At a glance
- Filly, Ontario-bred, foaled March 23, 2021
- By Souper Speedy out of Mona Moon
- Trainer: Kevin Attard
- Acquired at 2022 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale for $16,791 USD
- Earning to date: $83,955 USD
- Record: 5 starts, 2-1-2
- Stakes placed, black type
- Race replay: Vandoo wins at Woodbine, Nov 16 2023
Behind the name
Vandoo’s name is a tribute to the 22nd Regiment: the most highly trained, disciplined fighting force in the Canadian military.
During the First World War, English speaking soldiers couldn’t pronounce the French number twenty-two (vingt-deux) correctly, so they gave the Royal 22nd Canadian infantry regiment the moniker the “VanDoos” which became a source of pride. One of the most highly trained and disciplined regiments in the Canadian military and the largest regiment in the Canadian Army, the VanDoos have a reputation among military ranks for bringing a unique swagger and bravado to their work and in combat. This highly trained, highly skilled combat regiment carries its honour and pride with it wherever it is called to go. Highly regarded in international military competitions, they often win gold in marksmanship and assault drills when competing against regiments from the US, the UK, and elsewhere.
In WWI, the VanDoos fought fiercely and with distinction in every major Canadian engagement until the end of the conflict including battles at Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Hill 70, and Passchendaele. Their first major action was at the French village of Courcelette in September 1916, part of the devastating 5-month Battle of the Somme, one of the deadliest battles in history in which three million men fought and one million men were wounded or killed. The commander of the VanDoos requested his unit be given a key role saying “we know we are heading to the slaughterhouse. Even so, we are determined to show that Canadians are not quitters.” The VanDoos led the offensive, captured the village on the first night, and defended it for two more days against counterattacks.
In WWII, the VanDoos fought and served with distinction in most of the war’s major battles. When called to the Battle of Amiens, a turning point in the war that relied heavily on Canadian forces, they routed the Germans and won back nearly 20 kilometres of land over the first two days. That act earned Canada and the VanDoos a place of distinction and paved the way for Armistice Day. Embodying the regiment’s reputation in that battle, Victoria Cross recipient and VanDoo Lt. Jean Brillant spotted a machine gun holding up his company’s left flank and charged it himself, killing two men. His left arm was injured but he refused to be evacuated. He returned to fighting the next day, commanding two platoons with his left arm in a sling and taking 15 more machine guns and 150 prisoners. He suffered a head wound, but again refused to leave. Soon after while leading another charge against a four-inch field gun, he was hit in the abdomen, his third injury in two days. He still kept moving forward and fighting for 200 metres until he collapsed from blood loss and exhaustion. Three months after he died, the armistice was signed.
About the sire
Our filly’s sire, Souper Speedy, is a stakes winning son of Indian Charlie who was an important sire of Champions, a G1 Santa Anita Derby winner, and third place finisher in the Kentucky Derby. Half brother to G1 winning millionaire Brilliant Speed and hailing from one of the richest, deepest families in the stud book, Souper Speedy is a Top 10 cumulative fourth crop sire in North America and was the #1 sire in Canada in 2021, #2 in 2022, and #3 in 2023 by average earnings per starter. He has sired 6 crops of racing age, 255 foals (including Canuck Racing Club’ Sinclairity and Skylight Caper, 129 starters (including Canuck Racing Club’s Hanlan), 9 black-type winners, and 81 winners of 229 races (including Vandoo) with progeny earnings $8,724,039.
