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Hall of Fame - Solstice
Original article written by Paul Heinrich posted 16 years 3 weeks agoSome horses were bred to be superstars. We've seen the storyline many times - a stakes winning mare from a high producing family, sent to a leading sire in the division. Anything less than a consistent stakes winner from this sort of background has to be considered a disappointment.
Other horses make themselves into superstars. From humble beginnings, they may show promise early on, making up for whatever they may lack in pedigree with bravery, determination, and heart. But very rarely does the racing world see a story like Solstice.
Humble beginnings' doesn't quite tell the full story. Solstice was produce by a Chief's Crown mare, Solitude. Solitude made a living bouncing around from circuit to circuit. She was the epitome of mediocre as a racemare, racing 21 times, with 2 wins, 4 places, and 4 shows. There was nothing blue hen about her, at least not that anyone could tell from her time on the track. Solitude produced 15 foals in all, including 7 foals who failed to bring home even $50,000 in race earnings. But she also produced 2 foals, both by the Gentlemen-lined sire Littlebitotrouble, who would go onto become multi-millionaires: Isolation, and Solstice.
Solstice was part of Solitude's first group of foals. She immediately stood out as the star of the trio. Trainer and breeder Jess Paquette wisely brought her along slowly, starting the precocious filly over 5 furlongs of turf in a week 4 maiden race during her 2-year-old season, following it up with a 6 furlong allowance 2 weeks later. Even after winning her first try in stakes company, the mile Natalma Stakes in Toronto, Paquette patiently went back to allowances two more times. Solstice didn't see another stakes race until week 5 of her sophomore season. And all she did with the rest of that season was make herself into a legend.
Week 5 of year 7 found Solstice overseas for the 7 furlong Nell Gwyn stakes in London. Though only a 3 horse field, Solstice vanquished a filly named Sparkling Star widely known in future years as the dam of superstars like Four of Wands, and Three of Hearts. She was then turned around immediately for the 12 furlong Vodafone Oaks, also in London. Solstice won again. Paquette then brought her back AGAIN week 7 for the mile Queen Elizabeth 2 stakes. And again, Solstice showed herself the class of the European circuit.
Now a perfect 8 for 8, Paquette saw fit to bring the horse to the attention of noted breeder and Steward, Emily Shields (then known as Emily Hufford), who admits now the filly had COMPLETELY flown under her radar. What she found especially shocking was the lack of quality in the pedigree! Here was a dominating filly, out of a mare who finished 6th or worse in a third of her starts. Solstice wasn't about to sneak up on anyone ever again, however. She followed this effort with an incredible string of victories in some of the biggest filly and mare turf races in the world, including the Irish Oaks, the Hong Kong Vase, and the Yorkshire Oaks. Having established herself as the best turf racemare on the planet, Solstice was pointed toward races against males in the Japan Cup, and the Dubai Duty Free, where she bested the likes of Notable Dancer, Tropicaldepression, and Catdownthewell.
As icing on the cake, her final start was in the year 9 Steward's Cup Filly & Mare turf, up against legends like All in Fun, Four of Wands, and Banner. And of course, as with all of her previous 20 races, Solstice crossed the wire first. As Shields' points out now, you would think that towards the end of her career winning races would be more of a priority than running in big races. But she never ducked. And she never lost.
Her legacy goes beyond 21 for 21, however. As a broodmare, Solstice has not disappointed one bit. Her first daughter, Solace (by Tulloch), finished her own career, fittingly, 12 for 12, and has 3 millionaires as a broodmare. Next up is Confirmation (by Tejano Causeway), who has turned out to be a foundation mare for Sarah Kendall, earning over $800,000 on the track, and producing superstar turf router, Confirm Thy Crown. Solstice's highest earner was Resonance (by Crystal Night), trained by Robin Tan. Resonance has gone on to produce millionaire Tenor, among other very promising turf routers for breeder Ara Davies.
These three foundation mares were followed up by 3 sons, all of whom went on to be multiple stakes winners on the track, en route to stud duty. The eldest son, Vendetta (by Conduit), saw his stallion career tragically cut short with just one class of four foals, all of them winners. The middle son, Duel of the Stars (by Three of Crowns), is well regarded currently as a very good turf mile stallion, and also crossed the 3 million dollar threshold on the track. Her youngest son, Soliloquy, finished first or second in 7 of 8 starts, and has become a rare effective stallion from the Priceless Forever sire line, siring over 50% winners, and even a pair of stakes winners.
Her final foal, Northern Most, did not ever see the racetrack. A full sister to ill-fated Vendetta, this Conduit mare has been used exclusively as a broodmare for Emily Shields, and has shown all the makings of an all-time great. All three of her foals to race are multiple winners, including multiple stakes winner and millionaire, Pinnacle (by Tejano Causeway), and Apex (by A Crown Awaits), a 6 time winner only in the beginning of her 4-year-old season.
As a racemare and a broodmare, Solstice has always stood out. She is the rarest sort of blue hen, the type that was not designed nor destined for greatness as the product of crossing classic bloodlines, but one who rather taught herself how to win, then refused to lose, and has been able to pass that special quality on down to her offspring.