Weekend Surprise

Weekend Surprise was by Secretariat and out of Lassie Dear, a Buckpasser daughter. She won three stakes races in 1982. Her most famous son is A P. Indy by Seattle Slew. The Belmont Stakes and the Breeder’s Cup were two of his greatest wins.  When he won Horse of the Year in 1992, Weekend Surprise was named Kentucky Broodmare of the Year. She also foaled Summer Squall who won the 1990 Preakness. His grandson Summer Bird “the chestnut thunderbolt” won the 2009 Belmont and Horse of the year honors. Weekend Surprise figures in the pedigree of Rags to Riches, the first filly to win the Belmont in 100 years in 2007.   Weekend Surprise was one of the reasons that Secretariat became an outstanding broodmare sire. He bequeathed his dynamic DNA to his daughters, who then passed it to their sons. Weekend Surprise was said to carry the gene to pass on the “big heart” to her offspring. She inherited this “X-factor” from Secretariat and quite likely from her damsire Buckpasser.  She is buried at Lane’s End Farm.