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 (OSAS).
Now 14, Shadow Place began his career as a two-year-old in 2013 and successfully competed in the Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS), winning a Grassroots event at Hanover Raceway in his second lifetime start. The son of Shadow Play and Loving Place 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 U.S. tracks.
His most successful year was 2017, his six-year-old season, when he earned more than $136,000 while trained by Kyle Fellows and captured the Maritimes' most prestigious harness race, the Gold Cup and Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park. That victory 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 and Saucer is the holy grail. So, to take him there, let alone win it, was beyond anything I can ever describe," said Miller. "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.”
Shadow Place’s final career start was in December of 2021 at The Raceway in London, Ont. Upon his retirement, his stats show 142 trips behind the gate for a summary of 27-13-19 with $360,539 banked. His lifetime mark of 1:49.1 was recorded at Mohawk Racetrack 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," explained Miller, a detective with the Regional Police in Waterloo, Ont. "I personally can’t provide such a picturesque property for him to live out his days and may never be able to.
“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 Miller, who plans to visit Shadow Place at his new home at the Dickieson’s farm in Holland Centre, Ont., where he moved to last week.
Shadow Place, who Miller 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 Dickieson, 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.
While Shadow Place will never grace the winner's circle again, it seems he’s found a winning retirement surrounded by people who simply want the best for him.
(With files from OSAS)