Queen's Plate Win a Dream Come True for Anderson

On Christmas morning in Canada when David Anderson was growing up, most kids hoped for a new bicycle or a pair of hockey skates.

Anderson wanted to win the Queen's Plate.

Now 49, Anderson watched Wonder Gadot grant that wish June 30 at Woodbine when she became the first winner of the Canadian classic bred by Anderson Farms—the iconic operation founded by Anderson's father, late Canadian Hall of Famer Robert Anderson.

"This was just a dream come true for me, and it's been an amazing journey with this filly," Anderson said the morning after the daughter of Medaglia d'Oro  took the 159th edition of North America's oldest continually run race. "She's taken me to the Breeders' Cup and Kentucky Oaks and now back home here, winning our biggest race."

When Anderson's father died in 2010 and Anderson took over the farm, the Vindication mare Loving Vindication was the first mare he purchased on his own. Out of the grade 3-winning Elusive Quality mare Chimichurri, she was a $725,000 purchase by Live Oak Plantation from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to the 2006 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. After she raced through four seasons with an allowance and maiden win from 13 starts, Anderson picked her up for $180,000 from Warrendale Sales' consignment to the 2011 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale. 

"She won impressively when she broke her maiden; she ran a 3 on the sheets," Anderson said. "I love Vindication as a broodmare sire and I thought she was an outstanding individual. I bought her and at the same sale I bought Song and Danz, the grandmother of ($1.1 million Keeneland September purchase) Sergei Prokofiev, my Scat Daddy colt that Coolmore owns that just ran (third in the group 2 Coventry Stakes) at Royal Ascot."

Anderson and bloodstock agent Marette Farrell sent Loving Vindication back to Medaglia d'Oro to produce Wonder Gadot based on the success of her first foal, Solemn Tribute, who won the 2015 Tropical Park Derby for Lael Stables and was second in the 2016 King Edward Stakes (G2T) at Woodbine. Lael bought Solemn Tribute for $385,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The mare's second foal by Medaglia d'Oro, Bezzera, didn't make it to the sales or races, but third time was the charm.

"Solemn Tribute sold quite well and went on to do very well, so we decided to go back based on that colt's success, and we got this big, strong, well-balanced filly that was always very athletic," Anderson recalled. "Unfortunately, she had a couple of little issues that some yearlings get that caused her price to be lower than it should have been, but in the end she's been able to prove herself."

Wonder Gadot was pinhooked by Eisaman Equine from the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $80,000, and was a $325,000 purchase by TM Investments from their consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales April 2017 Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. 

Loving Vindication is in foal to Curlin  and dropped a Nyquist  filly this year. Anderson will also sell a Bodemeister  colt at the Keeneland September sale, and Bezzera is in foal to Bernardini .

"I've got the whole family," Anderson said.

Anderson, who has about 30 mares he breeds in Kentucky and foals in Ontario, prides himself on producing Ontario-breds that will excel at top sales and racetracks.

"All of my foals are Ontario-breds, but I personally don't breed specifically for a restricted program. I breed for the open market," he said. "Since the racing industry here recently solidified a $2 billion, 20-plus-year deal with the government that now allows breeders some framework to work with, with a good long-term outlook, I think there's a wonderful opportunity. Think about the Queen's Plate purse (for a race restricted to Canada-bred sophomores). A million dollars is a million dollars. Someone's got to win it."

Anderson said he felt his father's presence as Wonder Gadot crossed the finish line Saturday at Woodbine.

"My dad was always my biggest fan. He was a wonderful father, and I would hope he'd be very proud," he said. "It's a thrill for a small Canadian breeder to have horses in the hands of owners like Gary Barber and trainers like Mark Casse. It's so important when you sell a horse as a breeder to get your horses in the hands of the right connections. It helps prove your program's success."