Woodside Charm retired

Indianapolis, IN — The racing career of Woodside Charm, Breeders Crown champion and 2018 Dan Patch Award winner as the sport’s top freshman trotting filly, has come to a close, as owner-trainer Verlin Yoder announced the retirement of the world champion Thursday (Aug. 22).

After an undefeated 2018 campaign, the Chapter Seven-Fireworks Hanover filly made only two starts this season for Yoder, registering a second-place finish June 26 in her sophomore debut at Harrah’s Hoosier Park.

“In late February or March, she had an issue in Florida. We took her to a university and they used ultrasound to check everything, but they did not put her on a treadmill, and they said she was fine and everything is good to go,” Yoder explained. “We gave her some time and went back to work. For three months, I’ve been saying this isn’t the same horse; there is something wrong. Today we put a monitor on her and we found a heart issue.”

As a freshman, Woodside Charm dazzled with a flawless seven-for-seven campaign, winning three New York Sire Stakes legs and a $236,000 division of the Kentucky Stallion Management Stakes. She finished the year with a 1:54.1 triumph in $600,000 Breeders Crown final at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Woodside Charm’s 1:53.4 clocking last September at Saratoga established the current world record for freshman trotting fillies on a half-mile track.

“It sucks. You can’t sugarcoat it. There is no way to sugarcoat it. But we still have the horse, we can still have babies with her,” said the Florida-based conditioner. “We just want people to know what’s going on with Woodside Charm.”

The filly finishes her racing career with a 9-7-1-0 record and earnings of $531,658, with all but $10,000 earned last year. She took her 1:53 mark winning a Breeders Crown elimination. Woodside Charm now begins her career as a broodmare. She returns home to Lester Beechy’s Woodside Farm in Wolcottville, Ind. Beechy foaled and raised the sister to Explosive Matter before she went on to stardom for Yoder.

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