Historical Races at Woodbine This Weekend

SHADY WELL, the famous Canadian mare who won three straight editions of the DURHAM CUP against the boys in the 1930s, also won the Clarendon Plate (1931) a sprint race for three-year-olds at Thorncliffe Park.

Almost a century later, the Shady Well Stakes and the Clarendon (Stakes) will be run on the same weekend at Woodbine. The six furlong sprints are for Ontario-bred two-year-olds.

Shady Well, by Purple Shade, raced for Edward Seagram and she won 15 races. There are no reported foals from Shady Well.

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The race named in her honour, the 68th Shady Well Stakes on November 23, has a field of nine entered but four of them are trained by Mark Casse and two of them may run in other races.

The overwhelming favourite will be WINTERBERRY, who just won the Glorious Song Stakes with a hefty 82 Beyer Speed Figure, her second win in three races. This daughter of Frosted is owned by D J Stable LLC, trained by Casse, and she was bred by Anderson Farms.

You can’t get more powerful a female family than that of Winterberry’s. Her fifth dam is the great PERSONAL ENSIGN, the unbeaten champion mare of the late 1980s. Winterberry is the first foal of her dam, Dreams Are Free (Bellamy Road).

Another Shady Well entrant is NATA TROUBLE, the first winner for breeders Apricot Valley Thoroughbreds. The World of Trouble filly is from the Medaglia d’Oro mare Renata and this gal was third in the Glorious Song Stakes for trainer Willie Armata.

PERIWINKLE, a five-length winner of a maiden race in her latest outing, is a daughter of the newest Canadian stallion Tapiture, and she races for Al and Bill Ulwelling.

The 97th Clarendon on Sunday is one of the older stakes races of the Woodbine season. It has been won by some very famous Canadian horses. Its most famous winner, however, is DANCER’S IMAGE, who completed an undefeated season (six-for-six) for owner Peter Fuller and trainer Lou Cavalaris in 1967 with his Clarendon win at Woodbine. The following year, Dancer’s Image won the Kentucky Derby, only to be disqualified for a positive test for Bute.

A newspaper clipping of a jockey leaping off a horse in the winners circle.

From Canadian Horse magazine

Sunday’s Clarendon has just six entrants including the filly PATRIOTIC WAR, a snazzy debut winner with a 77 Beyer Speed Figure who is also entered in the Shady Well. Fillies have done well in the Clarendon when they are entered. Gals such as Maple Syrple (trained by Casse), Seven Stones, No. One Bundles, Tudor Queen and Casa Camara are among others who have won the race.

One of the other contenders in the Clarendon is DARK SCREEN, who comes back to action in eight days after winning an allowance/optional claiming sprint with a 76 Beyer Figure. The grey son of Big Screen – Lady Elena by Elajjud is the first horse owned by Greg Secko, who shares ownership with Richard Okihiro and trainer Bev Chubb. Dr. John Brown’s Spring Farm bred the gelding, who will be ridden by Juan Crawford.