January Stable Interview: Stride of Perfection Stables
Jan 3, 2016 0:43:03 GMT -5
S u N f r O s t ~ likes this
Post by Isabelle on Jan 3, 2016 0:43:03 GMT -5
JANUARY 2015 STABLE INTERVIEW WITH STRIDE OF PERFECTION STABLES (SUNFROST)
Possibly the most influential stable at GHF/TW is Stride of Perfection Stables (SOPS). I had the luck to race their entire string for about half of last season, and I have to say their Thoroughbreds are a force to be reckoned with. There isn't a stable around that can't claim Amber Black was there with a hug and a trailer following her on her first visit. It is extremely well known that if anyone is having any troubles finding horses, all they need to do is reach for their phone, as Amber Black programmed herself into everyone's speed dial on the first day of meeting.
Isabelle: Amber, lovely to see you again! Thank you for accepting an interview with me. In the wake of the recent news that you won't be a jockey much longer, there is a lot of buzz surrounding SOPS, and this interview wasn't timed better. Before we get into you personally, can you get the story straight on how SOPS was originally created?
AB: It's really nice to see you again too! I'd be happy to tell you a bit more about SOPS. We were originally founded a long time ago as a riding school known as Indigo Morning Stable. Back then, we had horses all over the place - racing, showing both English and Western, you name it and we did it. Eventually, myself and Star Thoroughbreds (who was Green Horse Stables at the time) grew out of the showing world and turned our attention to racing only. We changed our name to Stride Of Perfection Stables. Recently, we opened an exclusive breeding division under the name of our old riding school - that's where its name comes from!
Isabelle: Could you go into a few details for me about the stable? How many horses do you have in your racing roster for season 16, how much bloodstock is in your breeding barns? Stables seem to be bloating up their youngstock after the recent changes made to racing guidelines, are you doing the same?
AB: We have a total of 27 horses on the racing roster at the moment. Bloodstock...I haven't counted that number for a while. Give me a second. *rustles through papers for a couple of minutes* It appears we have 49 bloodstock right now. And as for youngstock, well, we kind of decided to go and increase our numbers because there were so many horses we wanted to breed! We have ten yearlings and ten weanlings at this time. Would you like to meet them sometime? Maybe take some youngstock home with you....I know you don't have enough horses in that barn of yours...*eyes Isa*
Isabelle: -eyes bug out- -should have brought special fuzzy foal repellent with her, rapidly checks pockets searching and comes up with nothing- -clears throat and composes self cooly- I don't know what you mean. -clears throat again- What does SOPS focus on, any particular surface, furlong lengths, or bloodlines? Besides winning of course, what sort of objectives and goals do you have?
AB: We don't focus on any particular distance or surface or even bloodlines. We've had horses across all distances and surfaces go on to become champions. We used to be known more for our turf horses, but our dirt horses caught up and arguably we've had sprinters on both surfaces reach the same level of acclaim as well. As for bloodlines, we like to collect bloodlines and promote our own as well as any new and underrepresented bloodlines that we find in the breeding pool. Take, for example, TDI Live This Lie. He's the only horse with connections to TDI Secrets Of Excalibur and Definite Glory. That's a bloodline we're going to try and promote more.
Goal and objective wise, we hope to continue growing as a barn. I would like each and every SOPS homebred to prove themselves over the track in some significant fashion and then contribute to some blue-blooded SOPS foals. My goal right now is more breeding oriented. I want to cut outside lines out of my foals and focus more on promoting third-generational SOPS lines in my horses. Horses like Pandora and Prometheus are great examples of this. They line back to foundation SOPS horses as grandparents or even great-grandparents.
Isabelle: Please explain the basic roster you hold, do you like to campaign racers for a few years or hold them on longer? Do you prefer racing or breeding more, and what are your future plans for bloodline stock?
AB: Basically, we like to have horses across all distances and surfaces. We hate missing out on the action over any distance or surface, so sometimes we might even coax some horses into filling gaps. I'll give you an example of this, hmm, perhaps obsession with getting a horse in every major race possible. Back in Year Thirteen we didn't quite have a horse for the Triple Crown...so I decided to prep two of my fillies for the races. Sizzling Dawn hit the Preakness and Sweet Inferno hit the Belmont. Some might have argued they weren't ready for those races...well, my fillies proved them wrong and won their races as perhaps the longest shots on the board. To say I was proud was an understatement. Sometimes entering horses in races that seem over their heads works out really well! But I digress.
Isabelle: -noticed that happened and only twitches nose slightly in response-
AB: I used to like racing my horses through their five year old seasons. Radiance's retirement after his four year old season was the only exception to this rule, and it was prompted by Kirsten Jade of Akita Rose Stables' pointed remark that he had nothing left to prove after winning the Breeders Cup Classic. I've adapted my strategy now to retire horses generally after their four year old seasons, mainly if I've raced them for all of their seasons on the track. I let horses stay on through five year old seasons if they've been overshadowed or never quite got their chance though. I have never raced a horse through a six year old season.
I love both racing and breeding and can't pick which one I prefer more. I use racing as a way to prep my horses for the breeding shed as well as prove horses currently there. My current plans for bloodlines, as mentioned above, are to promote multi-generational SOPS pedigrees in my foals. This is succeeding, as many of the weanlings this season have SOPS foundation horses for grandparents. I love seeing that in a horse! Even though it reminds me of just how long I've been in this business. *laughs*
Isabelle: In what areas does your staff shine, are they any you would like recognize? How long have you worked with them, and are you looking to expand your staff? Could you give us some insight on being a businesswoman? This might be a great time to learn about the staff changes going on, and what your new roles will be.
AB: I absolutely love my staff. My right-hand is Krystal Yhate. She's been with me the longest and is the only one of my big three staff to never break down. I mean, I've had my rough seasons and so has Henna Turath - the media will no doubt remind you of those times, when I felt I failed Infinite Warcry in his three year old season and Henna fell into depression sometime during the career of Flashy Wings - but Krystal has always stayed with us. Henna I would like to recognize for her amazing personality and support. When new rider Kylie Silverstar joined the team, I can't say I was the nicest to her, yet Henna gave her all the pointers she needed. I've worked with Krystal and Henna for a very long time now. Valencia is the one I've worked the second longest with...then we have Kylie Silverstar and my younger cousin Christopher Black. This season I expanded my active jockeys to include Wanda Brown and Timothy Andrews. They've both worked at SOPS for a while actually, just in different roles. Meredith Mahon joined us last season and has been doing well aboard Fleet Street...
The greatest piece of advice I can give about being a businesswoman is to treat your staff right and think through your decisions. You want your staff to respect you, and if you don't think through your decisions than nobody will respect you. That's an important thing to remember.
I'd also like to take this moment to settle some rumors about my staff. Krystal Yhate is indeed stepping up to train more horses. This is just so she can gain more experience doing so. She's ready for it. Henna Turath is leaving the jockeying game for personal reasons. I won't tell you what they are - that's her choice. She does have plans to potentially stay on as a trainer for sprinters though. As for me leaving the jockeying game, I will not prove or disprove that rumor. Know only that I'm not sacrificing my career for Nick Landing regardless of what the media thinks. *pouts*
Isabelle: -will be meeting with Nick Landing next month- -wiggles- What would you consider the greatest assets of SOPS in terms of staff, training, facilities and general operations, not including the horses? Are there any areas you want to improve upon or things you feel uniquely give you an edge over other stables in the area?
AB: I've had staff with me for a long time and our facilities have consistently been top notch. I would say that our greatest edge is not only our passion for racing and the work that we do, but how long we have been in the game. We just know what we're doing because we've been here for a while. We have a great foundation and we just keep building and expanding off of it. The biggest contribution to our general operations is personal touch. My staff have a lot of independence in that they know what they're supposed to do and I don't micromanage them, but at the same time I check up on them and make them feel valued. Our close bonds and strong foundation give us an edge. I would like to improve more on letting other people do more, though. Being head trainer, director of the stable, sole owner, head breeding manager and a jockey at the same time are difficult. *pauses* Perhaps the media should think about that before jumping to conclusions about why my staff are taking on more responsibilities.
Isabelle: Amber, what makes you passionate about SOPS? What drives you in your career and how does SOPS support that, and in the face of changing careers? How do you give back to Stride what you feel you receive from it?
AB: I have always loved horses (particularly ones with pink noses). That drives me more than anything else to do what I do. I've always been driven to strive higher and achieve as much as possible...I'm a bit ambitious, you could say. *laughs* SOPS supports me in this dream by allowing me to achieve it. At SOPS I can achieve great things. I wouldn't change careers for anything. I give back to SOPS by making its management my career. All things I do, I do for SOPS. One could argue I have no life outside my horses...perhaps it's because my horses give life to me.
Isabelle: -has been known to coo at pink noses herself but will never admit to it- Has SOPS won any stable awards? Do you have any HOF or BHOF horses residing with you? If so, where they ones you campaigned or did you acquire them once their status was already established?
AB: It makes me feel self-conscious to list our achievements here. I'm not one for bragging, believe me, but if you insist on me indulging in some self-conscious pride for a moment...SOPS has won quite our share of awards and we have a large number of HoF and BHoF horses among us. We have won Horse Of The Year five times with four different horses - Merry Bay King, twice with Impressario, Wildly Natural and Eternal Phantom. The only awards we have not won - and believe me when I say we are gunning for them - are Turf Horse Of The Year, Dirt Horse Of The Year and Sprinter Of The Year.
As for Hall Of Fame inductees, we are home to thirteen with quite a couple waiting to be nominated. All of them were campaigned by SOPS and nine of them are homebreds. We have an even mix of horses across all distances and surfaces and there is something special about each and every one of these horses. I am most especially proud of Sillenia for claiming the title of Hall Of Fame - it was hard fought. Our "best" horse is perhaps Impressario. He won four different Breeders Cup races as well as the Triple Crown. But he's far from the only good horse around.
Hmmm...we are also home to one Wire Champion in the form of Italian Ice. We are also home to eight Breeding Hall Of Famers. They are all foundation horses and well known. Merry Bay King and Wild Flower are the only two inducted in both halls of fame, but there's also such producers as Forbidden Wings, Sweet Sugar Cane, Foolish Entity...speaking of breeding, there are also two SOPS-bred horses in the Hall Of Fame. They are the highly respected turf mare Simply A Flyer, by Merry Bay King, and the raging fast turf sprinter-miler Paranormal Hunter, out of Foolish Entity. It was a joy to watch them race, even if it was to the detriment of my own horses. *laughs*
Isabelle: Since your horses effectively all transferred to NDM while you were away, I didn't fully get to explore your stable grounds. However now that they are back with you, I'd love to see them here, and how you've organized your stall assignments. I normally like to go with the older horses first, I can't wait to see how Fleet Street is coming along. I believe this is his last season? You'll have to let me know how Moonlight is getting along with Pandora -laughs- based on how they behaved at NDM I'm sure you're coping with a lot right now.
AB: You are welcome to visit them anytime Isakins! No stealing though, or I'll slip extra horses for you onto your property. *waggles finger*
Isabelle: -brightens at free ponies being snuck in . . . recalls large amount of foals bred this season . . . blinks and decides against stealing even for a very brief vacation visit of say five or six years for certain ponies at SOPS . . .- -is momentarily crestfallen at lost stealing opportunities but perks up again once noses come into view-
AB: I have a pretty general arrangement here - a racing barn and youngstock barn making up one corner of the property, training tracks on another corner, the stud barn and broodmare barn making up another corner of the property and general facilities in the other corner. It's a bit of a large place to get around, though. Horses are organized by age in the racing barn, barring any disagreements between horses. It's generally peaceful. But seeing as you mentioned Pandora and Moonlight...well, let's just say they're an interesting pair. They race each other in the paddocks, snort and whinny at each other all day long...we'd be going crazy if not for the fact that Forbidden To Fly was louder than both of them put together!
Isabelle: -recalls large loss of toy life when the pair were at NDM-
AB: Fleet Street is such an awesome horse. He's really high maintenance but man has he blossomed this season. He put in a real showing last time out and it sitting on a record breaking season if you ask me. This is his tentative final season, but who knows...I might change my mind if it appears he has more coming to him down the line. Perhaps if I do keep him on for a five year old season but there's too many conflicts, I'll lease him out. Interested? *will not stop trying to give Isa ponies*
Isabelle: -bounces around- YES YES YES. -waves arms- ME ME OH PICK ME!!! -big fat cheesey grin as she showers Fleet with a bucket of molasses carrots and many kisses- -will never stop loving pony foisting despite what she says at times- Do you have any special three year olds you plan to send to the triple crowns in season 16? I know it's a touch early, but seeing you have ten outstanding choices to select from, your classic roster is bursting with talent.
AB: Ohhh Isa you have no idea how excited I am for these guys! Or, well, maybe you do. Let's start with Adrasteia. She's been bred to do amazing things and I have big plans for her. She's going to run in the Triple Tiara, especially after that amazing account she gave of herself in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. I feel as though she's slightly underrated. Following the Triple Tiara, she might dabble in the Red Mile series, but I know I have plans for her to conclude the season in the Breeders Cup Distaff. Altercation is our Turf Triple Crown contender provided he continues picking it up - that win in the Phoenix Stakes made us more confident. He's slated for the Turf Marathon if he does what I'm expecting him to do. Animatia is our interesting horse. As you know, we kept her essentially off the track until November of last year. Regardless, I've always called her our most talented horse of the roster. She's scarily tactical and improves with every race. Call us ambitious, but she's also gunning for the Triple Tiara. We'll see if she gets there.
Ares did not hit the Breeders Cup but is an incredibly talented horse. We're trying to stretch his speed out a bit this season. He is slated to appear in sprinter races alongside Triple Crown preps and may find himself in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. He's definitely hitting the Red Mile series. Our other three year old Coincidence has the Triple Sprinter Crown as well as some Red Mile races to hit, but we're trying to keep him and Ares separated. Those two really know how to rile each other up. And when you toss Incognito, Juvenile of the Year and Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, into the mix, you get trouble.
Isabelle: -big shiny eyes at Incognito- -squeezes him tightly and coos sweet nothings to him- -has to be physically removed and dragged away from his stall with whimpering protest-
AB: Nero is the strongest Triple Crown contender I've had in recent times. He and Kylie make an amazing team. The colt's never stepped out of Horse Of The Year company and he deserves to be rated as highly as he is. He's only getting better.
Cyclonaria is perhaps our most outwardly tough horse on the roster. She's immensely talented and put in amazing performances last year. We're thinking of her as our first ever full Turf Triple Tiara contender and the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf is the end goal. She and Valencia make an amazing team...those two love battling it out. And let's not forget Melodious and Melusine. I feel as though Melodious is talented but slightly underrated. People are probably going to see her as an underdog after the Crystal Sprint...that was her first finish out of the top three, and I think that with a speed demon like Henna Turath in the irons she is anything but. She's going to show up in one of the turf sprinter crowns, but I'm not sure which so far. Expect to see her dabble in some Turf Triple Tiara preps leading into her main series. And as for Melusine...we are exploring her dirt side right now. Her dam Sillenia loved her turf and never really got to try out the dirt. Sina has inherited the liking for both and is putting in a good account of herself. If my current plans hold, you'll find her in the Kentucky Open as well as the Preakness Stakes en route to the Canadian Triple Crown. And if she wins one of those and disqualifies herself, well, that's not necessarily bad is it?
Tiger Heart has been settling well with us. I have big plans for your colt...plans I'll need to tell you off the record. *winks*
Isabelle: -hop hops at pretty baby Tiger who gets midnight bareback rides in secret and extra special delicious homemade cookies but will not admit to sneaking onto SOPS to gallop with free abandon- Oh now the juveniles! I can't wait to see how the yearlings from last season shaped up and trained in for their first season. How have their first races been going? Anyone break their maidens yet? Let us know which ones you think will be ones to watch. Any clues on Prometheus? You know my . . . *interest* in Flashy Wings, I believe.
AB: Everybody has been having some really great first races! Out of nine juveniles, only two have not broken their maidens as of yet, which is much better than what I was hoping for! Your girl Justa Little Cutie did not catch many eyes her first start perhaps, but knocked them out of the park the other week and broke her maiden in style! She came out of that one ready for more. I'm going to miss her come the end of the season. My cousin Christopher has been working with her and they make a good team. I'll have to come visit! And I'll bring my horse trailer of course.
Isabelle: I was so surprised at Cutie's victory, and so happy. She's such a sweetie I was afraid she'd get lost in the crowd . . . and do bring your trailer. -whispers- But don't tell my staff you heard that from me, they think I'm a lil' crazy with pony hoarding but that's just ridiculous. Can't ever have too many fuzzy ponies. -rolls eyes-
AB: Unfortunately, Chris's other mount Mr Wild has been having difficulties throwing it together. He's an absolute professional, I just think he needs racing to gain experience. He'll break his maiden eventually. Not every horse starts out prodigal, and I have faith in his lines and breeding. He's just about the most well loved horse in the barn, though. The barn cats especially love him. Wild Tide is our other non-maiden, but with Kylie in the irons I expect that to change shortly. She's one heck of an energetic, eager, tough horse and I am excited to see where I can an Impassioned Wind and Silver Tide foal.
As for Prometheus...he has got to be one of the most dangerous horses I've ever bred. He is ridiculously talented, works like a professional, races like a champion and very close to my heart. I did not ride either of his parents but Theus has got to be one of my favorites to ride. He clearly got some precociousness out of his sire, and I have such high hopes for him. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have high hopes for all of my horses...you're going to want to keep an eye on my sprinters, though. I've been having a lot of luck with sprinters ever since Lynara's Kingdom and I don't think the streak will end. Dauntless and Amaris both won the Unicorn Horn Juvenile Sprint races, to say nothing of the rest's performances. A lot of these juveniles trace back to SOPS foundation mares as grandparents, and that is such an achievement for me...I'm going to shut up about them before I say too much, but you will definitely be seeing a lot of these juveniles on the track!
Isabelle: I like hearing about the sprinters now, as I severely lack in that department. I've actually imported several yearling and weanlings to fill in my sprinter gaps. -realizes she's just stuck her foot in her mouth- Uhhhh but that doesn't mean your trailer heading for NDM needs to contain sprinters. Actually I have lots and lots of sprinters . . um . . yeah. -trembles with fear at giving Amber fresh ideas for pony foisting- Can you select a favorite yearling and weanling to bring into the spotlight-I know how hard that can be to choose! Especially for your stock . . . . *coughs* I mean I notice you seem to theme some of your years, any particular reason for that? Any sneak peeks into their future careers for us?
AB: A favorite yearling and weanling? *ponders* Well if you insist...on the yearling end, Walthari ranks up there. He is a beautiful bay colt by Pegasus Wings and out of Innocent Passion. He brings so many unique new sprinting lines to the forefront and I am beyond excited. This small colt not only has fantastic racehorses for parents, but his grandparents are beyond proven producers. He lines to two foundation SOPS mares in the form of Forbidden Wings (the best producer in the barn, at least on the mare side) and Little Miss Innocent. On the sire side, he lines to Royal Red Richard and Passionate Class, and these two sires are very underused as sprinting sires. Thar is a very strong horse despite being smaller in stature, and man is he quick. He'll be the second horse by Pegasus Wings and the first out of Innocent Passion to run for us.
As for weanlings...you're killing me here. The most exceedingly well-bred is Martialis - he dates back at least three generations. His sire Demonic Desires went on a rampage in the sprinting world, and the pedigree of said sire needs almost no introduction...combining Speed Demon's potent sprinting ability with Deadly Desires' ability to sprint and mile, as well as the lines of Sweet Sugar Cane and Requiem, gave us Demonic Desires. Add in the dam, In The Spotlight, who excelled at a mile as well as classic distances and won the Breeders Cup Turf, and you've got a horse destined to be flexible. On the damside we have On To The Spotlight, well known in the barn for being Impressario's turf rival, who in turn lines to Dancing In The Moonlight and On To Dancing...yes, that's right. That makes Martialis a fourth-generation SOPS foal, and I can't even express my pride at that properly. Gorgeous George adds unique turf to the package and, well, you get Martialis. Excited is an understatement.
As for the naming themes...I wanted cool names, so I looked some up. That is literally what happened. It only fits my foals' epicness! *evil cackle* And as for future careers...expect to find these guys everywhere. I also intend to make them very flexible runners, distance and surface wise, so expect surprises!
Isabelle: You have some premier breeding stock at Indigo Morning Stables. What would you consider to be your foundation SOPS lines that others might look to get in on before they retire? After recent retirements which lines are new for you that you are expanding with, and that stables that come to you should be mindful of? Are you particularly excited for any pairs in the future we have planned together? -winky wink-
AB: We have a ton of foundation lines here. I built my lines from the ground up with a dash of outside influence. I consider my foundation studs to be Dancing In The Moonlight, Grand Silence, Merry Bay King, Shiver Me Timbers and Sweet Sugar Cane. Perhaps my foundation mares are a bit more important though...I seem to value seeing them in my pedigrees more. Those mares are On To Dancing, Foolish Entity, Wild Flower and Forbidden Wings mainly. Forbidden Wings and Wild Flower show up the most. As for the lines people should look to get in on...I have three studs retiring in Year Twenty and they are Merry Bay King, Dancing In The Moonlight and Shiver Me Timbers. They're all fantastic studs. Sweet Sugar Cane retires the year after that...people should really jump on the Jessie James train. The horse has sired two Breeders Cup Turf Marathon winners in the form of Dazzling Dame and Infinite Warcry, yet it's only Star Thoroughbreds and Witch Creek Stable who have come his way. Bad decision, people. He's a premier turf sire and an excellent outcross.
Isabelle: -isn't going to mention she has jumped on that train and has Dazzling Dame's very first lovely awesomely amazing fuzzy foal-
AB: I'd also recommend people visit With A Snap before he's gone. He's produced the likes of Lynara's Kingdom and Restricted Access and provides a clean new source of sprinting lines that are not only fast but carry the distance for the classics as well. That's siring talent. Let's see...I'd also encourage getting in on TDI Live This Lie and Mercurial Magic. Untapped lines carry limitless potential, you know.
Isabelle: -big fat smile on her Magic and Dynasty foal for next season-
AB: I have a couple new lines that I am expanding into. With Limited Edition's retirement, I've brought Gold Edition and Trust Limits lines into the barn. Royal Cadenza, who's proven to be quite popular, brings Hail To Prince and Bluebell Sonnet into the mix. These are certainly lines you don't see everywhere...I could go on for days about the lines one should be aware of. There are a lot of untapped gems of uncommon lines among my breedingstock...take Flashy Wings, for example.
Isabelle: -adoring sigh at the name of Flashy Wings-
AB: A direct descendant of Forbidden Wings gives access to that dynasty, but how many sons or daughters of News Flash are floating around on the market? I'd make a similar case for Infinite Warcry - his sire Jessie James is underbred and nobody's ever getting foals out of Ebony Gold Lady again. And perhaps what many have never considered is the On To Dancing line. All but one of this Breeding Hall Of Famer's foals are owned by SOPS and Radiance is her only son. That's a rare damline that should not be discounted.
Overall, though, every horse presents something incredibly unique to add to your stable's bloodlines. I'm proud of every horse I own.
As for our future pairings...tsk tsk Isakins. Wouldn't want to spoil the fun would we? XD
Isabelle: -snickerfits- Nope, we certainly wouldn't. -not that she'll admit to having just spoiled one a few lines above- Amber, is there a certain special horse around here that perhaps hasn't won major races or bred exceptional foals necessarily, but holds a special place for you or SOPS?
AB: On To The Spotlight is an incredibly special horse to SOPS. She's the only horse on the grounds that held a candle to Impressario over the turf. Though she never won a Breeders Cup race and was overshadowed when Ario transitioned to the turf, her heart has passed on to all of her foals...to say nothing of her talent. She's gone on to be an amazing producer and every day when I think of her I think of the heart and confidence I try to breed in my horses. I think she's more special to Krystal than she is to me though...as for me, personally? Shiver Me Timbers was the first horse I ever owned. He will forever hold a place in my heart and is incredibly special to SOPS because he truly represents the beginning of everything. He's gone on to produce amazing horses, but he's kind of always been in the shadow of the second horse I ever owned, Merry Bay King. And within the shadows of these shadows is Jessie James. He's incredibly violent, but not so with me. I love these three. They're getting older now, but they will be with us for many years yet.
Isabelle: Please let us know which horse has made the greatest contribution to SOPS and why.
AB: This is an incredibly tough question because I value all of my horses equally. I guess I would have to say Merry Bay King and Forbidden Wings. Merry Bay King was my initial horse, my legend. His sterling reputation as a racehorse and sire brought SOPS it's initial fame. To say nothing of how his sons and daughters have contributed both in racing and breeding. His son Impressario practically outperforms him as a sire and a racehorse, but without Merry Bay King there would be no Impressario or countless others. Forbidden Wings was an excellent racehorse as well, though her reputation arose in the breeding shed. No more has contributed as much as Forbidden Wings to our operation. She is the coveted mare in many pedigrees and holds a special place as grand-dam to many of my upcoming youngstock. I think I can say that without these two, chunks of SOPS's history and contributions would be missing.
Isabelle: Which horse are you personally the most proud of, and why?
AB: There are two....the first is Sillenia. I do not know if I have a single horse that went through what Sillenia went through in order to attend her Hall Of Fame status. Beat the boys in the Juvenile Turf for her first Breeders Cup? Amazing achievement. Win the same Breeders Cup race three years in a row? Tough task. But mainly taking down two mares who improved to monstrous proportions in the final seasons of their careers - those mares being Terror Smile and Alluring Assault - and you have the reason why Sillenia landed in the Hall Of Fame. Such an incredibly tough mare. I don't know if I'll see her heart and determination again. Perhaps in one of her foals? *laughs*
I am also ridiculously proud of Fleet Majesty. This gray mare came to us after Ripley Marsh of Witch Creek suggested it. She settled in well but never quite rose to an epic level of greatness. Regardless, she was our turf distaffer, our engine that could. She retired just as she made grade one and though she never hit the big leagues, she did surprise and defeat the mares in the big leagues a couple of times. I just really liked this mare. I'm hoping her heart passes on to her foals.
Isabelle: How did you come out after Breeder's? Was it as you expected, or did you have disappointments? Did those results change any retirement or career decisions for any horses? For year 16 do you have any special plans right off the bat with certain horses, any special campaigns or half season retirements?
AB: Oh my gosh. The Breeders ended up well! There were some races I was hoping to win that we didn't, but just as many races I am really proud of winning. It was approximately what I expected, especially for the evenly matched elite of today. The results did not change any decisions, merely strengthened some, but then again that is no surprise...I have a tendency to have plans in mind the minute some horses are born.
As for Year Sixteen...I do have some plans. Pandora is switching to the dirt, emulating her sire in a reverse way. Devil's Flair is also switching to the dirt, but the decision for him may be reversed in case he doesn't like it as much as we're hoping. Fleet Street is being upgraded in class several levels...we're expecting a massive amount of development from him. Melusine will be running over both dirt and turf and you can expect to see her dabbling in just about everything in the classic distance range. Coincidence will find himself stretched out a bit more to the miler distances as we see fit...Ares will be running everywhere from five to ten furlongs, showing off his amazing versatility. I don't have any half season retirements planned, but we'll see!
Isabelle: As a longer standing stable around GHF/TW, do you have any suggestions or advice for those older than you, those who are your peers, and those up and coming stables who are just getting into the business?
AB: This advice applies to everybody...never be afraid to talk about your horses, ask for advice or anything else! Everybody is here to support everybody else, and though we do get competitive we'll always be friends (though it is almost cliche to say that). My biggest rivals are my best business partners, after all.
In addition, I'd also say to everybody that careful campaigning makes a career. Study those races you're entering your horses in, measure up those fields and be careful that your horse doesn't find itself in an impossible situation. Sometimes your horse may win as the longest shot on the board, sometimes they won't. Be sure you're ready to take that chance, especially in bigger fields. Expect no win, ever, even if you think your horse is the obvious winner, because that's usually when the tables get turned. Up and coming stables, plan carefully and you will rise. It's a great climb and worth it. Never get discouraged by senior stables and their stock. Being around for a while means being more established, but I've never felt as though newer stables didn't have a chance. The right horse will take you far.
Isabelle: Which stable do you admire the most, and why? Do you have any particular business friends that have inspired you or lifelong friendships that have supported you?
AB: Star Thoroughbreds, Witch Creek Stable and Intrepid Racing are my top three. They're my rivals just as much as they're my best friends. They motivate me to keep racing and plotting, and their plans inspire me. I hope I motivate and inspire them in turn.
Valkyrie Stables and North Diamond Manor *tips hat to Isa* are two very close friends as well. I've leased and sold a lot of horses to Valkyrie and they always improve dramatically. North Diamond Manor took excellent care of my horses during Year Fifteen and I'm never going to forget that. I love all the stables I compete against just as much as I get annoyed with some of their horses for defeating mine, but it's all good in the end. I try to make every stable in the business my business partner, hence my happy unloading of horses on them, as well as the programming of myself into their speed dials. *wriggles*
Isabelle: -has very happily enjoyed being unloaded upon and hopes the trend continues- Do you have any last comments you'd like to say about yourself, your staff, the horses, or SOPS itself?
AB: I truly enjoy competing against all of you and hope that we will continue to grow together. SOPS is life to me and I'm all for making it better - but I am not above helping other stables out. If anybody ever needs anything, i'm happy to say that SOPS is there for them, be it competition or breeding schemes or racing advice.
Isabelle: Well Amber, this has been an awesome interview, thanks again so much for inviting me out. I loved seeing more behind the scenes and petting familiar noses. Don't mind me if you spot me here or there at any time day or night, when it comes to SOPS I will definitely take you up on the free anytime visitation. On a more serious note, it was a pleasure to hear about the backstory of SOPS, and about the hard work and determination you've poured into horses and their progeny over the years of activity on the tracks. We hope you remain just as involved, even if that means letting some of your staff pick up some extra training duties.
Possibly the most influential stable at GHF/TW is Stride of Perfection Stables (SOPS). I had the luck to race their entire string for about half of last season, and I have to say their Thoroughbreds are a force to be reckoned with. There isn't a stable around that can't claim Amber Black was there with a hug and a trailer following her on her first visit. It is extremely well known that if anyone is having any troubles finding horses, all they need to do is reach for their phone, as Amber Black programmed herself into everyone's speed dial on the first day of meeting.
Isabelle: Amber, lovely to see you again! Thank you for accepting an interview with me. In the wake of the recent news that you won't be a jockey much longer, there is a lot of buzz surrounding SOPS, and this interview wasn't timed better. Before we get into you personally, can you get the story straight on how SOPS was originally created?
AB: It's really nice to see you again too! I'd be happy to tell you a bit more about SOPS. We were originally founded a long time ago as a riding school known as Indigo Morning Stable. Back then, we had horses all over the place - racing, showing both English and Western, you name it and we did it. Eventually, myself and Star Thoroughbreds (who was Green Horse Stables at the time) grew out of the showing world and turned our attention to racing only. We changed our name to Stride Of Perfection Stables. Recently, we opened an exclusive breeding division under the name of our old riding school - that's where its name comes from!
Isabelle: Could you go into a few details for me about the stable? How many horses do you have in your racing roster for season 16, how much bloodstock is in your breeding barns? Stables seem to be bloating up their youngstock after the recent changes made to racing guidelines, are you doing the same?
AB: We have a total of 27 horses on the racing roster at the moment. Bloodstock...I haven't counted that number for a while. Give me a second. *rustles through papers for a couple of minutes* It appears we have 49 bloodstock right now. And as for youngstock, well, we kind of decided to go and increase our numbers because there were so many horses we wanted to breed! We have ten yearlings and ten weanlings at this time. Would you like to meet them sometime? Maybe take some youngstock home with you....I know you don't have enough horses in that barn of yours...*eyes Isa*
Isabelle: -eyes bug out- -should have brought special fuzzy foal repellent with her, rapidly checks pockets searching and comes up with nothing- -clears throat and composes self cooly- I don't know what you mean. -clears throat again- What does SOPS focus on, any particular surface, furlong lengths, or bloodlines? Besides winning of course, what sort of objectives and goals do you have?
AB: We don't focus on any particular distance or surface or even bloodlines. We've had horses across all distances and surfaces go on to become champions. We used to be known more for our turf horses, but our dirt horses caught up and arguably we've had sprinters on both surfaces reach the same level of acclaim as well. As for bloodlines, we like to collect bloodlines and promote our own as well as any new and underrepresented bloodlines that we find in the breeding pool. Take, for example, TDI Live This Lie. He's the only horse with connections to TDI Secrets Of Excalibur and Definite Glory. That's a bloodline we're going to try and promote more.
Goal and objective wise, we hope to continue growing as a barn. I would like each and every SOPS homebred to prove themselves over the track in some significant fashion and then contribute to some blue-blooded SOPS foals. My goal right now is more breeding oriented. I want to cut outside lines out of my foals and focus more on promoting third-generational SOPS lines in my horses. Horses like Pandora and Prometheus are great examples of this. They line back to foundation SOPS horses as grandparents or even great-grandparents.
Isabelle: Please explain the basic roster you hold, do you like to campaign racers for a few years or hold them on longer? Do you prefer racing or breeding more, and what are your future plans for bloodline stock?
AB: Basically, we like to have horses across all distances and surfaces. We hate missing out on the action over any distance or surface, so sometimes we might even coax some horses into filling gaps. I'll give you an example of this, hmm, perhaps obsession with getting a horse in every major race possible. Back in Year Thirteen we didn't quite have a horse for the Triple Crown...so I decided to prep two of my fillies for the races. Sizzling Dawn hit the Preakness and Sweet Inferno hit the Belmont. Some might have argued they weren't ready for those races...well, my fillies proved them wrong and won their races as perhaps the longest shots on the board. To say I was proud was an understatement. Sometimes entering horses in races that seem over their heads works out really well! But I digress.
Isabelle: -noticed that happened and only twitches nose slightly in response-
AB: I used to like racing my horses through their five year old seasons. Radiance's retirement after his four year old season was the only exception to this rule, and it was prompted by Kirsten Jade of Akita Rose Stables' pointed remark that he had nothing left to prove after winning the Breeders Cup Classic. I've adapted my strategy now to retire horses generally after their four year old seasons, mainly if I've raced them for all of their seasons on the track. I let horses stay on through five year old seasons if they've been overshadowed or never quite got their chance though. I have never raced a horse through a six year old season.
I love both racing and breeding and can't pick which one I prefer more. I use racing as a way to prep my horses for the breeding shed as well as prove horses currently there. My current plans for bloodlines, as mentioned above, are to promote multi-generational SOPS pedigrees in my foals. This is succeeding, as many of the weanlings this season have SOPS foundation horses for grandparents. I love seeing that in a horse! Even though it reminds me of just how long I've been in this business. *laughs*
Isabelle: In what areas does your staff shine, are they any you would like recognize? How long have you worked with them, and are you looking to expand your staff? Could you give us some insight on being a businesswoman? This might be a great time to learn about the staff changes going on, and what your new roles will be.
AB: I absolutely love my staff. My right-hand is Krystal Yhate. She's been with me the longest and is the only one of my big three staff to never break down. I mean, I've had my rough seasons and so has Henna Turath - the media will no doubt remind you of those times, when I felt I failed Infinite Warcry in his three year old season and Henna fell into depression sometime during the career of Flashy Wings - but Krystal has always stayed with us. Henna I would like to recognize for her amazing personality and support. When new rider Kylie Silverstar joined the team, I can't say I was the nicest to her, yet Henna gave her all the pointers she needed. I've worked with Krystal and Henna for a very long time now. Valencia is the one I've worked the second longest with...then we have Kylie Silverstar and my younger cousin Christopher Black. This season I expanded my active jockeys to include Wanda Brown and Timothy Andrews. They've both worked at SOPS for a while actually, just in different roles. Meredith Mahon joined us last season and has been doing well aboard Fleet Street...
The greatest piece of advice I can give about being a businesswoman is to treat your staff right and think through your decisions. You want your staff to respect you, and if you don't think through your decisions than nobody will respect you. That's an important thing to remember.
I'd also like to take this moment to settle some rumors about my staff. Krystal Yhate is indeed stepping up to train more horses. This is just so she can gain more experience doing so. She's ready for it. Henna Turath is leaving the jockeying game for personal reasons. I won't tell you what they are - that's her choice. She does have plans to potentially stay on as a trainer for sprinters though. As for me leaving the jockeying game, I will not prove or disprove that rumor. Know only that I'm not sacrificing my career for Nick Landing regardless of what the media thinks. *pouts*
Isabelle: -will be meeting with Nick Landing next month- -wiggles- What would you consider the greatest assets of SOPS in terms of staff, training, facilities and general operations, not including the horses? Are there any areas you want to improve upon or things you feel uniquely give you an edge over other stables in the area?
AB: I've had staff with me for a long time and our facilities have consistently been top notch. I would say that our greatest edge is not only our passion for racing and the work that we do, but how long we have been in the game. We just know what we're doing because we've been here for a while. We have a great foundation and we just keep building and expanding off of it. The biggest contribution to our general operations is personal touch. My staff have a lot of independence in that they know what they're supposed to do and I don't micromanage them, but at the same time I check up on them and make them feel valued. Our close bonds and strong foundation give us an edge. I would like to improve more on letting other people do more, though. Being head trainer, director of the stable, sole owner, head breeding manager and a jockey at the same time are difficult. *pauses* Perhaps the media should think about that before jumping to conclusions about why my staff are taking on more responsibilities.
Isabelle: Amber, what makes you passionate about SOPS? What drives you in your career and how does SOPS support that, and in the face of changing careers? How do you give back to Stride what you feel you receive from it?
AB: I have always loved horses (particularly ones with pink noses). That drives me more than anything else to do what I do. I've always been driven to strive higher and achieve as much as possible...I'm a bit ambitious, you could say. *laughs* SOPS supports me in this dream by allowing me to achieve it. At SOPS I can achieve great things. I wouldn't change careers for anything. I give back to SOPS by making its management my career. All things I do, I do for SOPS. One could argue I have no life outside my horses...perhaps it's because my horses give life to me.
Isabelle: -has been known to coo at pink noses herself but will never admit to it- Has SOPS won any stable awards? Do you have any HOF or BHOF horses residing with you? If so, where they ones you campaigned or did you acquire them once their status was already established?
AB: It makes me feel self-conscious to list our achievements here. I'm not one for bragging, believe me, but if you insist on me indulging in some self-conscious pride for a moment...SOPS has won quite our share of awards and we have a large number of HoF and BHoF horses among us. We have won Horse Of The Year five times with four different horses - Merry Bay King, twice with Impressario, Wildly Natural and Eternal Phantom. The only awards we have not won - and believe me when I say we are gunning for them - are Turf Horse Of The Year, Dirt Horse Of The Year and Sprinter Of The Year.
As for Hall Of Fame inductees, we are home to thirteen with quite a couple waiting to be nominated. All of them were campaigned by SOPS and nine of them are homebreds. We have an even mix of horses across all distances and surfaces and there is something special about each and every one of these horses. I am most especially proud of Sillenia for claiming the title of Hall Of Fame - it was hard fought. Our "best" horse is perhaps Impressario. He won four different Breeders Cup races as well as the Triple Crown. But he's far from the only good horse around.
Hmmm...we are also home to one Wire Champion in the form of Italian Ice. We are also home to eight Breeding Hall Of Famers. They are all foundation horses and well known. Merry Bay King and Wild Flower are the only two inducted in both halls of fame, but there's also such producers as Forbidden Wings, Sweet Sugar Cane, Foolish Entity...speaking of breeding, there are also two SOPS-bred horses in the Hall Of Fame. They are the highly respected turf mare Simply A Flyer, by Merry Bay King, and the raging fast turf sprinter-miler Paranormal Hunter, out of Foolish Entity. It was a joy to watch them race, even if it was to the detriment of my own horses. *laughs*
Isabelle: Since your horses effectively all transferred to NDM while you were away, I didn't fully get to explore your stable grounds. However now that they are back with you, I'd love to see them here, and how you've organized your stall assignments. I normally like to go with the older horses first, I can't wait to see how Fleet Street is coming along. I believe this is his last season? You'll have to let me know how Moonlight is getting along with Pandora -laughs- based on how they behaved at NDM I'm sure you're coping with a lot right now.
AB: You are welcome to visit them anytime Isakins! No stealing though, or I'll slip extra horses for you onto your property. *waggles finger*
Isabelle: -brightens at free ponies being snuck in . . . recalls large amount of foals bred this season . . . blinks and decides against stealing even for a very brief vacation visit of say five or six years for certain ponies at SOPS . . .- -is momentarily crestfallen at lost stealing opportunities but perks up again once noses come into view-
AB: I have a pretty general arrangement here - a racing barn and youngstock barn making up one corner of the property, training tracks on another corner, the stud barn and broodmare barn making up another corner of the property and general facilities in the other corner. It's a bit of a large place to get around, though. Horses are organized by age in the racing barn, barring any disagreements between horses. It's generally peaceful. But seeing as you mentioned Pandora and Moonlight...well, let's just say they're an interesting pair. They race each other in the paddocks, snort and whinny at each other all day long...we'd be going crazy if not for the fact that Forbidden To Fly was louder than both of them put together!
Isabelle: -recalls large loss of toy life when the pair were at NDM-
AB: Fleet Street is such an awesome horse. He's really high maintenance but man has he blossomed this season. He put in a real showing last time out and it sitting on a record breaking season if you ask me. This is his tentative final season, but who knows...I might change my mind if it appears he has more coming to him down the line. Perhaps if I do keep him on for a five year old season but there's too many conflicts, I'll lease him out. Interested? *will not stop trying to give Isa ponies*
Isabelle: -bounces around- YES YES YES. -waves arms- ME ME OH PICK ME!!! -big fat cheesey grin as she showers Fleet with a bucket of molasses carrots and many kisses- -will never stop loving pony foisting despite what she says at times- Do you have any special three year olds you plan to send to the triple crowns in season 16? I know it's a touch early, but seeing you have ten outstanding choices to select from, your classic roster is bursting with talent.
AB: Ohhh Isa you have no idea how excited I am for these guys! Or, well, maybe you do. Let's start with Adrasteia. She's been bred to do amazing things and I have big plans for her. She's going to run in the Triple Tiara, especially after that amazing account she gave of herself in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies. I feel as though she's slightly underrated. Following the Triple Tiara, she might dabble in the Red Mile series, but I know I have plans for her to conclude the season in the Breeders Cup Distaff. Altercation is our Turf Triple Crown contender provided he continues picking it up - that win in the Phoenix Stakes made us more confident. He's slated for the Turf Marathon if he does what I'm expecting him to do. Animatia is our interesting horse. As you know, we kept her essentially off the track until November of last year. Regardless, I've always called her our most talented horse of the roster. She's scarily tactical and improves with every race. Call us ambitious, but she's also gunning for the Triple Tiara. We'll see if she gets there.
Ares did not hit the Breeders Cup but is an incredibly talented horse. We're trying to stretch his speed out a bit this season. He is slated to appear in sprinter races alongside Triple Crown preps and may find himself in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. He's definitely hitting the Red Mile series. Our other three year old Coincidence has the Triple Sprinter Crown as well as some Red Mile races to hit, but we're trying to keep him and Ares separated. Those two really know how to rile each other up. And when you toss Incognito, Juvenile of the Year and Breeders Cup Juvenile winner, into the mix, you get trouble.
Isabelle: -big shiny eyes at Incognito- -squeezes him tightly and coos sweet nothings to him- -has to be physically removed and dragged away from his stall with whimpering protest-
AB: Nero is the strongest Triple Crown contender I've had in recent times. He and Kylie make an amazing team. The colt's never stepped out of Horse Of The Year company and he deserves to be rated as highly as he is. He's only getting better.
Cyclonaria is perhaps our most outwardly tough horse on the roster. She's immensely talented and put in amazing performances last year. We're thinking of her as our first ever full Turf Triple Tiara contender and the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf is the end goal. She and Valencia make an amazing team...those two love battling it out. And let's not forget Melodious and Melusine. I feel as though Melodious is talented but slightly underrated. People are probably going to see her as an underdog after the Crystal Sprint...that was her first finish out of the top three, and I think that with a speed demon like Henna Turath in the irons she is anything but. She's going to show up in one of the turf sprinter crowns, but I'm not sure which so far. Expect to see her dabble in some Turf Triple Tiara preps leading into her main series. And as for Melusine...we are exploring her dirt side right now. Her dam Sillenia loved her turf and never really got to try out the dirt. Sina has inherited the liking for both and is putting in a good account of herself. If my current plans hold, you'll find her in the Kentucky Open as well as the Preakness Stakes en route to the Canadian Triple Crown. And if she wins one of those and disqualifies herself, well, that's not necessarily bad is it?
Tiger Heart has been settling well with us. I have big plans for your colt...plans I'll need to tell you off the record. *winks*
Isabelle: -hop hops at pretty baby Tiger who gets midnight bareback rides in secret and extra special delicious homemade cookies but will not admit to sneaking onto SOPS to gallop with free abandon- Oh now the juveniles! I can't wait to see how the yearlings from last season shaped up and trained in for their first season. How have their first races been going? Anyone break their maidens yet? Let us know which ones you think will be ones to watch. Any clues on Prometheus? You know my . . . *interest* in Flashy Wings, I believe.
AB: Everybody has been having some really great first races! Out of nine juveniles, only two have not broken their maidens as of yet, which is much better than what I was hoping for! Your girl Justa Little Cutie did not catch many eyes her first start perhaps, but knocked them out of the park the other week and broke her maiden in style! She came out of that one ready for more. I'm going to miss her come the end of the season. My cousin Christopher has been working with her and they make a good team. I'll have to come visit! And I'll bring my horse trailer of course.
Isabelle: I was so surprised at Cutie's victory, and so happy. She's such a sweetie I was afraid she'd get lost in the crowd . . . and do bring your trailer. -whispers- But don't tell my staff you heard that from me, they think I'm a lil' crazy with pony hoarding but that's just ridiculous. Can't ever have too many fuzzy ponies. -rolls eyes-
AB: Unfortunately, Chris's other mount Mr Wild has been having difficulties throwing it together. He's an absolute professional, I just think he needs racing to gain experience. He'll break his maiden eventually. Not every horse starts out prodigal, and I have faith in his lines and breeding. He's just about the most well loved horse in the barn, though. The barn cats especially love him. Wild Tide is our other non-maiden, but with Kylie in the irons I expect that to change shortly. She's one heck of an energetic, eager, tough horse and I am excited to see where I can an Impassioned Wind and Silver Tide foal.
As for Prometheus...he has got to be one of the most dangerous horses I've ever bred. He is ridiculously talented, works like a professional, races like a champion and very close to my heart. I did not ride either of his parents but Theus has got to be one of my favorites to ride. He clearly got some precociousness out of his sire, and I have such high hopes for him. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have high hopes for all of my horses...you're going to want to keep an eye on my sprinters, though. I've been having a lot of luck with sprinters ever since Lynara's Kingdom and I don't think the streak will end. Dauntless and Amaris both won the Unicorn Horn Juvenile Sprint races, to say nothing of the rest's performances. A lot of these juveniles trace back to SOPS foundation mares as grandparents, and that is such an achievement for me...I'm going to shut up about them before I say too much, but you will definitely be seeing a lot of these juveniles on the track!
Isabelle: I like hearing about the sprinters now, as I severely lack in that department. I've actually imported several yearling and weanlings to fill in my sprinter gaps. -realizes she's just stuck her foot in her mouth- Uhhhh but that doesn't mean your trailer heading for NDM needs to contain sprinters. Actually I have lots and lots of sprinters . . um . . yeah. -trembles with fear at giving Amber fresh ideas for pony foisting- Can you select a favorite yearling and weanling to bring into the spotlight-I know how hard that can be to choose! Especially for your stock . . . . *coughs* I mean I notice you seem to theme some of your years, any particular reason for that? Any sneak peeks into their future careers for us?
AB: A favorite yearling and weanling? *ponders* Well if you insist...on the yearling end, Walthari ranks up there. He is a beautiful bay colt by Pegasus Wings and out of Innocent Passion. He brings so many unique new sprinting lines to the forefront and I am beyond excited. This small colt not only has fantastic racehorses for parents, but his grandparents are beyond proven producers. He lines to two foundation SOPS mares in the form of Forbidden Wings (the best producer in the barn, at least on the mare side) and Little Miss Innocent. On the sire side, he lines to Royal Red Richard and Passionate Class, and these two sires are very underused as sprinting sires. Thar is a very strong horse despite being smaller in stature, and man is he quick. He'll be the second horse by Pegasus Wings and the first out of Innocent Passion to run for us.
As for weanlings...you're killing me here. The most exceedingly well-bred is Martialis - he dates back at least three generations. His sire Demonic Desires went on a rampage in the sprinting world, and the pedigree of said sire needs almost no introduction...combining Speed Demon's potent sprinting ability with Deadly Desires' ability to sprint and mile, as well as the lines of Sweet Sugar Cane and Requiem, gave us Demonic Desires. Add in the dam, In The Spotlight, who excelled at a mile as well as classic distances and won the Breeders Cup Turf, and you've got a horse destined to be flexible. On the damside we have On To The Spotlight, well known in the barn for being Impressario's turf rival, who in turn lines to Dancing In The Moonlight and On To Dancing...yes, that's right. That makes Martialis a fourth-generation SOPS foal, and I can't even express my pride at that properly. Gorgeous George adds unique turf to the package and, well, you get Martialis. Excited is an understatement.
As for the naming themes...I wanted cool names, so I looked some up. That is literally what happened. It only fits my foals' epicness! *evil cackle* And as for future careers...expect to find these guys everywhere. I also intend to make them very flexible runners, distance and surface wise, so expect surprises!
Isabelle: You have some premier breeding stock at Indigo Morning Stables. What would you consider to be your foundation SOPS lines that others might look to get in on before they retire? After recent retirements which lines are new for you that you are expanding with, and that stables that come to you should be mindful of? Are you particularly excited for any pairs in the future we have planned together? -winky wink-
AB: We have a ton of foundation lines here. I built my lines from the ground up with a dash of outside influence. I consider my foundation studs to be Dancing In The Moonlight, Grand Silence, Merry Bay King, Shiver Me Timbers and Sweet Sugar Cane. Perhaps my foundation mares are a bit more important though...I seem to value seeing them in my pedigrees more. Those mares are On To Dancing, Foolish Entity, Wild Flower and Forbidden Wings mainly. Forbidden Wings and Wild Flower show up the most. As for the lines people should look to get in on...I have three studs retiring in Year Twenty and they are Merry Bay King, Dancing In The Moonlight and Shiver Me Timbers. They're all fantastic studs. Sweet Sugar Cane retires the year after that...people should really jump on the Jessie James train. The horse has sired two Breeders Cup Turf Marathon winners in the form of Dazzling Dame and Infinite Warcry, yet it's only Star Thoroughbreds and Witch Creek Stable who have come his way. Bad decision, people. He's a premier turf sire and an excellent outcross.
Isabelle: -isn't going to mention she has jumped on that train and has Dazzling Dame's very first lovely awesomely amazing fuzzy foal-
AB: I'd also recommend people visit With A Snap before he's gone. He's produced the likes of Lynara's Kingdom and Restricted Access and provides a clean new source of sprinting lines that are not only fast but carry the distance for the classics as well. That's siring talent. Let's see...I'd also encourage getting in on TDI Live This Lie and Mercurial Magic. Untapped lines carry limitless potential, you know.
Isabelle: -big fat smile on her Magic and Dynasty foal for next season-
AB: I have a couple new lines that I am expanding into. With Limited Edition's retirement, I've brought Gold Edition and Trust Limits lines into the barn. Royal Cadenza, who's proven to be quite popular, brings Hail To Prince and Bluebell Sonnet into the mix. These are certainly lines you don't see everywhere...I could go on for days about the lines one should be aware of. There are a lot of untapped gems of uncommon lines among my breedingstock...take Flashy Wings, for example.
Isabelle: -adoring sigh at the name of Flashy Wings-
AB: A direct descendant of Forbidden Wings gives access to that dynasty, but how many sons or daughters of News Flash are floating around on the market? I'd make a similar case for Infinite Warcry - his sire Jessie James is underbred and nobody's ever getting foals out of Ebony Gold Lady again. And perhaps what many have never considered is the On To Dancing line. All but one of this Breeding Hall Of Famer's foals are owned by SOPS and Radiance is her only son. That's a rare damline that should not be discounted.
Overall, though, every horse presents something incredibly unique to add to your stable's bloodlines. I'm proud of every horse I own.
As for our future pairings...tsk tsk Isakins. Wouldn't want to spoil the fun would we? XD
Isabelle: -snickerfits- Nope, we certainly wouldn't. -not that she'll admit to having just spoiled one a few lines above- Amber, is there a certain special horse around here that perhaps hasn't won major races or bred exceptional foals necessarily, but holds a special place for you or SOPS?
AB: On To The Spotlight is an incredibly special horse to SOPS. She's the only horse on the grounds that held a candle to Impressario over the turf. Though she never won a Breeders Cup race and was overshadowed when Ario transitioned to the turf, her heart has passed on to all of her foals...to say nothing of her talent. She's gone on to be an amazing producer and every day when I think of her I think of the heart and confidence I try to breed in my horses. I think she's more special to Krystal than she is to me though...as for me, personally? Shiver Me Timbers was the first horse I ever owned. He will forever hold a place in my heart and is incredibly special to SOPS because he truly represents the beginning of everything. He's gone on to produce amazing horses, but he's kind of always been in the shadow of the second horse I ever owned, Merry Bay King. And within the shadows of these shadows is Jessie James. He's incredibly violent, but not so with me. I love these three. They're getting older now, but they will be with us for many years yet.
Isabelle: Please let us know which horse has made the greatest contribution to SOPS and why.
AB: This is an incredibly tough question because I value all of my horses equally. I guess I would have to say Merry Bay King and Forbidden Wings. Merry Bay King was my initial horse, my legend. His sterling reputation as a racehorse and sire brought SOPS it's initial fame. To say nothing of how his sons and daughters have contributed both in racing and breeding. His son Impressario practically outperforms him as a sire and a racehorse, but without Merry Bay King there would be no Impressario or countless others. Forbidden Wings was an excellent racehorse as well, though her reputation arose in the breeding shed. No more has contributed as much as Forbidden Wings to our operation. She is the coveted mare in many pedigrees and holds a special place as grand-dam to many of my upcoming youngstock. I think I can say that without these two, chunks of SOPS's history and contributions would be missing.
Isabelle: Which horse are you personally the most proud of, and why?
AB: There are two....the first is Sillenia. I do not know if I have a single horse that went through what Sillenia went through in order to attend her Hall Of Fame status. Beat the boys in the Juvenile Turf for her first Breeders Cup? Amazing achievement. Win the same Breeders Cup race three years in a row? Tough task. But mainly taking down two mares who improved to monstrous proportions in the final seasons of their careers - those mares being Terror Smile and Alluring Assault - and you have the reason why Sillenia landed in the Hall Of Fame. Such an incredibly tough mare. I don't know if I'll see her heart and determination again. Perhaps in one of her foals? *laughs*
I am also ridiculously proud of Fleet Majesty. This gray mare came to us after Ripley Marsh of Witch Creek suggested it. She settled in well but never quite rose to an epic level of greatness. Regardless, she was our turf distaffer, our engine that could. She retired just as she made grade one and though she never hit the big leagues, she did surprise and defeat the mares in the big leagues a couple of times. I just really liked this mare. I'm hoping her heart passes on to her foals.
Isabelle: How did you come out after Breeder's? Was it as you expected, or did you have disappointments? Did those results change any retirement or career decisions for any horses? For year 16 do you have any special plans right off the bat with certain horses, any special campaigns or half season retirements?
AB: Oh my gosh. The Breeders ended up well! There were some races I was hoping to win that we didn't, but just as many races I am really proud of winning. It was approximately what I expected, especially for the evenly matched elite of today. The results did not change any decisions, merely strengthened some, but then again that is no surprise...I have a tendency to have plans in mind the minute some horses are born.
As for Year Sixteen...I do have some plans. Pandora is switching to the dirt, emulating her sire in a reverse way. Devil's Flair is also switching to the dirt, but the decision for him may be reversed in case he doesn't like it as much as we're hoping. Fleet Street is being upgraded in class several levels...we're expecting a massive amount of development from him. Melusine will be running over both dirt and turf and you can expect to see her dabbling in just about everything in the classic distance range. Coincidence will find himself stretched out a bit more to the miler distances as we see fit...Ares will be running everywhere from five to ten furlongs, showing off his amazing versatility. I don't have any half season retirements planned, but we'll see!
Isabelle: As a longer standing stable around GHF/TW, do you have any suggestions or advice for those older than you, those who are your peers, and those up and coming stables who are just getting into the business?
AB: This advice applies to everybody...never be afraid to talk about your horses, ask for advice or anything else! Everybody is here to support everybody else, and though we do get competitive we'll always be friends (though it is almost cliche to say that). My biggest rivals are my best business partners, after all.
In addition, I'd also say to everybody that careful campaigning makes a career. Study those races you're entering your horses in, measure up those fields and be careful that your horse doesn't find itself in an impossible situation. Sometimes your horse may win as the longest shot on the board, sometimes they won't. Be sure you're ready to take that chance, especially in bigger fields. Expect no win, ever, even if you think your horse is the obvious winner, because that's usually when the tables get turned. Up and coming stables, plan carefully and you will rise. It's a great climb and worth it. Never get discouraged by senior stables and their stock. Being around for a while means being more established, but I've never felt as though newer stables didn't have a chance. The right horse will take you far.
Isabelle: Which stable do you admire the most, and why? Do you have any particular business friends that have inspired you or lifelong friendships that have supported you?
AB: Star Thoroughbreds, Witch Creek Stable and Intrepid Racing are my top three. They're my rivals just as much as they're my best friends. They motivate me to keep racing and plotting, and their plans inspire me. I hope I motivate and inspire them in turn.
Valkyrie Stables and North Diamond Manor *tips hat to Isa* are two very close friends as well. I've leased and sold a lot of horses to Valkyrie and they always improve dramatically. North Diamond Manor took excellent care of my horses during Year Fifteen and I'm never going to forget that. I love all the stables I compete against just as much as I get annoyed with some of their horses for defeating mine, but it's all good in the end. I try to make every stable in the business my business partner, hence my happy unloading of horses on them, as well as the programming of myself into their speed dials. *wriggles*
Isabelle: -has very happily enjoyed being unloaded upon and hopes the trend continues- Do you have any last comments you'd like to say about yourself, your staff, the horses, or SOPS itself?
AB: I truly enjoy competing against all of you and hope that we will continue to grow together. SOPS is life to me and I'm all for making it better - but I am not above helping other stables out. If anybody ever needs anything, i'm happy to say that SOPS is there for them, be it competition or breeding schemes or racing advice.
Isabelle: Well Amber, this has been an awesome interview, thanks again so much for inviting me out. I loved seeing more behind the scenes and petting familiar noses. Don't mind me if you spot me here or there at any time day or night, when it comes to SOPS I will definitely take you up on the free anytime visitation. On a more serious note, it was a pleasure to hear about the backstory of SOPS, and about the hard work and determination you've poured into horses and their progeny over the years of activity on the tracks. We hope you remain just as involved, even if that means letting some of your staff pick up some extra training duties.
