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The Winningest Arabian
Original article written by Autumn Blackmill posted 5 months 1 week agoEvery breeder, in the SIM or real life, has that dream. The one where the horse they bred, through their decades of knowledge and a healthy dose of intuition, becomes an unquestionable Champion bound for the Hall of Fame the first year they are available. Few breeders will ever produce that horse. The odds are just too stacked against it happening. But when it does happen, the results are a real treat for both breeder, trainer, and spectators.
Shadow in the Moon easily qualifies as such a horse. This dark Bay mare is not of the Thoroughbred persuasion, but rather the foundation of that breed: The Arabian. Bred in Y60 by Jack Meyer, she is by the very nice stallion Wait But Why, and out of Arabian Oaks winner Painting My Horror. She had some nice siblings, but nothing at the time would have spoken to her incredible talent on the track.
Starting her career off with a maiden win, Shadow in the Moon would go on to a perfect three year old campaign, seeing her take the Steward’s Cup Arabian Distaff over her elders. The next year appeared to be more of the same, as she won her four year old debut before taking the Saudi Arabian Classic. But the effort must have taken some wind out of her sail, for her next start she ran a head scratching third. It’s the only time, thus far, that she has finished so far back. She regained her form, and completed the season with a Steward’s Cup Arabian Distaff victory, her second.
Her five year old campaign started the same, with a win in a prep for the big dance in the Saudi Arabian Classic. This time she would run second to Gud Ham, barely getting by Gets the Girl in the process. The loss gave pause. Would she continue her winning ways? Or was this the beginning of the end? The answer became clear in the Arabian Desert Cup, as she won over Gud Ham and Gets the Girl. She would continue her winning streak, leading right up to the Steward’s Cup. This time, though, she would not be in the Distaff, but the Arabian Classic. In a race where we all held our breath to see if she could do it once again, she gritted out a win over her old foe Gud Ham, taking the race by a determined neck.
Her record stands at 21: 19-1-1 and $3,165,750 in earnings. To those who have been watching her intently this year, you’ll know that her last win boosted her to the very top of the Arabian charts. She is, officially, the winningest Arabian in the SIM. She holds three record race times, at a mile and a quarter, a mile and a half, and two miles. Her top speed figure of 106 is the best any Arabian has ever posted.
Whether she runs again or not, she has proven herself to be the best Arabian that has ever set foot on track. At the end of the year, she is sure to garner even more horse titles, of which she already has four. She’s a certain choice for Arabian Horse of the Year, a title she has taken in her last two seasons. And when it comes time for Hall of Fame voting, she will easily be top of the list when her time comes.
Big congrats out to Jack Meyer and his unbelievably talented mare. You are living the big dream that we all dream of!