RETAINED YEARLINGS IN 2006

•  Stonebridge Dancer

A filly by Angus Hall out of Velvia, and therefore a full sister to Stonebridge Diablo , Stakes winner of over $400,000

•  Stonebridge Attack

A colt by Angus Hall out of Royal Bait . This is a full brother to triple O'Brien winner Peaceful Way , world champion and co-record holder as fastest trotting mare of all-time, Breeders Crown winner of over $2,600,000.

•  Stonebridge Dejavu

 A colt by Angus Hall, out of MeansToYourDreams . This is the first foal out of a $220,000 winning mare, who herself is out of a half-sister to the dam of Casual Breeze , O'Brien winner of over $1,300,000.

•  Stonebridge Vision

  A filly by Artsplace out of Fran Seelster . This is the first Artsplac e foal from this 100% producing mare. She is a half-sister to three stake-winners of over $500,000 ( Stonebridge First , Stonebridge Prize , and Stonebridge Premio ), a half-sister to 2 stake-winners of over $100,000 ( Stonebridge Elite and Stonebridge Prima ), and thus a sibling to 5 stake winners of over $1,900,000 from 6 foals.

•  Stonebridge Hugs

  A filly by Artsplace out of Two In The Morning . This is the first Artsplace foal from this mare and a three-quarter sister to Stonebridge Kisses , p 1:50.2, the current open mare winner of over $600,000, and also a half sister to the very good 3 year-old stakes (2006) winner, Stonebridge Luau , p1:53.0. She is also a half-sister to the dam of Where The Heart Is , p1:50.1, a filly who has won over $220,000.

•  Stonebridge Appeal

  A filly by Artsplace out of One Fine Cam . This is the first Artsplace foal of this $250,000 stakes winning, 100% producing mare. She is a half-sister to the stakes champion Stonebridge Galaxy p1:49.3, winner of over $500,000.

•  Stonebridge Beauty

  A filly by Camluck out of Casual Beauty . This is a full sister to the fast O.S.S.stakes 3 year old, Stonebridge Ideal out of the 100% producing Artsplace mare, Casual Beauty.

•  Stonebridge Affirm

  A colt by McArdle out of Reona Hanover . This colt is out of the full sister to the dam of Real Artist p1:51.0, $420,000 and Michelles Revenge p 1:52.2, $430,000, grand-dam of Art Major p1:48.4, $3,200,000, Worldly Beauty , p1:49.3, $2,100,000, and Perfect Art , p1:51.0, $570,000. He is a half-brother to Stonebridge Artist , p1:52.4, $160,000.

•  Stonebridge Magnum

  A colt by The Panderosa out of Glacier Express , a full sister to Electrical Art p1:51, stakes winner of over $1,000,000. This is the second foal of this mare and the first by The Panderosa.  

•  Stonebridge Nugget

  A filly by Camluck out ot Trieste Hanover . This is a half-sister to the Maryland 2 and 3 year old champion Esthers Joy p 1:54.4, $160,000. She is out of a half-sister to the dam of Eternal Camnation , p1:49.2, $4,200,000 winner, and whose second dam is a sister to the dam of American Ideal , p1:47.

 

THREE O'BRIEN AWARDS PRESENTED TO STONEBRIDGE FARMS

ON JAN. 28TH ANGIE STILLER ACCEPTED THE O'BRIEN AWARDS (the highest award that can be given to a Standardbred in Canada) AS BREEDER OF THE YEAR , ROYAL BAIT AS BROODMARE OF THE YEAR , AND P EACEFUL WAY AS AGED TROTTING MARE OF THE YEAR .

THIS REPRESENTS 6 O'BRIEN AWARDS RECEIVED BY THE FARM AND ANGIE IN THE 9 YEARS THAT IT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION AS A BREEDER.

ANGIE STILLER - Breeder of the Year - with ROYAL BAIT, Broodmare of the Year (who is still in foal in this picture taken January 10th) to Angus Hall, thus carrying the full sister or brother to PEACEFUL WAY , Trotting Mare of the Year ).

January 28th.

Angie assisted Royal Bait deliver the FULL SISTER to PEACEFUL WAY (Jan. 25th)

A beautiful filly that Angie says is a "replica" of her sister!! Exactly what we hoped to have!

DECEMBER 22

ANGIE STILLER STILL IN SHOCK
Posted by Harnesslink Admin 10:51 AM 22-Dec-2005 NZST
Angie Stiller is as "happy as a lark" after receiving word on her success in the 2005 O'Brien Award Nominations, including the first acclamation in award history.

"I am on a cloud. I am so excited, and what an incredible privilege this is," Stiller told Trot Insider this afternoon.

For the first time in history Peaceful Way was a unanimous winner, taking her third O'Brien Award this time in the Older Trotting Mare category. Stiller co-owns the trotter, who is out of Stiller's Broodmare of the Year nominee Royal Bait. To top it all off, Stiller is nominated with Glengate Farms for 2005 Breeder of the Year.

"I am deeply honoured that our little Stonebridge Farm has produced such great individuals like Peaceful Way, and I'm so proud that her mom, Royal Bait, is also being recognized as an outstanding broodmare."

Stiller said the news of two O'Brien Award nominations and the undisputed win by Peaceful Way was a very welcome surprise.

"We fantasized about this and discussed whether it is possible, you know how it is, and so then we started comparing the success of this athlete to the success of others and we thought maybe, maybe we would have a chance but from the maybe to the fait accompli is a long road."

Based in Arva, Ont., Stonebridge Farm was started by Stiller and her husband, Cal, in 1995 as a "boutique" standardbred breeding farm.

"This year, as far as performance of my graduates, is extraordinary and when you think of the handful of individuals that we breed, which is so few compared to the large farms, and how many of those graduates race. It is nothing short of extraordinary. Let's hope we'll keep on doing the best we possibly can and that we'll be successful in the future."

Stiller bred Peaceful Way and co-owns the mare with Goin My Way Stable of Holland, Pennsylvania, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband of Toronto and Peaceful Way's trainer, Dave Tingley of Guleph, Ont.

Stonebridge Farms has also produced such notable performers this year as Stonebridge Regal, Stonebridge Kisses, Stonebridge Galaxy and Stonebridge Diablo.

"Even on a not-so-good day I'm a happy camper but this is just so glorious. It just makes up for all those sleepless nights and worries and disappointments.

"I am very glad that Stonebridge Farm can and has contributed to our sport with such special individuals, though I don't want to take anything from the merit of my fellow horse people," remarked Stiller. "From my heart I just could not be more deeply, deeply honoured and I feel so privileged that my little farm is in these categories."

Courtesy of Standardbred Canada


View June 2005 News

JULY 30th
The past week has been eventful in many ways. Regal raced in the American National and for the first time in his life broke. We don't know the reason, but we know that he is not lame. We have a month and the best trainer in the business to figure it out and get him ready for the LBJ.

Last night the Oaks Classic was raced and Peaceful Way demonstrated again why she is considered by us to be the best female trotter of all time - as measured in pure speed. She raced the last 5/16 of the race in 35 seconds in a race that was 1/5 of a second short of the World Record set by Fern. She did it all on her own.I'm letting Trevor Ritchie know that if I want a cardiac stress test I'll book it and I don't need him to give me one every Saturday night. It was an unbelievable performance if you didn't see it for yourself. In spite of that though, speculation can end about her racing in the Nat Ray. If anyone reads this site, she will be returning to Ontario this week and NOT racing in the Nat Ray. Her next tasks are the Breeder's Crown, and then if she is sound, and it makes sense, she MAY go in the Maple Leaf Trot. I have it from Joe that this will be her plan.

Stonebridge Diablo acquitted himself very well getting caught at the wire to place second in the Canadian Breeders Championship. He's getting better and we'll hear more from him this year.

But none of the above occupied our minds last night. Lady Joanna had colic earlier in the day and it was only with the good services of Dr Tara Foy and Dr. Desjardins at the Ilderton Equine Hospital that she was brought safely through. She was operated on last night and looked good this morning, having had the obstruction relieved. Dr. Desjardins and the staff at the clinic were fantastic. This is the dam of Regal and is only one of 9 who have produced 2 offspring that have gone sub 1:50. But on top of that she's a darling and our emotions were on a roller-coaster ride.

Tomorrow we see how Prima, Finest and Luau perform in their Sire Stake divisions. We should mention that Madona (Regal's full sister) came second in her first start in 58.2, last quarter in 27.2. She'll get a rest and then come to Canada in late August.

JULY 16th
The tension builds as we await the start of the races, and in particular the 9th, where Regal squares off against RnR and his two stablemates. It's impossible to know what the outcome will be. My only wish is that all the players act in a professional manner and "may the BEST horse win"!

Dave Tingley announced, on behalf of him and Joe that we would bypass the Perettii Challenge and go for the Classic Oaks, and the Nat Ray. I've expressed my views on this before and will remain quiet. Now that we're into it, I hope that she can prevail against the boys and not get hurt. If Peaceful Way does beat Mr Muscleman and sets a new World Record, she will be a contender for Trotter of the Year.

Prima (Camluck X Fran Seelster) won her qualifier in 57.2 and is in a Gold Elimination tomorrow. Luau (Island Fantasy X TwoInTheMorning), sister to Kisses, won her qualifier in 59.2 at Georgian Downs. Madona (Artsplace X Lady Joanna), full sister to Regal raced her qualifier at Sciota Downs "beautifully", according to Jeff Miller, and will do so again this next week. (Can't remember the time, but I think in 2:01. Less happy news about Lure (Yankee Paco X Royal Bait) suffered a stress-line fracture and Greg has turned her out for the year. He said she has all kinds of speed, and he doesn't want to ruin her. I agree. That plan worked with Regal.

JULY 10th
Yesterday, the clock almost stopped and it seemed an eternity from noon till 7.30. Why? The eliminations of the Meadowlands Pace were on in Races 3 and 5. All the hype, I repeat, All the hype was on Rocknroll Hanover, It was only Sam McGee who, just before it went off, said - Hey what about Stonebridge Regal? We can't entirely count him out (or something to that effect).BUT they did and all the money (and hype) was on RnR. I loved it. To remind you, Regal had the dreaded 10 hole and RnR had the 2 hole and Village Jolt the 3.Jack left like a rocket, but was parked out 5 and 6 wide around the first turn and eventually got to the top after a brutal 1st quarter. He passed on an opening in the 4th position (which I'm sure team Pelling wanted him to take) and went directly to the top with RnR on his heels. He let RnR gain the top and they paced to the half in 53.2 seconds and the 3/4 in 1:21.4. Jack recalls thinking that he was guaranteed a second, but then thought, hey I've got a chance at picking my position. He yelled at Regal, gave him two cracks of the whip, and Regal exploded and passed RnR all wrapped up, by a length. Brian Sears was whipping RnR down to the wire from mid-stretch but could not sustain the drive, losing 2 lengths to Regal in the last quarter. I don't know what it took out of either horse, but Bob says Regal came out of it well. I was very afraid that team Pelling would do to him what they did in the NA Cup when Cams Fool boxed Regal in as long as he could and he got out a length too late to beat RnR at the wire. This time it was Village Jolt that tried but couldn't keep up with the pace .I have no doubt they will try it again in the final. I thought Regal showed his stuff!!. But it will be tricky to stay clear of the ganging up on him with three horses to contend with even though it will be illegal to do so. I would hope that the judges watch closely and that the professionals act accordingly.

JULY 3rd.

Last evening PEACEFUL WAY set another Canadian, Stakes, and Track record in winning the Armbro Flight in 1:52.1. Today, with the sun shining so brilliantly we sat out on the balcony with a fresh cup of coffee and recounted the race. What an extraordinary filly she is.

 

Angie attended the Armbro Flight last night and recounted the feelings she had as the race progressed. PW got away 5th and Trevor Ritchie was content to have her sit there till the half when Mystical Sunshine pulled and he followed her up the outside. At the head of the stretch he was 6 lengths or so off and going three wide, and not applying any pressure to her - and Angie said her heart was pounding because she couldn't see (down by the rail, where she was standing) if she was making any progress against Mystical Sunshine and Windylane Hanover. Trevor sat in the bike, never raising his hands, whip tucked under his arm, and a passenger as she powered up in that characteristic "burst" of speed that she displays to win by only a length or less in a new stakes, track, and Canadian record for mares, and only 2/5 of a second off the record held by Mr Muscleman. She is also 2/5 of a second from the world record of 1:51.4 held by Beat The Wheel set some 10 years ago.

Talking to our great partners Joe and Barb Myers, the pride that they have in her is so very evident. The big question now is whether she will try against Mr. Muscleman in the Nat Ray or Maple Leaf Trot, or wait till next year. Discretion being the better part of valour, we favour waiting at least until after the Breeders Crown, but Joe will make the decision in the mare's best interest after consulting with Dave and Trevor when that time comes. What an athlete - and what pleasure she gives. She is just $50,000 short of winnings of $2 million and she has 3/4 of this year yet to race.

We should also report that Regal qualified in 1:50.3 at the Meadowlands on Friday and is ready (Bob and Jack say) for the Meadowlands Pace Eliminations next Saturday. The ONLY news in this category is R'nR Hanover. They're writing Regal off prematurely I would say, but time will tell.

The farm continues in that "rhythm" of farm life - with the characteristics of the end of the breeding season rhythm. We have three mares still not in foal and are ones that we are trying to get an embryo transfer done in time to get a foal next year. So - almost daily ultra-sounds, flushes, anxious peering into the microscope, and depending on what is found - elation or despair, and "should we try just one more time" discussions. Dr. Moira Gunn is invaluable, and you know how we value Dr. Henderson, in the quest for "full ovens for the winter"!! We'll give a report card in the next couple of weeks, but we're too superstitious to say anything now.

JULY 1ST
CANADA DAY could not be more perfect. The sun is shining, a gentle cooling west wind is blowing just enough to keep the babies and their moms cool, and a week-end of interesting racing is in store. DIABLO races tonight in the Gold Series Final, PEACEFUL WAY races tomorrow in the Armbro Flight Final, and KISSES competes in the Roses Are Red final at Mohawk.

Peaceful Way looks to take ?Flight'

Peaceful Way

Campbellville, June 29, 2005? She won her Armbro Flight elimination in track and Canadian record time this past weekend at Mohawk and according to her trainer, Dave Tingley, Peaceful Way is looking sharp heading into the $360,750 final, set for this Saturday, July 2.

?I'm confident in her and I think Trevor [driver Trevor Ritchie] is too ? especially since she's on the improve,? Tingley said Wednesday morning.

The third edition of the Armbro Flight Stakes has been carded as the fifth race (8:43 p.m.) and Peaceful Way, who was able to bypass the draw via her 1:52.4 elim victory, will start from the four-hole after her connections selected her post first.

The other elim winner, Mystical Sunshine, who also trotted in 1:52.4, will test the 10-horse field from the two-hole, as her connections selected her starting spot after Peaceful Way and before the draw was conducted.

After starting from the rail in her elim, Peaceful Way was taken off the gate by Ritchie, apparently because dirt came up and hit her on the face, resulting in the $1.7 million earner letting loose of the bit. She sat off the pace in sixth through the first three calls, but when Ritchie asked her late, she came home with a wallop, winning easily by two lengths, equaling her season's best clocking in the process.

?Did I have any doubts? Not really,? Tingley said, referring to whether he thought the 22-time victor could make up the ground in the lane. ?Going by the Super Final last year [a resounding off the pace score in 1:54 at Woodbine in mid-November], and with knowing her, I just thought that she'd measure them.?

In her start before the Armbro Flight elim, the Tingley, Goin My Way Stable and Angie Stiller-owned mare prevailed by a quarter-length in 1:55.2 during a $40,000 Fillies and Mares Preferred, even though Tingley entertained the notion of scratching her from the event beforehand.

?I think the only race where she has had the whip touched on her tail was the prep race [the Preferred], and that's where she tied up. She wasn't even close to being herself, so I gave her full marks for even competing in the race, let alone winning it,? he said of the four-year-old bay daughter of Angus Hall, who is a two-time O'Brien Award recipient. ?I was actually going to scratch her because with her blood being off she just wasn't feeling good. Luckily enough, we got her count at a reasonable level, but that's why she put in a sub-par performance. She still got the job done though.?

Even though her blood hasn't been fully up to par this season, Peaceful Way has still been gold. She will enter the Armbro Flight on a season's three-race unbeaten streak, which includes a pair of tallies in 1:52.4 and the hard-fought victory in the Preferred.

?It [tying up] usually happens a lot this time of year and it happened about three or four days before the [Preferred]. She's been battling that, but every week her blood seems to be getting better. It [her blood] was still coming down before her last race, but it wasn't perfect. It's still not perfect right now, but it's on the decline. Since the elim on Saturday it's dropped about 700 points, which is a good sign after racing.

?She's better every week though, so I'm expecting to see her at her best this week.?

The Armbro Flight has shaped up to be an exciting tilt this year, as Peaceful Way and Mystical Sunshine will be leaving from the inside, while top notch mares Housethatruthbuilt and Windylane Hanover have had the misfortune of drawing on the outside of the gate (posts eight and 10, respectively).

?How the race is going to set up, it's hard to say,? said Tingley. ?I can see another race for us like last week. The main thing [for Peaceful Way] is not to get caught in. Trevor's a professional and he now knows the filly. He's sat behind her four times, counting a qualifier. I'll just leave it up to him. Sometimes she dictates what you have to do. If she's feeling better, she might want to be a little more aggressive. She's one of those horses that you don't want to fight too much.?

After Peaceful Way and Mystical Sunshine put in their new record miles, Whosurboy equaled Western Ideal's 1:49 track record in the pacing horse division, indicating that the Mohawk strip is falling into fine form.

?Talking about the track, finally it has tightened up,? said Tingley. ?With the new surface and new bank, it wasn't in very good shape. In the last few days, whatever they've done to it, it's really starting to knit together and we saw that on the weekend ? the miles improved.?

Have we seen the best of Peaceful Way yet? According to Tingley, there is more to come.

?I have no doubt in my mind that she can trot in [1]:51 no problem.?

The field for the Armbro Flight is as follows:

THE ARMBRO FLIGHT STAKES
PP – Horse – Listed Driver – Trainer
1 ? Bramasole ? G. Brennan ? S. Ledford
2 ? Mystical Sunshine ? S. Condren ? C. Ryder
3 ? Abbey Craig ? M. Baillargeon ? P. Kelley
4 ? Peaceful Way ? T. Ritchie ? D. Tingley
5 ? Snazzy Millie ? L. Ouellette ? P. Skjaker
6 ? Silver Springs ? J. Campbell ? J. Johnson
7 ? In The Shell ? P. MacDonell ? J. Czernyson
8 ? Housethatruthbuilt ? T. Smedshammer ? T. Smedshammer
9 ? Tady Strikes Again ? C. Christoforou ? V. Morgan Jr.
10 ? Windylane Hanover ? J. Campbell ? B. Bittle
AE1 ? Southwind Sasha ? TBA ? J. Stutzman


DECEMBER 2004 USTA HORSE OF THE MONTH
Posted by Jeremy Rangiawha 10:08 AM 04-Jan-2005 NZST

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