For the fourteenth year MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® of Cape Cod and Old Friends in Kentucky and New York are teaming up again for “Hats Off to the Horses: The Road to the Derby”!
“Hats Off” is an unparalleled Derby hat fundraising experience sponsored by MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS® Custom Millinery. This auction series features four one-of-a-kind Derby hats created to benefit the retired racehorses of Old Friends. All proceeds from the sale of the hats go to Old Friends. To learn more about this exciting online fundraiser, please click on “About Hats Off to the Horses”.
Our February hat up for bid for the 2026 “Hats Off” fundraiser honors group 1 winner and New York-bred multimillionaire, A Shin Forward.
The Story of A Shin Forward
Bred by Vivien Malloy of Edition Farm, the Forest Wildcat colt was out of Wake Up Kiss by Cure the Blues. Japanese agent Hirotsugu Hirai purchased A Shin Forward a 2-year-old at the 2005 Fasig Tipton sale in Florida.
Shipped to Japan, Eishindo Co. Ltd. raced the colt in Japan under trainer Masato Nishizono. Shin retired from racing with earnings totaling $3,416,216, making him the second all-time earning New York-bred. Following his racing career, Shin had a stud career that spanned 10 years in Japan.
After returning to the US he also stood at Rockridge Stud in Hudson, N.Y. in 2023 when he was pensioned.
A Shin Forward Retires to Old Friends at Cabin Creek
In 2023 the dark bay retired to Old Friends at the age of 18, courtesy of Vivien Malloy. This made A Shin Forward the fourth horse retired to Old Friends who had won the Derby and the Preakness. Quite the honor indeed!
In a New York Thoroughbred Breeders press release by Tom Law on July 3, 2023 Vivien Malloy stated the following. “I couldn’t be more excited for him to go to Old Friends at Cabin Creek. I love that place. The people are great, JoAnn and Mark (Pepper). I always thought if I brought him back I’d like him there and not in Kentucky, where I wouldn’t see him very much. It’s great that they have tours during Saratoga and hopefully he’ll be there by that time.”
When director of Old Friends at Cabin Creek, JoAnn Pepper stated, “Shin is so beautiful and thoughtful. His career is outstanding. He gets a bit nervous at times but is very trusting. His favorite things are alfalfa and Himalayan salt licks. I love having him here and I think he likes it too. Shin has a neighbor that he cares about, his name is Valiant Crusader (“Cru”), a stallion. They do communicate and seem to be good friends.”
From the Milliner’s Studio – The Making of the “A Shin Forward” Hat
Cape Cod milliner, Sally Faith Steinman knew that an exceptional chapeau was needed. She wanted to honor a world-traveling Thoroughbred athlete and celebrate his arrival at Old Friends at Cabin Creek.
Gathering data from horse racing sites, Sally was inspired by Shin’s extensive career that spanned the US and Japan.
A quick sketch of the hat for colors and design came next. The crucial roadmap for creating a one-of-a-kind hat, honoring a one-of-a-kind horse.
Sally gathered fabrics in a blend of tones and textures for the hat foundation, the lining and the trims. She was ready for the creative process to begin!
Sally chose an extra wide-brimmed Derby hat design to showcase A Shin Forward’s dark bay coat. Special attention was also paid to his racing silk colors of red and black.
Next, Sally created an innovative floral trim design to highlight Vivien Malloy’s racing colors and Shin’s coloring. She created a multi-layered giant peony out of many layers of curling red silk organza petals for the trim centerpiece.
For a splash of beaded elegance, Steinmann strung red and yellow seed beads and shaped them into loops to form the center of the peony.
Next, Sally fashioned a medley of black silk organza leaves that she topstitched with dark brown and black thread…
…and stitched large “bow loops” out of black silk organza to frame the flower with sheer elegance.
To create a “nest” for the large peony trim, Sally took yards of sumptuous red tulle; gathering them for balance and elegance to encircle the entire crown of the hat.
Next, Sally created a topstitched, pleated sash in chocolate brown dupioni silk. She then lined it with black dupioni silk and handstitched it to the crown.
As a finishing touch, Sally took a black pebble button and added loops of chocolate seed beads and larger beads. Overall, the design looks like “butterfly wings”, apropos for a Thoroughbred athlete who had flown ’round the world!
Lastly, Sally stitched in a red dupioni silk lining for the “Shin” hat to blend with the entire design.
A Braided Horsehair Heart for A Shin Forward
As a physical remembrance of A Shin Forward, Sally asked Cabin Creek for a few strands of his tail hair. She then braided and shaped the hair into a heart and added them to the trim layers. This unique, one-of-a-kind Derby chapeau now honors A Shin Forward not only in spirit but in substance as well.
The A Shin Forward hat was stunning from every angle, measuring approximately 23 inches end to end!
The A Shin Forward Photo Shoot at Old Friends
The finished hat shipped to Old Friends in NY for a photo shoot with Acacia Clement. Acacia is a TV host/analyst/reporter for the New York Racing Association and President of Racing for Home, Inc. “Hats Off to the Horses” is honored to have someone so dedicated to the welfare of our retired Thoroughbred athletes.
Old Friends and MAGGIE MAE DESIGNS also want to thank Old Friends volunteer and photographer/videographer, Samantha Decker…
…and photographer, Connie Bush for their beautiful images of Shin and Acacia.
And thank you to all the Old Friends volunteers who made the photo shoot at Cabin Creek possible!
To learn more about A Shin Forward, please visit A Shin Forward’s life story courtesy of Old Friends.
Auction Details
The “A Shin Forward” auction hat is now up for bid HERE. Please bid on as many hats as you like. All of the proceeds go to the retired racehorses of Old Friends.
For more information about the eBay bidding, contact Old Friends at 502-863-1775.
Freight charges (including insurance) will be at the expense of the winning bidder. Winning bidders, please allow two to three weeks for delivery of your hat to allow time for proper sizing.
To view the couture Derby hats from previous auctions, please click on “Hats Off – A Retrospective”.
Thank you for supporting Old Friends!