason her connections journeyed to the Empire State.

“They told us she had a nice qualifier,” recalled Ron Burke, her conditioner and co-owner. “So for the price, we bought her as a throw in to put on the truck for the other fillies we had going to New York. It turns out she was the only reason we were using the truck.”

Purchased for $2,600 as a yearling by Susan Foos, Summertime Lea was bought by the afore-mentioned Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and Earl Smith, from then-trainer Larry Foos shortly after her first qualifying race at Scioto Downs on June 5. The two-year-old daughter of Lislea and Donna Summer by Life Sign, earned $294,853, with a resume of 9-8-1-0 and a lifetime mark of 1:52.2.

Bred by Timothy Rooney, the filly is a half-sister to Allamerican Dove (Western Ideal, p,4,1:51.4, $190,079) and Allamerican Summer (Western Ideal, p,4,1:53.2f, $123,472).

In her second qualifier on June 21 at the Meadows, the filly bought just to round out the van, displayed some serious ability with a win in 1:56.2, last quarter in :26.4.

“We were like, ‘Wow’ because she was something else,” Burke said. “Right then we knew we had underpaid.”

Summertime Lea debuted on July 7 with a 1:56 triumph at Saratoga in a $41,590 New York Sire Stakes event. After her maiden triumph, she traveled to Tioga Downs on July 14 for another NYSS winner’s photo and then to Buffalo Raceway on July 22 where she tied the track record of 1:56.3 in scoring yet another NYSS win.

On July 31, the filly suffered her lone defeat by three-quarters of a length in a $57,892 NYSS division at Yonkers Raceway after cutting the mile. Freetime, with the pocket trip, beat her out at the wire.

She rebounded with her quickest mile to date (1:52.2) at Vernon Downs on August 8 in a $39,335 New York Sire Stakes contest, then reeled off four more victories, all in the same company, at Monticello Raceway on August 16, Batavia Downs on September 1, set a track record of 1:54.1 at Yonkers Raceway on September 10 and closed out her season by capturing the Sire Stakes final on September 22, also at Yonkers.

“She’s a little bit bumpy and small, so when you look at her you don’t think she’s much,” Burke said. “But she is tough, tries really hard and is very consistent, especially for a mare. She just refuses to lose and she seemed to get better every time we raced her.

“I have to give a lot of the credit for that to Jimmy (Morrill, Jr.),” he continued. “He’s probably the best driver I’ve ever seen in helping a horse maximize its potential. I think he’s a good fit for any young horse. He’s very soft on them, takes care of them and puts them in the right spot. He doesn’t try to kill them. I couldn’t be happier with the unbelievable job he did with her.”

Burke does intend to place the filly in different spots next year.

“You never buy one for that figure and then have them be a head bob from being undefeated,” he said. “We will step her up a little bit but as you can see, New York is such a great program you don’t need to stray very far to make a lot of money.”

This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.