by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Westminster, MD — With Maryland standouts Nuclear Breeze and Myternintheshade as parents, it’s no surprise Shady Breeze is finding success on the racetrack.

The 3-year-old Shady Breeze, owned, trained and bred by Maryland’s Judy Welty, is the oldest male out of Myternintheshade, the winner of more than $162,000 who was known for her tenacity on the track. Welty said early on the ridgling reminded her of his mother.

“He always has more in the tank,” she said. “She was a lot like that too.”

From just four starts this year, Shady Breeze — known as Bubba in the barn — has won $42,208 and taken a new lifetime mark of 1:50.4 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. After starting his sophomore campaign with a 1:55.2 qualifying win at Rosecroft Raceway, the pacer — who wears no boots and two headpoles when he races — has proceeded to get faster every start.

Racehorsephoto.com photo

Shady Breeze has banked $74,718 in just 10 career starts.

An impressive win in 1:51.2 (last quarter in :27.1) at Pocono Downs was followed by a third place finish in 1:51.1. On May 11, the ridgling left from post six to lead the field through fractions of :27.4, :56 and 1:23 to pace a mile in 1:50.4, winning by five lengths.

Most recently, he broke the 1:50 barrier, finishing second by a half-length to Dapper Dude in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race, timed in 1:49.4.

“He went two quarters in :26 and change,” Welty said, adding that if the horse had had a bit of a breather he might have hung on and won. “We’re not upset.”

Shady Breeze is feeling good about his recent performances, evidenced by his exuberance during his daily turnouts, during which he has started kicking boards off the fence.

“He’s getting a little rowdy,” Welty said, adding that she certainly couldn’t consider gelding him now that he is racing so good.

While they were surprised to see him pace in 1:49.4 so early in the season, Welty said she and her family had known since he trained down as a 2-year-old that Shady Breeze was talented. She said she’d spent the winter working Natural Breeze (another Nuclear Breeze colt) with her daughter and Shady Breeze.

“She always beat me,” Welty said. “We knew he was special.”

Although he did get sick as a 2-year-old, by the time he was entered in the Equinox Series at Pocono Downs Shady Breeze was turning heads. He ended his freshman campaign with a 1:55 win in an Equinox division and a 1:52.3 win in the $40,000 final.

This year, Shady Breeze is expected to compete in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes as well as the Battle of the Brandywine and the Matron this fall. Welty is looking forward to seeing just how good he is.

“He’s got a lot of easy speed,” she said. “Raw speed. He has more he hasn’t shown yet.”

She was impressed with him enough to breed both Myternintheshade and the mare’s Four Starzzz Shark daughter back to Nuclear Breeze this spring.

“You never know what you’re going to get,” she said.