At a glance
- Filly, Ontario-bred, foaled February 18, 2024
- By Hard Spun out of Shamaria
- Trainer: Kevin Attard
- Acquired at 2025 Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale
Behind the name
Toronto-forged Rush is one of rock’s most critically acclaimed and enduring acts. Across 20 studio albums, 11 live albums, and a legion of fans who never quit, Rush sold more than 42 million albums worldwide and earned a staggering stack of certifications: 14 platinum, three multi-platinum, and 24 gold records internationally, along with 17 platinum albums in Canada.
Clockwork Angels was the final Rush album before the death of Neil Peart, the drummer and lyricist whose words and rhythms formed the backbone of a trio defined by immense technical skill and complex compositions. Their twentieth (and last) studio album climbed to #2 on the Billboard 200, #1 in Canada, and high up European charts.
With a catalogue so deep it’s hard to even agree on what Rush’s “best” is, Clockwork Angels is widely viewed by fans and critics as a culmination: a career-spanning synthesis, a creative peak, and a fitting last chapter. It unquestionably contains some of Neil Peart’s finest drumming – a rare unity of technical brilliance, brains, and raw power that made him one of the greatest rock drummers in history.
Proving that craft can be its own kind of rebellion, Rush engineered precision without compromise and became Canada’s most technically brilliant, stubbornly authentic rock export. Frequently cited as one of the greatest live acts in rock history, Rush’s touring success is estimated north of $254 million – and that doesn’t even count the massive merch machine that followed them everywhere.
Hard spun on turntables and airwaves around the world for generations, Rush’s deep catalogue became a lifelong companion for millions.
Rush earned “rare air” recognition: induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Ten Juno Awards and seven Grammy nominations. Third behind the Beatles and the Rolling Stones for most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band. Stars on Canada’s Walk of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A SOCAN International Achievement Award. A Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. And a true Canadian first: all three members appointed Officers of the Order of Canada for their cultural influence and charitable impact.
In a sport that rewards routine, timing, and repeatability, “clockwork” is more than a metaphor: it nods to clockers timing breezes, training drills, and the quiet consistency that builds greatness. Racing is a watchmaker’s world – schedules, routines, exactness, discipline. Yet elite horses are never only clockwork and mechanics. They have instinct. Presence. An emotion and electricity you can’t train into them – only discover, like grace under pressure. That’s the “angel” part.
Like her namesake, let’s hope our Clockwork Angel mobilizes an equally special rhythm and transforms it into something iconic.
About the sire
From one of the last crops of three-time leading sire in North America Danzig, Pennsylvania-bred Hard Spun‘s pedigree also includes Northern Dancer and Nearctic. In 13 career starts, Hard Spun won seven times and earned $2,673,471. In his debut at age two in 2006 at Delaware Park Racetrack, he won by 8 3⁄4 lengths and then showed he could handle sloppy tracks when he won the Port Penn Stakes by five lengths. He followed that with a victory in the 2006 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes.
Entering the three-year-old racing season in 2007, Hard Spun captured his fourth straight win in the Lecomte Stakes at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. His fifth victory in six starts came in the Lane’s End Stakes. Hard Spun then finished second at the 2007 Kentucky Derby, third in the Preakness Stakes, fourth in the Belmont Stakes, and second (ahead of Curlin) in the $1 million Grade I Haskell Invitational Handicap at Monmouth Park.
Hard Spun got his first Grade I win in the King’s Bishop Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Later in 2007, he won the Grade II Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes at Turfway Park (beating Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense) and then finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
The leading sire of career stakes horses among active stallions standing for under $60,000, Hard Spun has sired 16 crops, 1879 named foals of racing age, more than 809 winners (208 at 2YO) including 15+ Grade 1 winners and 21 Black type stakes winners in 2025/26.
His progeny include G1 winners Questing, Le Romain ($3,181,578), Wicked Strong ($1,994,460), Silver State ($1,933,094), Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Aloha West ($1,507,290), Gatting ($1,482,179), Hard Aces ($1,272,215), and Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner Spun to Run ($1.1 million), as well as G3 winners Snap Decision ($1,443,334) and Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil’s ($1.5+ million). Among his 18 Black Type horses in 2025, progeny successful at Woodbine include G3 and 2024 Woodbine Oaks winner Elysian Field ($750,182 in 17 starts), G2 King Edward’s Stakes winner Gas Me Up (ridden by Flavien Prat when Donato brought him to Canada for the King’s Plate), and G3 winning filly Pondering ($429,587 in 14 starts).
Hard Spun has generally sired runners that need a little time to mature but often make good 3-year-olds. In 2025, his juveniles were sold at auctions for up to $335,000.
About the dam
Shamaria is an unraced dam and Clockwork Angel is her first foal. Shamaria was sired by 2015 Queen’s Plate winner and Canadian Champion Three-Year-Old Colt, Shaman Ghost, who was also runner up in the 2017 Pegasus World Cup, one of the world’s richest horse races. He followed that performance with wins in the Santa Anita Handicap and Pimlico Special and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2018.
Shaman Ghost was sired by 2004 Eclipse Horse of the Year, Ghostzapper, who earned just under $3.5 million in his 11 starts which included winning the 2004 Breeders’ Cup Classic when he set a track record. He retired in 2005 with an initial stud fee of $200,000.
