Travers winner and Eclipse champion Summer Bird was transferred from trainer Tim Ice into Tim Ritchey's barn on Tuesday morning.

The colt's owners, Drs. K.K. and Vilasini Jayaraman, cited a communication breakdown with Ice; the trainer believes the owners became frustrated by a slow start to the Oaklawn meet. Altogether, the Jayaramans moved 25 horses from Ice, leaving him with six in the barn.

Under Ice's training, Summer Bird went from an unraced maiden at this time last year to the Eclipse Award champion 3-year-old male, taking the Belmont in his fifth start and adding the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup later in the year. Last time out, the colt was fourth behind Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Classic. He then suffered a condylar fracture in late November while training for the Japan Cup Dirt. The son of 2004 Belmont and Travers winner Summer Bird is expected to return to training in mid-March.

Ritchey races primarily in the mid-Atlantic circuit and has been the leading trainer at Delaware Park five times. He is best known as the trainer of 2005 champion 3-year-old male Afleet Alex, winner of that year's Preakness and Belmont. Afleet Alex also took the Sanford and Hopeful at Saratoga as a 2-year-old.