Blog Post
New Home For Gold Cup Champ
January 20, 2025
Shadow Place, whose accomplishments during his storied career included winning the coveted Gold Cup and Saucer, recently found a forever home through the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society.
Now 14, Shadow Place began his career as a two-year-old in 2013 which saw him successfully compete in the Ontario Sires Stakes, winning a Grassroots event at Hanover Raceway in his second lifetime start.
The son of Shadow Play had additional OSS wins as a sophomore and then went on to enjoy a long career as a veteran campaigner throughout Ontario in addition to a couple of stints at US tracks.
His most successful year was 2017, his seven-year-old season, which saw him take in over $136,000 and capture the Maritime’s most prestigious harness race, the Gold Cup and Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park. That was very special for Katie Miller, who was with Shadow Place for the majority of his career as well as his retirement up until now.
“Obviously growing up on the east coast, the Gold Cup & Saucer is the holy grail. So, to take him there, let alone win it, was beyond anything I can ever describe. I actually thought I was going to pass out walking back to the winner’s circle that night. He stood there for 20 minutes, like an angel, while people took very muddy photos with him,” she described.
Shadow Place’s final career start came in December of 2021 at The Raceway in London. Upon his retirement his stats show 142 trips behind the gate for a summary of 27-13-19 with $360,539 banked. His life best of 1:49.1 was recorded at Mohawk during his five-year-old season.
“When I retired him four years ago, he had a tendon injury and he stayed with me until the opportunity came through OSAS to give him an amazing forever home with Alexandra and Tim Dickieson, who are lovely. I personally can’t provide such a picturesque property for him to live out his days and may never be able to,” explained Katie, a detective with the Regional Police in Waterloo, Ontario.
“All we can do is put our horses first and I think this is the least I can do for him given all he has done for me,” added Katie who plans to visit Shadow Place at his new home at the Dickieson’s farm in Holland Centre, Ontario where he moved to last week.
Shadow Place, who Katie broke to ride, has joined the couple’s other horses who are saddle horses or Standardbreds enjoying some time away from the racetrack.
“He loves it, he has two other geldings and three mares as buddies. They are out together during the day and in stalls at night,” said Tim who currently has five horses racing. Four: Kaptain Karlos, Mamba, Ilikemebettor and No Wait List - are with Blake MacIntosh while Tyler Moore trains the recently acquired Fashion Forward for them.
While Shadow Place will never grace the winners’ circle again, it seems he’s found a winning retirement surrounded by people who simply want the best for him.
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society’s annual Stallion Auction gets underway today (Monday, February 10) at noon and features some of the most popular and prolific sires in the province. At the recent O’Brien Awards the first two trophies given out were to offspring of sires in our auction – Chantilly by Big Jim and Stonebridge Wizard by Dancin Lou. Many of the stallions available were O’Brien winners themselves including three named Canada’s Horse of the Year – Bulldog Hanover, Century Farroh and McWicked. The auction also gives breeders the opportunity to access Cattlewash whose book is full and closed for the 2025 breeding season as well as to the sport’s fastest performer of all time, Bulldog Hanover. The complete list of stallions available are, in alphabetical order: Alarm Detector All Bets Off Betterthanheddar Big Jim Bulldog Hanover Cattlewash Century Farroh Control The Moment Dancin Lou Lookslikeachpndale McWicked Run Director Sunshine Beach The auction will end Thursday, February 13 with a staggered close also starting at noon and is once again hosted by Easy Auction and may be accessed here . A reminder that you are required to register prior to placing your first bid. This auction is annually one of the most successful fundraisers for OSAS and we are so grateful to all the stallion owners for their generous donations and to all the bidders for your support. Any questions or concerns, please reach out to Joanne Colville at osashorses@gmail.com or call or text 905-339-6748.
OSAS is pleased to announce the dates for their annual stallion auction which could be the last opportunity to obtain a breeding to popular sires whose books have already closed for this year’s season. The 2025 OSAS Stallion Auction will run from Monday, February 10 starting at noon and close Thursday, February 13 with a staggered close also starting at noon. Always one of OSAS’s most popular fundraisers, this year’s stallion auction will be once again hosted by Easy Auction which may be accessed here . To date the sires which will be available are, in alphabetical order: Alarm Detector All Bets Off Betterthanheddar Big Jim Bulldog Hanover Cattlewash Century Farroh Control The Moment Dancin Lou Lookslikeachpndale McWicked Run Director Sunshine Beach Please check back regularly for updates to the list. OSAS thanks every stallion owner for their generosity and support again this year. Additional sires will be accepted up until February 8. To donate, or if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Joanne Colville at osashorses@gmail.com or call or text 905-339-6748. Established in 1996, OSAS is the official adoption agency for Standardbred horses in the province, responsible for spreading the message of the versatility of the breed and finding forever loving homes for retired pacers and trotters.
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society sends warm wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and happy and healthy 2025. Thanks to Brooke Luke for this wonderful photo of Frightful Watch (aka Kevin) and Weatherly (Wes) who she adopted from OSAS a few years back. At the time she had no idea the pair were former stablemates in the Julie Walker barn. That story was a feature on OSAS and may be read Racing Buddies Together Again In Retirement
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society congratulates the winners of our annual Second Chance Raffle and sincerely thanks all who donated prizes and purchased tickets. The winners were drawn on a live Facebook post on Friday (December 13) evening by Emma Christoforou, who co-ordinated this year’s event once again with the assistance of her mother, OSAS’s Joanne Colville, and dedicated long time volunteer Jean Posthuma. This year 19 baskets were offered with varying values and included a myriad of wonderful items including Toronto Maple Leaf tickets, a full harness, various horse supplies, cosmetics and much more. The following is a list of this year’s baskets and their lucky winner. Emma will reach out to the winners to organize pick up and/or delivery. Thanks again to everyone for their participation in this always popular fundraiser. Our horses appreciate your support. 2024 Santa’s Second Chance Raffle Winners BASKET WINNER Basket 1 Nat Steacy Get Western Two $25 Pleasant Ridge Gift Certificates, The Hat Effect, Bushel Barn and $100 Greenhawk gift certificate. Basket 2 Zara Thurgood Leaf Tickets Two tickets to Toronto Maple Leafs (January 29, 2025). Value approx. $600. Basket 3 Sue Brookes Marlies Night Four tickets to Toronto Marlies vs. Bakersfield Condors (December 14, 2024). Basket 4 Dianne Currie Date Night Two gift certificates to Jakes Oyster House ($50 each), Yuk Yuks at Grand River, $100 Keg & $50 & $25 multi restaurant cards. Basket 5 Cathy Walsh Wildwinds 4 golf passes to Wildwinds Golf Course, value $320. Basket 6 Cathy Walsh Lucky Lotto $170 worth of lottery tickets. Basket 7 Sheri Whitworth Preserves Assorted homemade preserves, heated blanket, holiday cutting board, dish towels and three in one wireless charging station. Basket 8 Derek Reid Granite Ridge Four golf passes to Granite Ridge golf club. Approx. value $360. Basket 9 Debi O’Brien Moran Chocolate Lovers Large assortment of a variety of chocolates. Basket 10 Nat Steacy Equine Oil 1 18L bucket Smart Earth Camelina Oil Basket 11 Rena Soundy Girls’ Night Assortment of wine, coolers, shots. Value $170. Basket 12 Sally Roberts Chevy GMC travel mug, t-shirt & toque. Basket 13 Bethany Bahr Self-Care/Beauty Basket A myriad of wonderful self-care and beauty products. Value: $1,700. Basket 14 Nat Steacy Horse Care Two gallons Smart Earth Camelina Oil, gift certificate, clean kit, riding socks and $100 Greenhawk gift card. Basket 15 Rena Soundy Happy Gilmore OSAS golf merchandise, golf balls and ball cap. Basket 16 Chris Ruhl Complete Harness Includes blind bridle, lines, handholds, Buxton, race halter (winner can select colour). Basket 17 Arabella Kanter Horse Lovers $100 gift card to MareFlare equestrian & a variety of horse care products. Basket 18 Arlene McIntrye Racing Night Dinner for two at Mohawk, Mohawk swag & a handmade wooden clock. Basket 19 Alyson Roberts Cosmo For Her A wide variety of women’s cosmetics. Value: $900.
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is pleased to once again host a Christmas Second Chance Raffle named to reflect our mission to give retired Standardbreds a second chance and forever home. How it works is you view the 19 baskets being offered this year at the Facebook page Santa's Second Chance Raffles. Select the ones you wish to bid on and purchase however many tickets you want for it. Ticket prices are $2 or $5 depending upon the basket. Brief descriptions may be found below, fuller descriptions on the FB page. Tickets may be purchased up until December 12 at midnight. The winners will be drawn the following evening live on Facebook (time to be determined based on racing schedules). To pay please send e-transfer to santassecondchanceraffles@gmail.com or give cash to either Joanne Colville or Emma Christoforou at Mohawk or Flamboro. We encourage folks to purchase their tickets early to help our volunteers stay organized. Any questions please call or text Joanne at 905-339-6748 or email osashorses@gmail.com. Thanks to everyone who supports this fundraiser, contributed to the baskets and helps behind the scenes. Our horses appreciate everyone’s efforts. 2024 Santa’s Second Chance Raffle Baskets Basket 1 Get Western - $2/ticket Two $25 Pleasant Ridge Gift Certificates, The Hat Effect, Bushel Barn and $100 Greenhawk gift certificate. Basket 2 Leaf Tickets - $5/ticket Two tickets to Toronto Maple Leafs (January 29, 2025). Value approx. $600. Basket 3 Marlies Night - $2/ticket Four tickets to Toronto Marlies vs. Bakersfield Condors (December 14, 2024). Basket 4 Date Night - $2/ticket Two gift certificates to Jakes Oyster House ($50 each), Yuk Yuks at Grand River, $100 Keg & $50 & $25 multi restaurant cards. Basket 5 Wildwinds - $2/ticket 4 golf passes to Wildwinds Golf Course, value $320. Basket 6 Lucky Lotto - $2/ticket $170 worth of lottery tickets. Basket 7 Preserves - $2/ticket Assorted homemade preserves, heated blanket, holiday cutting board, dish towels and three in one wireless charging station. Basket 8 Granite Ridge - $2/ticket Four golf passes to Granite Ridge golf club. Approx. value $360. Basket 9 Chocolate Lovers - $2/ticket Large assortment of a variety of chocolates. Basket 10 Equine Oil - $2/ticket 1 18L bucket Smart Earth Camelina Oil Basket 11 Girls’ Night - $2/ticket Assortment of wine, coolers, shots. Basket 12 Chevy - $2/ticket GMC travel mug, t-shirt & toque. Basket 13 Self-Care/Beauty Basket - $2/ticket A myriad of wonderful self-care and beauty products. Value: $1,700. Basket 14 Horse Care - $2/ticket Two gallons Smart Earth Camelina Oil, gift certificate, clean kit, riding socks and $100 Greenhawk gift card. Basket 15 Happy Gilmore - $2/ticket OSAS golf merchandise, golf balls and ball cap. Basket 16 Complete Harness - $5/ticket Includes blind bridle, lines, handholds, Buxton, race halter (winner can select colour). Basket 17 Horse Lovers - $2/ticket $100 gift card to MareFlare equestrian & a variety of horse care products. Basket 18 Racing Night - $2/ticket Dinner for two at Mohawk, Mohawk swag & a handmade wooden clock. Basket 19 Cosmo For Her - $2/ticket A wide variety of women’s cosmetics. Value: $900.
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society is pleased to offer an additional way to donate funds which benefits everyone. By donating stocks, securities or mutual funds in kind it allows the person donating to claim a higher rate on their taxes in addition to supporting OSAS. Essentially a win/win for all. “We have arranged that OSAS can now accept and issue charitable receipts for stock donations. For stocks with large accrued gains this is a terrific opportunity to support a great cause and get a great tax benefit,” explained long time owner Clay Horner. OSAS recently found a forever home for A Rockaway Bay, a half-brother to Clay’s talented pacer Doonbeg. It’s best to make the donation before the end of a calendar year to be able to claim it on the current year’s taxes. To learn more about this opportunity please click here . OSAS is working with the Royal Bank of Canada on this venture. To access the information to make a donation please click here .
Iron horse Windsong Grayson, a 10 year-old gelding by Santanna Blue Chip, is the latest addition to the OSAS roster. The tough campaigner faced the gate 222 times in his long career and retired with a summary of 35-21-24 with $174,000 in the bank. The adaptable pacer was claimed an incredible 19 times over his long career which spanned from age three through 10. He will have time to decompress before he starts training for his next career. Anyone who has followed raced in the province is familiar with Grayson’s family. His dam, Windsong Grand Ave, was a solid campaigner earning $275,000 while his grandam, Jasper Avenue took in more than a half million dollars in her career. Windsong Grayson was featured on COSA TV last year and that segment may be watched here.
Sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the success of this year’s Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society’s golf tournament held Wednesday, September 11, at Wildwinds Golf Links. The tournament, which sold out in less than 24 hours when it was announced, attracted golfers from across the province who were treated to ideal weather conditions and a fun afternoon of food, fellowship and golf. Traditionally this tournament (which celebrated its 26 th year in 2024), is one of OSAS’s most successful fundraisers of the season and this year’s was no exception. We express sincere thanks to all those who contributed by playing, sponsoring holes, volunteering, etc. It’s gratifying to see the great support for our Standardbred horses in their retirement.
The Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society reminds all those signed up for this year’s golf tournament taking place this Wednesday (September 11). Hosted by Wildwinds Golf Links (Centre Wellington, Ontario), registration starts at approximately 11:15 a.m. The shotgun start will get underway at 12:30. One of OSAS’s most popular fundraisers every year, this marks the 26 th year of the tournament. Further information may be obtained by contacting Joanne Colville at 905-339-6748 ( osashorses@gmail.com ).
Hemi Seelster was an iron horse on the racetrack with 175 lifetime starts through nine years from ages two through 10. He compiled an impressive summary of 36-21-15 with $856,218 banked while racing for 11 trainers at 16 different tracks across North America. One of his most celebrated accomplishments was his victory in the 2015 Goodtimes final at Mohawk Racetrack worth $233,000. With Steve Byron at the controls Hemi scored an upset win with a 1:54 mile. What made the victory so sweet was that Hemi was owned and trained by John Bax who also trained the race’s namesake, Goodtimes, one of the best trotters ever bred in Canada and a member of the country’s Hall of Fame. Once retired, Hemi joined the Ontario Standardbred Adoption Society in 2022. He spent time at Susan and Bert Mollica’s foster farm where he learned his new role as a riding horse. The now 12 year-old gelding by Holiday Road was adopted by veterinarian Dr. Parul Musaddy late last year. She sent us this lovely photo of she and Hemi advising that they are both enjoying his retirement.
