At a glance
- Status: Active
- Colt, Ontario-bred, foaled March 26, 2022
- By Point of Entry out of Silent Sister
- Trainer: Kevin Attard
- Foundation development at Margaux Farm (KY)
- Acquired at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale
Behind the name
This filly was named after Canada’s first genuine tabloid celebrity, one of its most unique and intriguing cultural icons, and a symbol of an important moment in our nation’s history.
Veronica Foster, popularly known as “Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl”, was a remarkable figure in an important moment in Canadian history. The Bren Gun Girl represented nearly one million Canadian women who stepped up to work in the manufacturing plants when Canada’s men left to fight in WWII.
Foster worked for the John Inglis Company producing light machine guns on a production line on Strachan Avenue in Toronto. The Bren Gun Girl became Canada’s first genuine tabloid celebrity while generating huge support for the war effort and sending a distinct message to women that they could have it all.
With confidence inspired by one of our country’s most intriguing icons and unique campaigns, hundreds of thousands of Canadian women left desks and kitchens, elevators and switchboards for the first time to take over empty posts across the country in almost every capacity: manufacturers, heavy equipment operators, scientists, loggers, shipyard workers, and more.
By war’s end, 800,000 Canadian women were working in factories. It was an exciting time for women of all ages and marked the first moment in Canada’s history when women found their collective voice and felt empowered to have equal rights.
One could rightly say that the Bren Gun Girl was a point of entry for many a silent sister.
The now famous image of the Bren Gun Girl appeared in major newspapers around the world, including on the front page of the New York Times as part of a feature on Canadian women at work. Canada’s Bren Gun Girl was the precursor and model for the much better known, American fictionalized character called “Rosie the Riveter”, predating the American poster girl by more than two years. It is very likely the idea of ‘Rosie’ was born from the New York Times article.
About the sire
Sired by Dynaformer out of the Seeking the Gold mare Matlacha Pass, Kentucky-bred Point of Entry was trained by American Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III and raced from 2011 to 2013 for Stronach Stables and Phipps Stable.
Point of Entry was a Black-type winner of $2,494,490 in 18 starts (9-3-1). His stakes wins included the 2013 Manhattan Stakes (G1 at Belmont Park), 2013 Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1), 2012 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1 at Belmont), 2012 Sword Dancer Stakes (G1 at Saratoga), 2012 Man O’ War Stakes (G1 at Belmont), and the 2012 Elkhorn (G2 at Keeneland).
In 2022 when BrenGunGirl was foaled, Point of Entry was the #1 stallion by black type and graded stakes wins in Canada. In 2023 when we bought her, he was Canada’s #1 living sire by progeny earnings, turf sired, and average earnings per runner on turf and had sired 402 foals from 7 crops of racing age of which 322 became runners, 233 became winners, and 32 won stakes races. He has sired black type stakes winners in five countries and on different surfaces.
About the dam
Our filly is the first foal out of Silent Sister who was sired by multiple graded stakes winner Silent Name: one of Canada’s most accomplished sires.