Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2013 5:53:54 GMT -5
In Stride Racing weren’t certain if they were going to make it through the start of this year, but after things turned around for Jacey Leigh Lanning, they were almost back on track. They had sold a lot of there horses thinking that she would be shutting down but when things started to look up, she got her pride and joy mare, Paradise Island, back on track. Sonja had been working with Durango Racing for the first month of year fourteen until the owner decided it would the better idea to return the filly back to where she belonged to run her last season. This season would be the best for the filly and with her mind focused on things as they were now, and with her two workouts with Lucy at Durango, under Ariel Paisley, she knew the filly would be back on track and ready to roll in the new year, with Jacey Leigh herself back on board.
Sonja was a beautiful specimen of a five year old filly and this year her sights were firmly set on the Dubai World Cup, next years Dubai World Championships, and the one and only owners dream, the Breeders Cup Classic. Jacey knew it was serious business if she was going to win the Breeders Cup but she was determined her filly would do after her fourth place finish ahead of Eternal Phantom last year. She knew that it was a good start, but would she be ready for it this year? She was bigger and better than ever and Jacey’s dream after Mona’s failed attempt in Hall Of Fame was to get the Triple Tiara winner into Hall of Fame herself. She’s a beautiful filly and Jacey knows it, and so does Sonja.
Jacey had entered the beautiful mare in the GI Unicorn Horn Dirt Classic. She was up against some stiff competition but the filly wasn’t going down against the youngsters without a fight. The horses she was against were last years three year old superstars. Starting in Gate One was Stride Of Perfections beautiful filly, Sweet Inferno. The filly took a swift victory in the Belmont Stakes to become the second SOPS filly in the same season to win a leg of the Triple Crown, with Sizzling Dawn winning the Preakness Stakes. The filly was a grade two and raced as a front runner, so she would set the pace for the race.
Nightshade would be starting in Gate Two. The filly known as Atropa was very well known for her amazing two year old season back in year twelve, winning the Breeders Cup Juvenile in tremendous fashion. Though the filly had placed fifth place in the Dubai World Championship, she had placed second in the Ladies Classic, Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. She then placed fourth in the Belmont Stakes. The filly was very strong and had reached grade one in 37 starts with 14 wins. She raced as a closer, so she would be one to watch.