Shinny Tops All Horses by Wins in '21; 'Geek' Leads Canadian-breds

A $3,500 (US) claim became the winningest horse in North America in 2021, furthering the truth about horse racing ownership that anyone can have a good horse at any time.

SHINNY, a son of Canadian-bred stallion SQUARE EDDIE, won 12 races in 2021 including his last 10 races in a row for owner Rob Rosette and Canadian-born trainer Robertino Diodoro. Shinny was bred in California by Canadian-born Paul Reddam, who raced Square Eddie.

A 4-year-old in 2021, Shinny’s first win of the year came the day in mid-January when he was claimed by Rosette, who has had a small racing stable for just over 15 years. The gelding had won a previous race for $5,000 claiming and was offered for just $3,500 at Turf Paradise in a dirt sprint for non-winners of three races lifetime. Two starts later the small gelding won for $8,500 claiming. When Rosette and Diodoro decided to protect their little fellow and race him in starter/optional races where he could not be claimed, a winning streak began. The gelding won dirt and grass races at Canterbury Downs in Minnesota during the summer with jockey Lindey Wade. The streak continued back at Turf Paradise and when he won on Dec. 17, he won the title for most wins by a horse during the year.

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Through all those wins, the little gelding improved his Beyer Speed Figures from the high 60s to the 80s, topping at 88 in a dirt race at Canterbury Downs.

Robert Rosette and Shinny – courtesy Robert Rosette

Rosette, who said he claimed the gelding on a whim, owns a law firm in Arizona and used some of Shinny’s earnings to claim the gelding Tiger Dad for $50,000, easily the most he has ever spent on a horse. Tiger Dad went out and won the Luke Kruytbosch Stakes at Turf Paradise in November in his first start for Rosette.

Unfortunately, Shinny’s winning streak came to an end in his first start of 2022 when he finished second at 1-to-10 in a turf race on Jan. 5 at Turf Paradise.

Shinny’s sire Square Eddie was bred by Kinghaven Farms in 2006 and is a son of Canadian-bred Grade 1 winner Smart Strike from the mare Forty Gran, by El Gran Senor. Square Eddie began his racing career in England and was a winner. In the fall of his juvenile season Square Eddie was purchased by Reddam and moved to Kentucky where he won the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland on Polytrack. He finished second in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on the synthetic dirt at Santa Anita. Square Eddie is pensioned from stallion duty.

Shinny’s dam, Cryptic, by Indian Charlie, was unplaced in two races and she has produced two other winners.

Among the winningest Canadian-bred horses in 2021 was GREEK GEEK, the Alberta-bred stakes winner who won seven races at Century Mile in Nisku, AB for Riversedge Racing Stable and trainer Tim Rycroft. A 4-year-old in 2021, Greek Geek won the black type Don Getty and Century Mile Handicaps and the CTHS Sales Stakes and Alberta Breeders’ Handicap to land on the short list of top older horses in Canada during the season.

Greek Geek, bred by Moonshine Meadows, is a son of Misremembered (Candy Ride (Arg)) who won the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) in 2010 and stands in California. Greek Geek’s dam, A E Phi Sensation, by Johannesburg, won two of 13 races and she has produced two other winners.

Greek Geek won seven races at Century Mile in 2021, four stakes – Century Mile photo

DANCING DOLL, an Ontario-bred by Artie Schiller – Sweetsouthern Dolly by Sweetsouthernsaint, won six races for various interests in 2021. Bred by James Perron Racing Stable, Dancing Doll won a race at Gulfstream for trainer Bill Tharrenos in March and then won five straight at Woodbine. She raced most recently for TEC Stable and trainer Martin Drexler. Now a 5-year-old, Dancing Doll is entered in next week’s Keeneland January Horses of Racing Age sale.

GOLD SHARK, bred in Ontario by Adena Springs, also won six races in 2021 for four different owners and trainers. A now 9-year-old son of Speightstown – Sea Jewel by Sea Hero, Gold Shark won races at Mahoning Valley, Thistledown and Mountaineer. The gelding has had eight different owners and more than a dozen different trainers in his career and he has a total of 18 wins.

Winningest Horses in North America 2021

(10 wins or more)

Shinny (Square Eddie) 14 12 1 0 $114,091
Greeley and Ben (Greeley’s Conquest) 15 11 3 0 $296,277
Sevier (Union Rags) 14 11 2 0 $257,150
Free to Fly (Wilburn) 14 10 3 1 $201,620
Super Garner (Garnered) 12 10 0 0 $129,219
Pole Setter (Take Charge Indy) 16 10 1 1 $103,779
Six Ninety One (Congrats) 19 10 3 2 $65,734