Wonder Where
Encyclopedia
Wonder Where was a Canadian
Thoroughbred
filly
racehorse
who was Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
inductee.
Bred by Frank J. Selke
at his Rolling Range Farm in Quebec, she was sired by Occupy, a multiple stakes race winner and the 1943 top money earner in the United States voted American Co-Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. Her dam was On the Fly, a granddaughter of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
inductee, Discovery
.
Wonder Where was purchased at the 1957 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society
yearling sale by prominent horsemen Larkin Maloney and Toronto Maple Leafs
ice hockey
team owner, Conn Smythe
. Given to trainer Yonnie Starr
for race conditioning, the filly was sent to the track at age two where she won five of her eight starts including a win over her male counterparts in the Clarendon Stakes
.
At age three, Wonder Where was the dominant horse in Canada, winning eight stakes races. She went up against male horses on a regular basis, winning twice, finishing second twice, and third once. Notably, in her win in the Woodstock Stakes
, she defeated top colt and future Hall of Fame inductee, Anita's Son. Although she had never won a race at more than 1⅛ miles, her handlers entered her in the 1⅝ miles Canadian International. The distance proved too much for the filly and in her only finish out of the money in 1959, she finished seventh.
Wonder Where's brilliant 1959 racing campaign outshone even that of New Providence
, the first horse to win the Canadian Triple Crown. In the balloting for Canadian Horse of the Year honors, Wonder Where outpolled New Providence by more than two to one.
Sent back to race at age four, Wonder Where made eight starts, winning five times. She was retired at the end of the 1960 to serve as a broodmare under the auspices of co-owner Larkin Maloney. Her last foal was born in 1969. Of her offspring, the multiple stakes-winning filly Sno Where, sired by Northern Dancer
, was the best performer on the track.
In recognition of her outstanding career in racing, in 2004 Wonder Where was inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
. The annual Wonder Where Stakes
at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack
is named in her memory.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
who was Canada's 1959 Horse of the Year and a Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
inductee.
Bred by Frank J. Selke
Frank J. Selke
Francis Joseph Aloysius Selke was a Canadian hockey manager in the National Hockey League. He was a nine-time Stanley Cup champion with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens and a Hockey Hall of Fame inductee....
at his Rolling Range Farm in Quebec, she was sired by Occupy, a multiple stakes race winner and the 1943 top money earner in the United States voted American Co-Champion Two-Year-Old Colt. Her dam was On the Fly, a granddaughter of U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
inductee, Discovery
Discovery (horse)
Discovery was an American Thoroughbred racehorse about whom the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame said: "...considered one of the greatest horses of the 20th century."...
.
Wonder Where was purchased at the 1957 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society
Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society is an organization headquartered in Toronto, Canada that was founded in 1906 to assist Thoroughbred horse breeders. Since 1982, there have been provincial divisions in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.-References:*...
yearling sale by prominent horsemen Larkin Maloney and Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team owner, Conn Smythe
Conn Smythe
Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC was a Canadian businessman, soldier and sportsman in ice hockey and horse racing. He is best known as the principal owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1927 to 1961 and as the builder of Maple Leaf Gardens...
. Given to trainer Yonnie Starr
Yonnie Starr
Joseph "Yonnie" Starr was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer about whom the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame says has a "record unmatched in Canadian racing history."...
for race conditioning, the filly was sent to the track at age two where she won five of her eight starts including a win over her male counterparts in the Clarendon Stakes
Clarendon Stakes
The Clarendon Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Held in early July, the sprint race is open to two-year-old horses foaled in the Province of Ontario and is contested over a distance of five and a half furlongs on Polytrack synthetic...
.
At age three, Wonder Where was the dominant horse in Canada, winning eight stakes races. She went up against male horses on a regular basis, winning twice, finishing second twice, and third once. Notably, in her win in the Woodstock Stakes
Woodstock Stakes
The Woodstock Stakes is a historic Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario since 1885. Held in mid April, the sprint race is open to three-year-old horses and is contested over a distance of five and a half furlongs on Polytrack synthetic dirt...
, she defeated top colt and future Hall of Fame inductee, Anita's Son. Although she had never won a race at more than 1⅛ miles, her handlers entered her in the 1⅝ miles Canadian International. The distance proved too much for the filly and in her only finish out of the money in 1959, she finished seventh.
Wonder Where's brilliant 1959 racing campaign outshone even that of New Providence
New Providence (horse)
New Providence is a Thoroughbred racehorse who in 1959 became the first official winner of the Canadian Triple Crown.Retired to stud duty at owner E. P...
, the first horse to win the Canadian Triple Crown. In the balloting for Canadian Horse of the Year honors, Wonder Where outpolled New Providence by more than two to one.
Sent back to race at age four, Wonder Where made eight starts, winning five times. She was retired at the end of the 1960 to serve as a broodmare under the auspices of co-owner Larkin Maloney. Her last foal was born in 1969. Of her offspring, the multiple stakes-winning filly Sno Where, sired by Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer
Northern Dancer was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred racehorse and the most successful sire of the 20th Century. The National Thoroughbred Racing Association calls him "one of the most influential sires in Thoroughbred history"....
, was the best performer on the track.
In recognition of her outstanding career in racing, in 2004 Wonder Where was inducted in the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
. The annual Wonder Where Stakes
Wonder Where Stakes
The Wonder Where Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1965 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Held during the end of July/first week in August, it is the third leg of Canadian Triple Tiara series for Canadian-foaled three-year-old fillies.Raced on Turf, the Wonder...
at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack
Woodbine Racetrack is a Canadian racetrack for Thoroughbred horse races located at 555 Rexdale Blvd. in the city of Toronto, Ontario. It is the only horseracing track in North America which stages, or is capable of staging, thoroughbred and standardbred horseracing programs on the same day...
is named in her memory.