Rising and Falling - A Look at SOPS in Year Sixteen

[S u N f r O s t ~]

It is only too clear that Year Sixteen has been a tough-fought year all around for everybody. Stride Of Perfection Stables has not been excluded from this all-around difficulty in maintaining a foothold in the racing world. The retirement of reliable grade one horses such as Limited Edition, Demonic Desires, In The Spotlight and Wish Upon A Star has left gaping holes in the SOPS roster that horses comparatively underwhelming in comparison are struggling to fill - or at least, that's what the media thinks. Trainer Amber Black, the two-time winning Trainer Of The Year, is confident that her horses are fighting well and that, even among a string of recent disappointments, there are a lot of horses rising in power and status. Let's take a look at the Year Sixteen roster of the seven-time winning Stable Of The Year and see if there is any merit to Amber's claim.

Devil's Flair - The burly red chestnut son of Augusto and Flight Of Fancy has always been a fan favorite for his tough attitude and striking physical force in the paddock and on the track. After an impressive juvenile season over the turf, Devil found himself fighting in the shadow of star stablemate Pandora as a three year old. Whilst she went on to find honors, Devil found himself in the Canadian Triple Crown versus horses that had caught up to him in terms of maturity - even surpassing him, in some cases. The nearly seventeen-hands-high horse's spirit has not flagged, however. Jockey Valencia Andrews claims that Devil will return to being a thorn in every division leader's side by year's end. If his emphatic win in the Green Horse Dirt was any indication, Devil is rounding into form. He followed that up with third place finishes in the Clark Handicap and Fleet Goddess Memorial Stakes and is looking to continue trialing the dirt until March Week One. The racing world would do well to remember Devil's pace-controlling abilities and raw physical power before writing off the nearly grade one horse completely. The Front Runner's Nightmare is making a comeback.

Fleet Street - The barn's excitement at racing another horse by Night Stalker has still not worn off. Fleet Street was a hotly anticipated addition to the SOPS string and the excitement is still palpable. "He's a high maintenance horse, but it's so worthwhile," stated jockey Meredith Mahon with a smirk. "He's a dream to ride and knows exactly what the pace is. He's the best at measuring pace in the entire barn." Fleet roared into prominence by debuting with a stunning victory in the New Year Dirt Stakes to begin the season. Despite being a mere grade three horse, he then proceeded to take second in the Unicorn Horn Dirt Mile, defeating grade one champion Reflected In Water in an amazing upset and losing only to highly rated champion Sun King. If that's not an indication of a dangerous horse to watch, I'm not sure what is. The entire barn is very high on this horse, that's for sure.

Trinity - SOPS's darling mare has always been the shy one hiding throughout the race until the final stretch, at which point she gives every horse a run for their money. Trin was a dirt runner as a juvenile until she broke into the turf scene with a win over that year's Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf hopefuls in the Gorgeous George Stakes. As a three year old, she is known for being Miler Supreme's (Spotlight Pride's) own personal tormentor in the Green Mile series. These habits don't appear to be dying out anytime soon. After two third place finishes in Horse Of The Year company in January, Trin scored a win in the Texas Glitter Stakes last week. She is expected to contend in the distaff turf router division throughout the season. One thing is for sure - this gorgeous mare is only coming into her own and is incredibly tough. The shyest mare ridden by the shyest SOPS jockey in Christopher Black certainly doesn't seem shy when she demands the win in the final furlong on the track.

Athena's Desires - The royally bred sprinter mare was thought to be SOPS's next best sprinter after her juvenile season and win in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint. Her older brother Demonic Desires roared his way into history and the speed of sire Pegasus Wings was apparent in every race. Despite this, Athena's classic season was nothing short of disappointing, with only two wins scored by the end of it. But hope has not been lost. The vicious black mare's jockey switch to Valencia Andrews has seemed to do the trick. With a recent win in the Jump Start Stakes, Athena has proven that she is beginning to fire once more. With no retirement plans, it is likely SOPS will just keep running the mare until the key clicks in the lock and she takes over the division just as her sire and dam did. Once known for her pure, raw speed, it is likely Athena will rise again to remind the world why she was once so feared.

Pandora - Pandora is the horse most special to SOPS's heart. She's been the light in the darkness, the answer to dreams. When she won the Turf Triple Crown last season, she cemented her place as SOPS's icon and is continuing to answer the call. Though there is no doubt that Pandora is a supremely talented horse, the characteristic that stands out the most about her is her heart. Pan captured the heart of SOPS by having such a large heart of her own. Her defeat in the Breeders Cup Turf last season brought tears to many eyes, but not for the reasons many would think. Pandora faced down a stallion two years older than her in the form of Abastor and went down fighting bravely. That is why this mare is so beloved by SOPS. For this season, the turf mare has switched over to the dirt, mirroring her sire Impressario in this action. It proved to be a good decision last season when she beat Triple Crown hopefuls in the Wood Memorial Stakes and she proved it was a good decision again by debuting as a four year old with a victory in the Unicorn Horn Dirt Classic. The black mare is expected to continue over the dirt throughout the season and with a deadly determined Kylie Silverstar in the irons the story will continue to be written.

Silent Snap - From underneath a shadow, another burly chestnut has emerged onto the scene. Snapper has risen at last to grade one after an impressive classic season. The half brother of Lynara's Kingdom and Battle Wings faced none other than the Red King (Sun King) himself in the long-standing tradition of Battle Brook and Stride Of Perfection horses eternally giving each other a tough time. The chestnut managed to take two legs of the Sprinter Triple Crown to much acclaim and excitement among the barn and showcased his tremendous improvement and maturity in doing so. Word is he's taking no prisoners this season in the dirt sprinter division. We'll see if Snapper and Amber Black can back up the claim.

Adrasteia - The well-bred daughter of Radiance and Admiral's Holiday has always been a potently strong runner. She is quickly beginning to rise in acclaim among the ranks of the stable. After placing second in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies, Taia and Meredith Mahon have been campaigning steadily for the latter stages of the Triple Tiara. Her campaign beyond that is uncertain. Radiance foals tend to get better as they age and it is hoped that the filly will go far. She is known for her strong nature and her absolute determination - characteristics that any racehorse should have. Her partnership with the prickly Meredith Mahon has so far been a match made in heaven and recent workouts indicate she's only getting better. The dainty looking princess is not one to be underestimated.

Altercation - While one son of Worldbreaker has been literally dominating the world, another has been resting quietly in the shadows. The resting horse is Altercation. Brave and unafraid of battle, Al was a bit slower to mature than half-brother World Dominion as a juvenile. But as a three year old, Al shows signs of catching up. A jockey switch to speed-crazy Henna Turath has stoked the inner fires of this colt's heart. He won impressively in the Phoenix Stakes at Battlestone to start the season off and is already running far better than he did last year. At his current rate of improvement, the barn expects to see him campaigning strongly in the Turf Triple Crown. We'll see if they actually get that far. Maturing late is in Altercation's blood if grandsire Grand Silence is any indication.

Animatia - Highly touted every couple months last season, Animatia has not disappointed as a three year old. With two wins on the season, she becomes tougher with every race and is SOPS's horse for the Acorn Stakes, if not more legs of the Triple Tiara. Henna Turath is a great match for this speedy gray. The hyperactive filly is known for being nigh uncontrollable due to excited aggressiveness on the track. Apparently, what we see is a far cry from what she was like last season. SOPS's Grand Experiment is a fast filly if race fractions and workouts are any indication, but we're not sure if there's any backing to their claims that she's the fastest three year old in the barn. Then again, we've only seen six races out of her, and she rarely works over the main tracks. Perhaps there is more than meets the eye with this unconventional three year old. SOPS dropped hints that we'd be seeing her in the Super Complicated Stakes at Battlestone next week or the Spring Cup Grade Five Dirt in week four.

Ares - Ares captured Valencia Andrews's heart the moment she read his name in the classifieds. Her yearling purchases from Battle Brook work out well if Limited Edition is any indication. The way the colt trains, the way he runs, the way he is - Valencia felt a calling in her heart and followed it. Ares skipped the Breeders Cup so stablemate Coincidence could avoid the impedance from within his own barn, but he is perhaps one of the more highly-touted horses to have skipped the year-end dance. His win in the Battlestone Downs Dirt Sprint forecasted the colt's speed; his second in the nine-furlong Halfbridled showed off his versatility. The colt is predicted to run a season in everything from the sprints to Triple Crown preps. SOPS has revealed that they plan to run him in the Kentucky Derby - an interesting move, as Incognito will likely also be entered - as well as the Red Mile and potentially Triple Sprinter Crown series. Avoiding conflicts with Incognito and Coincidence will be difficult to do, but SOPS appears eager to attempt the task. One thing is for sure - Ares embodies versatile speed.

Coincidence - Coney is affectionately referred to as The Tactician by the barn. He is certainly that on the track and is easily one of the smartest horses we've ever had the pleasure of training. While the stable's arguably best three year old sprinter posted a good but somewhat disappointing for his close connections third in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Sprint, he has come in strong in Year Sixteen. Initially aimed for the Sprinter Triple Crown, Coney proved his worth at a mile in the Rahy Derby this week. It is possible we will see a bit more of him in the Red Mile series then expected as a result. The colt will be strongly tested this season with the Handsome Mile and the King's Bishop named as key targets for his three year old campaign. Henna Turath reassures the press that they are as strong as ever and are looking forward to running strong this year.

Cyclonaria - The Cyclone is an absolute terror both on and off the track and naturally finds that aggressive spirit answered by arguably crazy jockey Valencia Andrews. She is slated for the Turf Triple Tiara and Green Mile series and may even make it to the winners' circle there if she picks the right horse to duel against every race. It is unknown just how good Cy is as she usually only seeks to beat one horse every race - her chosen target from the post parade. Rumor has it that Cy has been getting some special training on picking more than one horse in a race to beat and may even focus on defeating more than one horse now. No official commentary on that yet, but if that's true then perhaps Cy has grown even more dangerous as a three year old.

Incognito - Year Fifteen's Juvenile of the Year comes in as SOPS's prime candidate for the Triple Crown. He posted a third place finish in the Unicorn Horn Dirt to start the season off and is looking at more preps in the coming months. Virtually nothing short of injury will stop this colt from running in the Crown, if proud rider Kylie Silverstar's recent comments after the Unicorn Horn series are any indication. The fantastic juvenile is slated for the Genuine Risk Stakes at Battlestone next in his Triple Crown trail. Whether he will start in the Breeders Cup Classic at the end of the season is of course still a question, as older horses such as Fleet Street and Pandora may earn that honor and Nero may in turn be relegated to the Dirt Marathon. He would certainly be suited for it if half-brother Radiance, SOPS's last raced son of True Enough, is any indication. The steady charge of Incognito is one all competitors know of and it's sure to only get stronger as the season progresses into the Crown.

Melodious - The finely built daughter of War Child and Black Ebony was an amazing juvenile, winning seven Horse Of The Year races and entering the Breeders Cup as one of the strong favorites. Her third place finish was written off by Henna Turath as a fluke, but perhaps her fourth in the Crystal Sprint to start off the season indicates something far more sinister. Is the gray flame fading before it's even been lit? The flighty, energetic mare certainly looks good in workouts and post parades, but hasn't been putting it together in her racing performance. Will we see another case of Athena's Desires here? The only commentary we're getting out of head trainer Amber Black is that Mel was slightly off form following her Breeders Cup run but is rounding back into it with each workout. The Crystal Sprint bounced her form and she is next to run in the Rush Stakes with hopefully better results. Henna seemed confident and Amber wasn't telling. The eventual plan is the Turf Triple Sprinter Crown or Turf Triple Sprinter Tiara.

Melusine - Dam Sillenia's look-alike and first foal to hit the track has been running quite the fascinating season. After not stepping out of Horse Of The Year company as a juvenile, Sina has been all over the place as a three year old. She has been racing on both dirt and turf and is rumored to be SOPS's Canadian Triple Crown contender. The tactical mare has raced well over both. Despite her fourth place finish in the West Virginia Derby, jockey Krystal Yhate expressed little concern, saying every horse throws in a bad race or faces problems during the race occasionally. Supposedly, Sina will start in the Kentucky Open and the Preakness Stakes to build her versatility and, if she wins, no harm done. An interesting strategy for sure. Overall, Sina is a wild card this season and could go anywhere. Krystal wasn't talking, but it is expected Sina will post that first win of the season soon and only improve from there.

SOPS juveniles will have reports written up following March Week Five.
SOPS leases (Impress The Moonlight, Final Conquest, Tiger Heart, Justa Little Cutie) are still getting known by the staff. They will have reports written up alongside the juveniles following March Week Five.