Winter Memories euthanized in May at 15

Winter Memories, who added to the legacy of a prominent Darby Dan Farm family both as a Grade 1 winner on the track and as a stakes producer at the farm, died this past spring. The El Prado mare was 15.

Winter Memories, whose death was first confirmed by the BloodHorse, was euthanized in May at her birthplace, as trouble with her hind suspensory ligaments made standing and walking painful for her, Darby Dan owner John Phillips said.

Winter Memories, born and raised at the farm and racing in the name of Phillips Racing Partnership, was trained by Jimmy Toner, as was her dam, homebred Grade 1-winning millionaire Memories of Silver. Winter Memories, a popular gray, was one of four stakes winners out of her dam, and compiled a record of 12-8-2-0 with earnings of $1,268,100.

After a 2-year-old campaign in which she won the Grade 3 Miss Grillo and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Winter Memories returned in the spring and summer of her 3-year-old season to win the Grade 3 Appalachian, Grade 2 Sands Point, and Grade 2 Lake George.

She earned her first career Grade 1 in dramatic and memorable fashion in the Garden City Stakes at Belmont Park. The filly was last of eight in the stretch, and trapped in traffic. After altering course, she unleashed a devastating turn of foot to win by a neck.

“I cannot believe she won the race,” Toner told Daily Racing Form that day. “I cannot believe the way she accelerated and exploded in a short space of time; you’re talking about a sixteenth of a mile.”

In a short 4-year-old campaign, Winter Memories added another Grade 1, in the Diana at Saratoga. She also won the Grade 3 Beaugay and was second in the Grade 1 Just a Game.

As a broodmare, Winter Memories produced eight foals, with six runners to date. Her two winners are two-time stakes winner Winter Sunset, who was also multiple graded stakes placed; and Grade 1-placed Seasons. Her final foal is a yearling filly by Mendelssohn, who will be retained by Darby Dan.

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