by Kim French, USTA Internet News Editor

Kim French

Columbus, OH — When an O’Brien Award winner becomes available for purchase most people would not hesitate to sign their name on the dotted line. Howard Taylor, however, had to be persuaded to place his name on the check to buy a piece of Lady Shadow.

“I thought she was too expensive,” he said. “That is when I called up Ed Gold and asked him what he thought. He said she was worth it and even if she did not race well she was worth what they were asking in residual value as a broodmare.

“Also, I already owned a filly, Sudoku, that had beat Lady Shadow up in Canada. I felt she was much faster and we thought we could win the Jugette with her, but we had some problems keeping her head together and eventually bred her. If it wasn’t for Ed, I don’t think I would have bought into Lady Shadow.”

USTA/Mark Hall photo

Lady Shadow enters the Artiscape with more than $1.16 million in career earnings.

Co-owned by Taylor’s BFJ Stable, Gold, Carl Atley and David Kryway, the daughter of Shadow Play and the Camluck mare Lady Camella was Canada’s 3-year-old pacing filly champion and is the reigning champion older mare in that nation. It appears she is on her way to collecting another divisional title, as the 5-year-old places her five-race winning streak on the line in the $200,000 Artiscape at Tioga Downs on Sunday (Aug. 28).

Lady Shadow, who is conditioned by Ron Adams, will commence her journey from post three and will have the services of Yannick Gingras. Her task, however, will not be a simple one as the field includes Dan Patch Award winners Venus Delight (post two), Anndrovette (post five) and Divine Caroline (post eight). Other rivals of note in the contest are fellow Canadian champion Solar Sister (post 10) and the always competitive Devil Child (post nine).

“The plan this year was to keep her down here with Josh Green,” Taylor said. “He was the one that found her for us, but he called me up and suggested Ron Adams take her because he just could not get her to go. We put her in the Blue Chip Matchmaker series (at Yonkers) and thought she would be tough to beat, but she did not do well (seventh in the final). Then Josh put her in the Chip Noble (at Miami Valley) where she was seventh again. That is when he suggested the change. I have to give him credit for admitting she was not working out for him and she was fifth in her first start for Ron, but since then she has been rolling along.”

Lady Shadow has been a model of consistency throughout her career. As a 2- and 3-year-old she was in Gregg McNair’s barn and earned $189,892 and $259,635, respectively. She was also trained by McNair until being purchased by her new connections in May of last year. Lady Shadow collected $286,034 last season, while under the care of Adams in 11 of her 14 starts, en route to championship honors.

“I need to learn to listen to Ed more often,” Taylor said. “I was concerned about her price and then right after we got her she went out and won the Roses Are Red final. She paid for herself within weeks of us having her.”

Since switching her home base from the United States to Canada this spring, Lady Shadow has been absolutely stellar. She won her second Roses Are Red title in June, then added the $229,900 Golden Girls to her resume in a world record 2:00.3 clocking (1-1/8th mile distance) which lowered the standard Always B Miki had established earlier on the card.

She then captured the $235,950 Lady Liberty on Hambletonian Day, where it appeared she would draw off to another facile victory, but Solar Sister possessed another plan and came on late to make it interesting in the end. Ultimately, Lady Shadow, with more than $1.16 million in the bank, prevailed.

To prepare for her journey to Western New York, the mare qualified in 1:52.2 on Aug. 19 at Mohawk Racetrack.

“She still has a long season left of racing and is staked to everything,” Taylor said. “The end goal is, of course, the Breeders Crown and we are hoping she has another championship season, which it seems at this point, she is right in the hunt for divisional honors.

“I’m not sure what it is about Canada that agrees with her, because with her being stabled up there it will involve more shipping for her, which was why we wanted her down here with Josh, but for some reason being with Ron and being in that stall in that barn is what she wants to do. If that is what makes her happy we are all for it and like I keep saying this is one of the many times I’m really glad I called Ed Gold.”

Below is the field for the $200,000 Artiscape.

PP-Horse-Driver-Trainer
1. Empress Deo-Jonathan Roberts-Wayne Givens
2. Venus Delight-Jason Bartlett-Jeffrey Bamond Jr.
3. Lady Shadow-Yannick Gingras-Ronald Adams
4. Regil Elektra-Mark MacDonald-Keith Armer
5. Anndrovette-Tim Tetrick-Jeffrey Bamond Jr.
6. Stacia Hanover-Brett Miller-Steve Elliott
7. Table Talk-Andy Miller-W. Bart Dalious
8. Divine Caroline-Corey Callahan-Joe Holloway
9. Devil Child-David Miller-Chris Oakes
10. Solar Sister-Douglas McNair-Gregg McNair