In January 2012 Trot Insider ran the story of a bargain basement broodmare turned racehorse, defying the odds to make it to the races. Two years later, not only is that mare still racing and competing at Canada's biggest circuit but the foal that she was separated from at the time of the story has also made her way to the track.
The odds of Winter Terror making it to the races were not great by any means. She was purchased for $250 by Murray & Bruce Gilkinson's Cat Sass Stable as an unraced five-year-old mare, in foal to I Am A Fool, at an Innkeepers Act sale.
The day after she was purchased, she gave birth to a filly. The Gilkinsons, impressed with Winter Terror's robust stature, decided to give her a shot in the jog cart.
"Early on in the process, we were schooling her one day at the farm when she couldn't have seemed more disinterested," said Murray in 2012. "I was driving the truck and Bruce was with her on the gate behind me. When I looked back again the two of them were far behind and she was actually laying down on the track."
Winter Terror eventually made it to the races and broke her maiden, fittingly, in a snowstorm at Western Fair. She went on to make more than $31,000 in that initial campaign and hasn't slowed down. While she was able to compete on the WEG circuit in the Summer of 2012, she wasn't able to win any of those starts. Her 2013 campaign also consisted of mainly B Track events, but her recent form convinced the connections to once again try Winter Terror at Woodbine.
On April 7, under less than ideal conditions, Winter Terror (with James MacDonald driving) broke through and won her claiming event in 1:56.3 - her first win at Woodbine and her trainer's first WEG win as well.
Another twist to this interesting tale: two days prior, Winter Terror's I Am A Fool filly was also at the Toronto-area oval. Perhaps as a reference to her dam's disinterested nature, the Gilkinsons named that filly Shesuresitsalot. Now three, she's gearing up for her sophomore season and qualified in 2:02.3 at Woodbine on April 5.