Canadiana (1950–1971) was the first

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

bred A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

to earn more than $100,000

. She was bred by

E. P. Taylor Edward Plunket Taylor, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, CMG (January 29, 1901 – May 14, 1989), was a Canadians, Canadian business tycoon, investor, and philanthropist. He was a famous breeder of Thoroughbred horse racing, r ...

at his

National Stud The National Stud is a Thoroughbred stud farm in Newmarket which is owned by the Jockey Club. As well as commercial breeding services, it undertakes education and training activities and allows the public to visit the working stud on organised ...

near

Oshawa, Ontario Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario, approximately east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of the Greater Toronto Area and of the Golden Horseshoe. It ...

. Sired by Taylor's

stallion A stallion is an adult male horse that has not been gelded ( castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cre ...

, Chop Chop who would go on to sire three more

Queen's Plate The King's Plate (known as the Queen's Plate from 1860 to 1901 and 1952 to 2022) is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race and the oldest continuously run race in North America, having been founded in 1860. It is run at a distance of for a ma ...

winners, her dam Iribelle was also owned by Taylor. Canadiana's

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

-born damsire

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wikt:wsjr, wsjr'') was the ancient Egyptian deities, god of fertility, agriculture, the Ancient Egyptian religion#Afterlife, afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

was the Leading sire in Canada in 1938, 1940, 1942, and 1947.

Horse of the Year

Trained by Gordon J. "Pete" McCann, at age two Canadiana was not only the dominant horse of her age group, female or male, she was the dominant horse irrespective of age. She won the top races for her age group in Canada and set a new track record for 5½

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

s in winning a

stakes race The following is a glossary of North American horse racing. Additional glossaries at: *Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting *Glossary of equestrian terms This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical term ...

event at

Randall Park Race Track Randall may refer to the following: Places United States *Randall, California, former name of White Hall, California, an unincorporated community * Randall, Indiana, a former town * Randall, Iowa, a city * Randall, Kansas, a city * Randall, Minne ...

North Randall, Ohio North Randall is a village in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. The population was 954 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Cleveland, it is a part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. History Settlement at North Randall began in earnest in the 1 ...

. She was voted 1952

Canadian Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

honors. At age three, Canadiana ran fourth in the

Plate Trial Stakes The Plate Trial Stakes is a Canadian Thoroughbred flat horserace for three-Year-Olds, foaled in Canada run annually at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. Raced in early June, the -mile race on dirt is considered one of the most important pre ...

but returned to form to beat male horses again, scoring a five-length victory under future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame jockey

Eddie Arcaro George Edward Arcaro (February 19, 1916 – November 14, 1997) was an American Thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who won more American classic races than any other jockey in history and is the only rider to have won the U.S. Triple ...

in Canada's most prestigious race, the

. She went on to win against fillies in the

Test Stakes The Test Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies and run each summer at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is contested at a distance of seven furlongs on the dirt and is an influentia ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, Saratoga Springs, New York (state), New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting v ...

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

. As a four-year-old, Canadiana raced against some of the top fillies in the United States. Her best results were a win of the 1954

Vagrancy Handicap The Vagrancy Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares that are four years old and older run over a distance of furlongs on the dirt track held annually in late May or early June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New ...

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack within ...

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

and seconds in the

Gazelle A gazelle is one of many antelope species in the genus ''Gazella'' . There are also seven species included in two further genera; '' Eudorcas'' and '' Nanger'', which were formerly considered subgenera of ''Gazella''. A third former subgenus, ' ...

and

Diana Handicap The Diana Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. Named for the mythological goddess Diana, the race is run each year at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Inaugurated in 1939, it is open to fillies and mares age three an ...

s. Canadiana raced as a five-year-old, winning the Highlander and

Jacques Cartier Stakes The Jacques Cartier Stakes is a Thoroughbred horse race run annually since 1954 at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Run near the beginning of the Woodbine spring meeting, the sprint race is open to horses aged four and older and is ...

at Woodbine. Retired to

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

duty at

Windfields Farm Windfields Farm was a six square kilometre (1,500 acre) Thoroughbred Stud farm, horse breeding farm that was founded by businessman E. P. Taylor in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Origin The first stable and breeding operation of E. P. Taylor o ...

, Canadiana produced six foals but only one became a stakes-race winner. On her death in 1971, Canadiana was given a place of honor next to the great

Northern Dancer Northern Dancer (May 27, 1961 – November 16, 1990) was a Thoroughbred that, in 1964, became the first Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby. After being retired from racing, he became one of the most successful Stallion, sires of the 2 ...

in the Windfields Farm equine cemetery. In 1978, Canadiana was inducted in the

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness racing, harness and Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine ...

Pedigree

{{Pedigree , name = Canadiana, bay mare, 1950 , f = Chop Chop , m = Iribelle , ff =

Flares A flare, also sometimes called a fusée, fusee, or bengala, bengalo in several European countries, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a bright light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for distress signaling, illuminatio ...

, fm = Sceptical , mf = Osiris , mm = Belmona , fff =

Gallant Fox Gallant Fox (March 23, 1927 – November 13, 1954) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the second winner of the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, American Triple Crown. In a racing career which la ...

, ffm = Flambino , fmf = Buchan , fmm = Clodagh , mff =

Papyrus Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, ''Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'' or ''papyruses'') can a ...

, mfm = Most Beautiful , mmf = King James , mmm = Belmon , ffff =

Sir Gallahad III Sir Gallahad (1920–1949) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and an important sire in the United States. Racing career Racing at age two in France for his British breeder/owner, Jefferson Davis Cohn, Sir Gallahad earned victory in three of hi ...

, fffm = Marguerite , ffmf = Wrack , ffmm = Flambette , fmff =

Sunstar Sunstar or Sun Star may refer to: Astronomy *The Sun Newspapers * '' Merced Sun-Star'' in California, United States * ''Sun Star'' (Alaska), a student newspaper in Alaska, United States * '' SunStar'' in the Philippines :* '' SunStar Cebu' ...

, fmfm = Hamoaze , fmmf = Tredennis , fmmm = Clare , mfff =

Tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support th ...

, mffm = Miss Matty , mfmf = Great Sport , mfmm = Rayon , mmff =

Plaudit Plaudit (1895–1919) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. A descendant of the English Triple Crown champion, West Australian, he was bred by Dr. John D. Neet, owner of Kindergarten Stud at Versailles, Kentucky. Plaudit is best known for ...

, mmfm = Unsightly , mmmf = Superman , mmmm = Bellamia (family: 10-c)

References

Canadiana's pedigree and partial racing stats

Article on Canadiana by Muriel Lennox at ''Thoroughbred Times''

1950 racehorse births 1971 racehorse deaths Racehorses bred in Ontario Racehorses trained in Canada King's Plate winners Canadian Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductees Thoroughbred family 10-c