Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2013 9:34:28 GMT -5
Tears of an Angels workout for the Star Party
The competition was beginning to rack up thick and fast for the Sprinter Series - the summer had set in nicely and the summer heat was making everything seem better - the weather conditions out on the dirt were perfect. It had been watered down nicely so it was soft underfoot but not dusty. The first running of the Star Party was bound to be a good one - big and bad entrants, with the likes of Mastermind, Aquatic Addiction and Tears Of An Angel - Tears Of Blood had raced the week before, and he was resting up for the first leg of the races in a few weeks time - but Tears of an Angel had rested before the Seaspray Cup. Jacey had made a wise decision not sending the filly, she felt like making sure she was perfectly rested with the right amount of work she needed to turn up the heat when it came to race day.
The Star Party was a seven furlong sprint over the dirt surface held at Green Horse Fields. It was the perfect race for Lucy after her win in the Girls Party during June. The filly had placed second in the first leg of the Triple Tiara too, placing behind Ventura - who got beaten out in the last two legs by powerhouse filly, War Cry. Lucy had been clocking up the preparation races - she had won her first race in the third week of January. Since then, she's taken the Top Speed Stakes, the Quick Cup, and her most recent victory in the Girls Party. She had also taken second place in the Rush Stakes, Coronation Stakes, and Acorn Stakes, aswell as a third place in a Turf Triple Crown preparation, the Silk Road Stakes. All in all, she was beginning to come into her own now, after a killer two year old season, at The Wire.
After an injury lead to her injury back in March, she recovered perfectly and recovered to take a win after a third place in the Silk Road Stakes. The race Jacey had chosen for Ivana and the filly was the perfect one, though there would be some serious competition come race day. As Ivana tacked the filly up, she couldn't help but skim through the race entries in her head. It seemed when it came to racing styles, luck definitely wasn't in her favour. Three of the possible five entrants were all preceders, commonly known to others as stalkers, but Ivana had a plan. It was something she had tried before and it had worked, but it wasn't going to stop her in her tracks. Lucy is a decisive filly at times, and she likes to eye up her competition before the race to see what she's up against - being a stalker, she likes to use the front runners and other stalkers to shadow the pace due to being extremely over responsive.
Starting in Gate One was the winner of the Boys Party, Mastermind. The previous week, the colt had won the Seaspray Cup Grade Two Sprint over Lucy's twin brother, Tears Of Blood. Beth was so annoyed with herself for not making her move sooner - but it left Lucy in a good position. He had raced the following week, and was being worked again for the race - Ivana and Jacey were only hoping that it could have a positive effect on the filly. She had beaten Mastermind in the Top Speed Stakes, where she took the victory over the colt. Rather than facing the fillies for the Star Festival, she decided to step up her game and go against the big guns, being the only other filly in the field besides her half sister, Loud And Clear.
Starting in Gate Two was Stride Of Perfection's colt, Aquatic Addiction. Jacey had always had her eyes on this colt. She really quite liked him. Most of his starts had been at the Wire's track, he didn't seem to have luck at Green Horse Fields at the moment, but he placed second in the Boys Party behind Mastermind - he seemed to have a good chance but there was plenty of competition for him. Lucy had never raced against him before - so she'd be eyeing up a new challenger in the parade ring. He was a good colt, and will the odds be in his favour on this particular day?
Starting In Gate Three was Jazzaway, starting for Nature Blue Stables, formally Bowen Acres. The colt was yet to take a win this year - and it hadn't happened just yet. He had placed fourth in the Quick Cup so he was a familiar challenger to Lucy. Bearing that in mind, he had done exceptionally well in some big races - the Louisiana Derby and also the Royal Red Richard Memorial Stakes. He was a good colt and not one to be forgotten either. Nature Blue had tried there hardest with him and there would be a day where he'd get that sooner important win - would today be his day?
In Gate Four, Loud and Clear would be starting. She was half sister to Lucy, and when together they'd get on like a house on fire even though they had two completely different dams but the same sire. Loud and Clear was out of The True Fallen For, so the filly had some great lines in her. Tears of an Angel was out of an unknown mare who was reknown for throwing good foals. In Year Ten, she had the twins before taking a break in year 11. In year twelve, she had Siren Call, by Shiver Me Timbers, and this year she had a black filly by Catching Fire called Hellfire. All in all, both fillies were really beginning to come into there own, and even though she placed second in the Girls Festival - swapping surfaces wouldn't phase her in the slightest. She was a good filly and looked destined to give it a go.
Ivana's thinking had lead to the time passing by quicker than she thought. The filly had tacked up and ready to go, it was just a case of thinking over things before it happened. Jazzaway would lead the pack - being the only front runner of the group. Ivana then decided to use her old trick. She would let Mastermind go ahead of her, and shadow the pace off Mastermind, so pressing him, rather than a front runner. Meaning she was in between the stalking and the mid pack position, meaning she would either be in front of Loud and Clear to pressure him, or behind. Either way, she wanted to stay right behind him. Aquatic Addiction would linger at the back, he'd make his move in the later stages of the race, leaving him at an advantage.
Lucy being Lucy doesn't run out of steam quickly. She likes to preserve her energy, hence pace shadowing. Ivana tightened the girth and rolled down the stirrups on the shadow. Jacey walked down the barn and to beside Ivana. She was ready to give it her best shot. Walking the filly out onto the yard, Ivana legged her up. She was really beginning to fill out now, and by the looks of it, she had grown - it was almost like she was bigger than her brother now - and if that was true, she'd be pushing on sixteen hands rather than her registered fifteen hands and two inches.
Ivana walked the filly out onto the track and walked her around in a few big circles. Jacey leant on the fence and called over to her. "Go five furlongs. Breeze. No faster, just let her run, I want to see how she goes, got it?" Ivana nodded and signalled the thumbs up. "Got it," She shouted as she asked the filly for a trot and started round the first corner of the race track. Jacey knew that Ivana wouldn't push the filly, she was just going to let her run, as she always does. The filly's long legs matched her long body. She was a big girl and she had really grown into her body now, rather than the scrawny yearling she looked like to start with.
On the corner heading towards the back stretch, Ivana stood and let the filly lope gently across the soft dirt surface. She played with her bit and cocked her head slightly to the left as she always did, releasing a little snort as she did so. She shook her mane and nickered lightly. Ivana let her canter slowly along, gliding gently across the dirt. She made sure she was soft with her hands, as Lucy was a snaffle bit at all times due to her sensitive mouth - because of this, she can become over responsive fairly quickly. Ivana loved riding the filly though. She was perfect to ride - hardly ever misbehaved, and when she did there was always some reason behind it.
As they came to the six furlong pole, Ivana crouched down and let Lucy go. The reins slipped through her hands and she extended her stride slowly but surely. Passing the five furlong pole, she began to pick up speed. Ivana didn't move, she just let the filly run. She rounded the turn and with each stride, a thousand kilograms of weight was being thrown onto one small strong and tiny fetlock. It was the way forward for her - she loved running, on both surfaces over the short distances. 'She was bred for it - bred to defy the odds, bred to be who she is now - soon she'll be a champion,' Ivana thought to herself.
Coming down the stretch, the filly really went for it. Ivana didn't touch her - she just let the fillies true power show in the last furlong. Taking a deep breath, Ivana looked down, watching the big bold shoulders of the three year old sprinting filly as she powerhoused across the dirt and under the wire. The filly's neck wasn't sweaty to touch, nor was it warm. The workout had done the filly a whole lot of good, and without it, she wouldn't be anywhere near ready to face Mastermind. Jacey and Ivana felt confident that something good would come out of tomorrows race... but would they get there way?