Game Changers: Siddall

MILTON, May 13, 2025 – Once a week, throughout the Mohawk racing season, Woodbine will profile a horse who has had a life-changing impact on one of their closest connections.

This week, trainer Amanda Riley, who finds herself in the middle of a career year across the board, and Siddall.

Riley originally claimed the brown pacer in the spring of 2011 before losing him briefly to another claim one year later.

The Roseneath, ON-based conditioner bought him back for good less than a month after, making the sixth and final claim on Siddall in May of 2012.

Siddall Bio

Foaled: April 29, 2003

Sire: Real Artist

Dam: Law Road

Wins-Seconds-Thirds: 40-21-16

Earnings: $268,191

Trainer: Thomas Riley

Owner: Amanda Riley

Breeder: Jack T Campbell

This horse was obviously very special to you. What was it in particular that made him special on and off the track for you?

“The circumstances around it all were really extraordinary. I paid $1,000 for him, and he was lame, and I didn’t think I was ever going to get to race him. One simple injection from the vet turned him right around. He won nine races in a row for me.

“I was actually pregnant with my first son when I bought him. It was the scariness of becoming first time parents, and the expenses of it all. Then we got this horse – I just wanted a horse to race – and he was a cheap claimer, but the thrill of racing him and knowing that he was going to try his guts out every time we took him to the track was well worth it. And nine times out of 10 he would win.

“I only raced him every other week. I only raced him in back-to-back weeks maybe once or twice. I raced him one on, and then I would give him a week off because I wanted to take care of him. He was all heart, so I took care of him, and he clearly took care of me.”

Is there a race that stands out as most memorable for you and why?

“I remember he won on Harness the Hope night. That was cool because there was a big crowd, we got to raise money for a great cause, and I won a cooler. But there were so many outstanding moments.

“My first start with him, Aaron Byron drove him and going down the backside at Kawartha, he was buried at the back. He was locked in on the rail going down the backside on a 5/8-mile track, and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my god, I’m not going to get a check.’ Then he weaved through traffic and opened up on them, and I thought, ‘Okay, this horse is something.’

“He ended up winning by three-and-a-half, and Aaron told me that if I didn’t move him up, he was going to claim him off me.

“That’s why I think he’s so special. There were so many standout moments. Actually, James MacDonald drove him quite a bit for me and that’s when James was getting his start at Kawartha. I believe James was driving our whole stable at the time. That makes it cool now because James is, well, James, and he was part of the story.”

Talk about his character and personality away from racing?

“He was a piece of work. His stifles were the issue, so I had to stay at his front end, and he would bite you. It’s actually kind of a funny story because he would stick his tongue out for you, and you could play with it and hang on to it. So, whenever the kids wanted to have their picture taken with him, I’d get him to stick his tongue out, and I could hang on to it, because I knew if he’s going to bite me, it’s not going to be worth it for him.”

Three words to describe him?

“Heart. Gritty. Handsome.”

How has he changed your life?

“The last time I raced him, I had just spent a whole bunch of money on vet work the week before, and he raced poorly. The judges even called me up to ask what was up because he was three, four and five wide the whole mile. I thought that was his way of trying to tell me that he’s done. So, I found him a home.

“He turned into this beautiful riding horse, but the woman I gave him to didn’t have the time for him anymore, so I took him back. This was three years ago. I kept him, and I couldn’t have him outside at our place because he was a stud for so many years.

“I ended up putting him into the adoption society, and they found him a home, and the woman [Kristyna Rae] that took him, loved him. She took phenomenal care of him. I kept in touch with her throughout the years. Unfortunately, she had to put him down last fall.

“When I got him, I never lost touch with him. I have every single win picture of him. I have memorabilia. I have his brow band. He was just one of those horses that you’ll never forget.

“He wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, because he was hard to deal with, and I dealt with him when I was pregnant, but he was good to me. I was the only one that ever raced him because he was my pet.

“But when I went into labour and had my son, I had to stay home. I remember I was watching him on our laptop, and he goes out wins. My entire family was in the winner’s circle, Tommy’s [Thomas Riley] entire family was in the winner’s circle, and here I am sitting at home with this newborn baby bawling my eyes out because my pregnancy emotions were going nuts, and also because he won, and I was sad that I wasn’t there.

“I have a terrible memory, but I can tell you more about that horse and everything that we went through than any other horse or event in my actual life. We’ve had a lot of nice horses and made some money with a lot of them. All of them have cool stories, too, but he’s the standout.”

Matthew Lomon, for Woodbine