the unicorn is rising

INNOCENT PASSION AND KRYSTAL YHATE - UNICORN HORN JUVENILE TURF SPRINT
SUGAR JAYDE AND HENNA TURATH - UNICORN HORN SPRINT
AXIS MUNDAE AND AMBER BLACK - UNICORN HORN TURF MILE

Three generations of turf sprinters met on the track today to work for their respective races. There was the two year old fresh off of her maiden win, the three year old top turf sprinter and the experienced four year old mare who was not yet in the spotlight but would soon get there. Together they would race and triumph and all of their riders were looking forward to the results. It was very rare that there was a three horse SOPS workout. The SOPS horses generally only worked solo or in duos, unless it was a workout with random people on the track. Together, in a race of three, was almost suicidal in the aura of competitiveness that would pervade the track. The three riders were each very competitive and their horses more so. The outcome of this race would be hard fought. One thing was for sure - it would be a deathmatch between the top female turf sprinters SOPS had to offer.

Many things started with the youth. Innocent Passion was today's youth. The bay daughter of Passionate Class and the Hall Of Fame inductee Little Miss Innocent had proudly broken her maiden in the Shortstride Maiden Turf after placing third in her first start just prior. She was fresh and full of it today, spunky after her win and looking forward to another trip to the winners' circle. Anna was very competitively motivated. She loved to compete and lived by her need to do so. Anna also never gave up in her quest to be a winner. She always worked hard and was a perfectionist when it came to racing. To be ridden badly or have a race go terribly impacted Anna's morale a lot more than the typical thoroughbred. Things had to go well for the filly to come through the race shining. A touch of cunning completed the creature that was Anna. She was a preceder and played it just fast enough to pressure the leaders while still biding her time. For the third start of her career, she was entered in the Unicorn Horn Juvenile Turf Sprint. She had broken her maiden at the distance of this race and would face two competitors. Tears Of An Angel had a record that mimicked Anna's and a racing style similar to hers too. Flyin Out Loud, the other entrant, would be the speed of the race, and this would be the filly's ambitious first start. Overall, the competition was small, and Krystal was hoping to take the win as a brilliant way to jumpstart her filly's career.

Sugar Jayde was Henna's mount in the Unicorn Horn Sprint. The filly was sweet as sugar and fast as lightning. She had stolen all of the juvenile turf sprint races possible last year, including the Breeders Cup race and the Azalea Cup Fillies. She was one win from grade three and had raced once this season to finish second in a race on The Wire. She was talented and she knew it. The Sprint field would be challenging, though. The front runner/preceder would be facing five others in a race to the finish. Chicago Blues was the five year old front runner from Close Racing. Popcorn Blitz was the four year old front runner from Akita Rose Stables who had started off this season with a win and was looking bright. Ford Model T was another four year old front runner who had started off the season with a win and was coming in very well rested. And lastly was Beltane, another front runner who was probably the most talented of the bunch judging by records but who hadn't started this season yet. Overall, the field would test Jayde's talents. None of the runners were preceders, so Henna already knew what strategy they would be adapting. They usually went mid pack in blazing fast fields like this. Jayde was usually the only one left with energy in the field when she ran like this. If they ran the race right and got a good position, the race could very well be theirs.

Axis Mundae was the four year old turf sprinter jockeyed by Amber Black. She was entered in the Turf Mile, her favorite distance. The closer had started off the season with a win and was looking bright and rested. Amber was hoping that this would be the season the filly shone in. She was talented, bold, brave and willing enough to make it big. With one win to grade two, a win here would make Amber's day. It was too bad that they were facing the ever talented preceder Executioner's Apprentice. In addition to that, the versatile front runner/closer Firebird was coming in hot off a win for his first start. Axia would have her odds cut out for her. Amber was praying that Axia's talent had fully manifested for this race. She was definitely lightning fast and the mile was her favorite distance. This threw the odds in her favor a bit. For the race, Amber was unsure of what would happen. If Firebird took the lead, App would go second and they'd trail behind. But if Firebird was keen to stay with them, App would be forced into the lead. The Prison Hill crew were smart, though. They would let App set a leisurely pace and then run away with the race. He would need to be pressured a little bit somehow, if that was possible. Amber was wondering just how they were going to pull that off. They were in good form but would it be enough?

The first to arrive at the track was Amber and Axia. The black filly was well groomed and she looked gorgeous. She finally stood at her full height of sixteen and a half hands and bragged some wonderful muscles. As the filly strode onto the track, she took on more of a coltish look. There was confidence in her stride and power in her eyes, which saw and measured up everything around her. She looked more like she was flaunting herself as she was ridden onto the turf, and Amber knew that the filly definitely did catch some eyes due to her attitude. There were, of course, many attention getter horses on the track, but Amber was still proud to call Axia one of them. Next to arrive was Krystal and two year old Anna. Anna seemed calm as she stepped onto the turf track. There was a business-like air about her as she accelerated to a trot and began to warm up. Then she caught eye of Axia and her nostrils flared. She pulled sharply against the reins, attempting to bolt to catch up to and demolish Axia, her competition, as soon as she could. Krystal restrained the filly and couldn't help grinning. With Anna this worked up already, and competitive juices flowing, and her muscles already feeling ready to go, she was feeling confident of putting in a good prep. Finally, Jayde arrived on the track with Henna on board. The bay had really grown into her muscles since turning three and was looking great. Her head had grown a bit larger and her chest had deepened. Despite her impressive musculature, she still had a feminine look about her. Her white diamond marking on her forehead shone like a star as she, too, was trotted over. The trio began to warm up together, and sparks were firing.

For Anna, it was like she wanted to rip the other two fillies apart. Axia was not backing down from the two year old's challenge. She seemed to glare right back at the bay imperiously as they warmed up, striding along as though she had already won. As for Jayde, the bay filly was ignoring her competitors' antics and instead just quietly enjoying herself gliding along the turf track. The filly loved to sprint and it showed whenever she was on the track, even when doing a slow warm up. When the race got going you really saw what the filly was made of - fast stuff and unerring determination. Axia shared this determination, and so did Anna. That was why a workout with the three would be so beneficial. With these similar fillies working, with similar preferences, it was hoped that all would learn and improve from this workout and that their riders would fine tune the horses' individual racing styles. That was the idea, anyway. And SOPS was known for making these ideas work, in Amber's opinion. Their horses usually improved after such hard core workouts.

The plan was to race the horses for seven furlongs, a carefully neutral distance. Jayde would take the lead, with Anna just following and Axia bringing up the rear. Henna planned for Jayde to run just fast enough to maintain the lead. If Anna came up to challenge, the plan was for Jayde to fall back to avoid a speed duel. After all, her race was full of speed that she wanted to avoid because it would tire her filly out. As for Anna, Krystal just intended to let the filly run and improve on what she could as they went along. She personally wanted Anna to break faster and take position sooner. If they could get a good ride and not go rank like other two year olds would as well as deal with rankness with a calm attitude when it came up, they would have a huge advantage in the races. For Amber, Axia's workout would involve seeing how fast the mare was this year and seeing how quickly she could pick up her pace. Sudden acceleration would be necessary for a desirable placing in her race. Without it, they would most likely fail. Axia needed all the advantage she could get.

The break would be from a standing start. As the trotting and cantering warm up ended, the three fillies were eased in the seven furlong race chute and lined up. Anna was chomping on the bit to go and a bit rank, but Axia and Jayde did not react to the juvenile's actions. When Anna was finally settled down, Amber counted down and the race was on! As expected, Jayde broke the fastest and swiftly took the lead. The filly's eyes shone with excitement as she was met with open turf in front of her hooves. None were challenging her yet, and she had an uncontested lead. Her love of sprinting was really showing as her legs quickly moved, her fast strides eating up ground in a seemingly effortless fashion. Krystal had been paying close attention to Anna at the break. She urged the filly very quickly forward, and Anna's break had been faster as a result. She was pleased so far, and positioned Anna just off of Jayde. Jayde had a conservative lead right now, as it was unchallenged, so Krystal gave the filly a one length birth. As for Amber and Axia, they had broken quickly but had dropped back to take last. They were four lengths off of Anna and taking their time with the run. Axia's eyes were glued onto Anna's backside. She had named the juvenile her rival, ignoring Jayde due to the fact that the filly just didn't respond to her competitive cries.

They ran the quarter in a quick twenty three flat, a bit slow for a sprint race but expected when the lead was so uncontested. With her short strides Jayde was gliding along and full of gas. Anna was beginning to accelerate a little bit as her competitive spirit reared its head again. She narrowed the gap, obviously not liking the amount of space, and Krystal made no movement to hold her back. She knew the limits of the filly and understood that she could handle a faster pace, especially after the first quarter. Meanwhile, Axia had accelerated a little bit to keep up with those in front. When four furlongs had passed, she was only three lengths off and building for her final kick. Anna had come up alongside Jayde now and had taken the lead without a fight from Jayde. The top three year old turf sprinter was content to wait a little bit and avoid fighting under her jockey's instructions so that she had juice left at the end. Anna still wasn't straining with the pace. Her conditioning was showing and Krystal was proud of it.

When the trio finally entered the last quarter mile, all hell broke loose. Axia had a sudden sprint kick that brought her surging up to challenge the other two fillies. Anna fought back fiercely as Jayde came surging up with Axia right alongside. Anna's timely reaction to the approach of the two older fillies was good enough to keep her in stride with them as they galloped towards the wire. With a clever ride, Amber rode Axia just enough to box Jayde in on the inside. Axia was running alongside Anna and the two fillies were finally duking out what they had started earlier. Their glares singed each other's eyes and their determination was on full display. Henna, in the meantime, was cursing Amber for her clever ride. She was forced to pull up Jayde and go around the outside. By the time she had Jayde positioned correctly, the other two fillies were two lengths ahead and drawing away with a furlong left to go. Henna did not let this stop her. She dropped her hands more and urged Jayde to give it her all. The filly responded and dug in, flashing speed as she accelerated more and made a bid to catch the other two fillies. She finished a half length behind them and gaining.

As for Axia and Anna, a battle of the ages was being waged. Axia had speed and maturity on her side, but Anna's determination kept her stride for stride with the mare. However, Anna was definitely getting a bit fatigued. Axia's closer style had left her with more energy. Thus, despite Anna's fight to win, Axia managed to cross the wire a neck ahead. As the three riders eased their lathered mounts up, all realized that they, too, were sweaty and a bit out of breath. Steam rose from their horses. All had worked hard today in a battle of the turf sprinters. The results were solid, but all wanted to contest them with yet another match up. It would come some day soon. For now, they had to wait for the Unicorn Horn to end first!