context1: After the 2008 Olympics, where the <strong>mare</strong> had an uncharacteristically poor performance, she was retired to the Thomas' farm. While McDonald went on to compete with other <strong>horses</strong>, Brentina developed an impaction in early 2009 and underwent colic surgery to remove a fecalith from her small colon. She has since recovered and attended a retirement ceremony at the 2009 FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in Las Vegas.
context2: Run during the latter part of May during Preakness week. The race was named in honor of Shine Again, a fourth generation homebred in Allaire duPont's stable. She was brilliant over three seasons of competition in which she was named Maryland-bred <strong>horse</strong> of the Year in 2003, Maryland-bred champion older <strong>mare</strong> in three consecutive years while earning state-bred champion sprinter title in two of those years.