Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Shadeed was a big, rangy bay horse with a small white star bred in Kentucky by Cherry Tree Farm. He was sired by the Triple Crown winner Nijinsky out of the American-bred mare Continual, making him a close relative of the Kentucky Derby winner Swale. As a yearling he was consigned to the Keeneland Select sale in July 1983 where he was bought for $800,000 by a representative of Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He was sent into training with Michael Stoute at Newmarket, Suffolk. "Shadeed" (شديد) is an Arabic word meaning "strong".