Checking In With SOPS

[S u N f r O s t ~]

The Gallop had the opportunity to check in with an unusually enthusiastic and talkative Amber Black the other morning, who stayed behind after SOPS left the track from their morning workouts. There was a sort of frenetic energy to the woman despite the early hour, a gleam in her eye. We get the feeling that Amber is just excited about upcoming events, and she proved willing to give the rundown on every horse in her roster, as well as make some vague hints about the future.

The first horse she talked about was Athena's Desires. Said mare had just walked off the track from a bullet four furlong workout, her final prep for the Nearctic Stakes next week at The Wire. She looked dangerously fast, just as she is known to be. The black mare has finally been closing the deal as a four year old. After a star-studded juvenile season, Athena's Desires appeared to stutter and fade as a three year old. She seems to be liking being four. She has won her last three and is entering the Nearctic off of a one month break. The jockey switch to Valencia Andrews has done the trick for this devilishly fast mare. Plans are holding up for her appearance in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf Sprint to cap off what is proving to be sensational season. If the mare's form holds, she will be a dangerous contender on race day. Valencia likes the mare's form and gets along well with her blazing speed, speed that Athena has proved herself able to maintain up to the edge of her distance range with aplomb. There was nothing but enthusiasm and pride from Amber as she talked about the mare, and she confirmed that she will definitely be running a five year old season and heading their turf sprinter division in Year Seventeen. "I just really like her temperament. She's fierce and cold and takes some getting used to, but once she gets going there's no stopping her. She works fast, runs fast and it's all coming together. She'll only continue to get better," Valencia promised as she left the track this morning.

Devil's Flair was the next topic of conversation. The chestnut son of Augusto and Flight Of Fancy was seen just the other morning at Battlestone Downs completing a six furlong breeze in good time. The stallion switched to the dirt this season and has been sensational at ten furlongs. He was third last out in the Autumn Dawn Treader Cup. He's been stepping back into HOTY races and has been faring well, especially over the surface that he rarely ran at for his first two seasons. Devil's Flair is known for his famous pace-pressing style that practically guarantees the races he runs have blazing opening fractions, even in longer races. His strategy has been working out well at ten furlongs, that's for sure, but trainer Amber Black commented that they are looking into going longer as the season progresses. "We have several twelve-furlong tests planned out for this horse in upcoming months," Amber commented. "He has a lot of stamina and his tactical speed in a race is incredible. I can see him wearing down the front runners, pulling away from the horses closing at the end and having the stamina to last the full race. He'll get plenty of chances to prove himself further as the year continues. I haven't finalized my Breeders Cup plans yet, but it's the Marathon or the Classic for him." Devil's Flair is set to appear in the Woodward Stakes at Battlestone in the second week of August after a one month break. He is set to stay in training at five, but whether it will be over the dirt or turf remains in question. He's definitely proven himself versatile enough to handle both.

Speaking about dirt routers, a certain one has almost been running in his stablemate's shadow. Fleet Street has been having a breakout year after a three year old season that consisted of build ups. The black stallion has won from eight to eleven furlongs this season and truly seems to display no real preference for any distance in that range. Though he recently placed fourth in the Starry Night Stakes despite a roaring June, his connections remain confident. "He's such a high maintenance horse. At first he went insane when I was switched to being his regular rider, and now he tolerates nobody else. You can't mess up routine with this horse. He's always been fast, but even something as simple as facing new competition or running at a new track can throw him off." Thankfully, Fleet Street has raced at and won at every track this season, so habituation is no longer a problem. "He's hitting Horse of the Year races as much as he can while staying away from others," commented Amber Black. "He's definitely hitting the Risorgimento Series at The Wire in September. He loved the series last season and performed excellently, and woe betide me if I send the horse somewhere he won't like. You can watch him next week in the Penn National Derby. He should race well, even if it is against a somewhat-miler-specialist in Saintly Touch. Mark my words...Fleet Street is rising. And he isn't going anywhere, so get ready for him in the dirt classic races next year."

Of course, it didn't take the SOPS crew long to bring up Pandora. The black mare wormed her way into the heart of the crew way before she took the Turf Triple Crown for them. This season, Pandora trialed the dirt earlier in the year. "She liked it just fine, really," says Amber. "But after the Lady's Secret Stakes in June, we started thinking a return to the turf could be in order." The mare clearly seems to like her home surface more, reeling off victories in the Arlington Million and Dwyer Stakes in her first two starts on turf this season. "She totally still has it," claims jockey Kylie Silverstar. The spark in the young woman's eyes is unmistakable. "I just really love riding Pan over the turf. She adapted well to the dirt, but turf is really where she is meant to be. And now we have an older turf router to race!" SOPS had long been bemoaning their lack of said horse on the senior roster. "It's all turf from here on out, and the Breeders Cup at the end of the season. She's hitting the Diana next week, stepping back into restricted competition for a race. It should be a fast one. I'm looking forward to it. Hope Lissome or Daddy's Overdraft show up." The last Kylie said with her usual cheeky smile.

Continuing with the senior roster, Silent Snap became our next topic of conversation. The chestnut colt just missed winning the Triple Sprinter Crown by one leg last season, placing second in the first and winning the final two. He finished last season placing second in the Breeders Cup Dirt Mile. This season, though, it appears as though Silent Snap has been having some difficulties catching up with the competition. "He's still a strong horse," claims Amber. "But he's becoming a different sort of animal. I think that when he was younger he had more speed and was a true sprinter. Now...he's favoring seven and eight furlong races and is almost not keeping up as well. We don't want to retire him, oh no. Instead, we're using this season to build him up again. We definitely want to run him through next year, but in all honesty we're considering running him through a lease. If our methods aren't working, and with horses like Ares and Coincidence to contend with within his own barn, it could be healthier for him to run with someone else. Regardless...we're still trying with him." The chestnut stallion is well respected for his early speed and ability to stave off challenges. He is certainly a tough horse. He is expected to make an appearance at seven furlongs in the Strub Stakes in the first week of August next - a race that was apparently not in the cards for the stallion. "His races didn't fill in July," commented Amber with a disappointed frown. "So we figured we'd shoot high and hope for the best. He's had it in him before, after all. He'll do well."

Speaking of shooting high, Amber's attention naturally shifted to Trinity next. This mare is just about the little mare that could do it all. Initially campaigned as a dirt distance filly, Trinity spent her classic season being a turf distance filly, running in the Turf Triple Tiara and the Green Mile and showing a certain propensity for the mile distance along the way. This season, the mare's focus has shifted once again - this time, to dirt sprinting. "There's just so much speed in dirt sprints," commented Amber. "It seemed like something Trinity's come-from-behind style could take advantage of. We've developed her over the years from a filly more suited to distance races with this style to a mare that can settle and pick it up much more quickly. She's truly becoming a different horse entirely. I can't wait for her foals in a few years - I can only hope they have her versatility." Jockey Christopher Black was even available for comment. The usually soft-spoken cousin of Amber was fired up today. "Throw that performance in the Orchid Stakes out the window. My mare's better than that. We've only been getting better all season. You'll see. Watch out for us, and be assured that at the end of the race, Trin is coming for you." Unusually foreboding for the quiet Chris, but he does seem to love his mare. We can safely assume she's running next season as well - she appears to be following the same bottoming route that stablemate Silent Snap is.

The last member of Stride Of Perfection's senior roster is Radiant Silver. The reclaim from Star Thoroughbreds has burst back onto the scene with a bang, taking to jockey Timothy Andrews like a fish to water and reeling off three victories since his return in late April. "This horse is so on the muscle all the time. Sometimes it gets the better of him, like it did this week in the Floridian Derby. He's such a naturally talented horse, arrogant like his father was and just as classy. We have plans to just guide him along and let him come back into racing. If all goes well, he could be our Classic horse next year. But then again, that could also be Incognito or Fleet Street. There's no shortage of stablemate competition in the barn. We're hoping he turns into a marathoner - Radiance was like that - but if he doesn't, well, we're prepared to keep him running at around the ten furlong mark." He's certainly a horse SOPS is eager to stand at stud. His next planned appearance is in the Hollywood Derby at The Wire, and if his rise continues more races remain in the cards for the bay. "We're ready. I'm eager to let this horse burst onto the Classic scene. He's not there yet, but we're hoping that by next year he will be," claimed jockey Timothy Andrews, brother to renowned jockey Valencia Andrews.

Speaking of Classic contenders, one can hardly miss the opportunity to mention Incognito. Last season's Juvenile of the Year has been reigning quietly this season. He's certainly raced very lightly. When questioned about it, Amber merely shrugged. "My goal for the Triple Crown was to keep him in form and happy. Light racing was the way to do that, especially after the fantastic juvenile season he put in. Rest assured, we intend to race him plenty after his spectacular performance in the Triple Crown. He's a classically oriented colt and he's coming in fresh to the Robesen off of more than a month's break. We're racing him plenty in August and sticking him in the Climax Cup in September. We'll be trialing some marathon distances with him too. The Belmont worked out well enough for him, so it's merely up to us to enter him in the races to build up his credentials for that as well as the classic distances. We are so proud of this horse and look forward to the future. He's likely to race a full four year old season and then retire, but who knows...I have attachment issues and may change my mind." The last said with a fond smile, Amber then let Kylie Silverstar, hovering nearby, take the stage. "Nero is the best," claimed the young woman. "He gives it his all every time. He's at his most expressive during a race when he is fighting with others for the lead. It makes us both very happy, I think." Incognito is not slated to compete in the Dirt Distance Series, which is instead being split between his stablemates. "The Triple Crown was enough for him. He has nothing to prove. We'd rather face older those weeks instead."

And if we're going to keep talking about the dirt, we'll have to mention Adrasteia. The chestnut daughter of Radiance and Admiral's Holiday is a gorgeous filly. She's well-known for her amazing stamina - not many horses can break first, attain the lead and then resolutely stay there and fend off challengers for the duration of a race. "In December last year we started to get a feel for just how good this filly could be. Her second in the Breeders Cup finally made us realize it," gushes Amber. "This season, Taia has been a superstar for us. Her performance in the Triple Tiara - a win in the Mother Goose and second in the other two legs - was the best put in overall by a three year old filly this year. And since then, it's like she's only getting better. Her win in the Provincia was against her own age group, and when she followed that up with a win in the Strawberry against older we got really excited. She hasn't placed lower than second in months! We're going to try the Honey Jay Stakes at Battlestone to see how she takes to a mile and then it's off to face older mares in the Azeri at The Wire. So exciting!". Jockey Meredith Mahon appeared to reflect this excitement, but all she did was smile coyly at this reporter after Amber's outburst of excitement.

One can't help but mention Animatia right after Adrasteia. Animatia only started racing in the last two months of her juvenile season due to her hyperactivity and focus issues. The delay has been repaid tenfold by her current racing performance. The gray daughter of TDI Live This Lie and Flash At Dawn has been scintillating. After victories in the Grande Derby and Stable Faceoff, Animatia pursued the "undercard" Triple Tiara races at Battlestone. She placed third in every leg. Shortly thereafter, Animatia took the backclass she had accumulated and won the Woodbine Oaks, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara. She placed second in the second leg, and then rode that performance to a win last out in the Dance To My Tune Stakes. "I'm really happy that my call to delay the filly's starts on the track paid off," comments Amber. "She's turned into such an impressive filly and she's starting to get a lot of attention now. It's difficult to keep her and Taia separated - it's only their grades at this point, and has nothing to do with their class levels. She's going next in the Shanghai Cup. If she doesn't win, then she can hit the Fleur de Lis Derby at the Wire. End goal is, she's just racing for wins this month. September she's stepping into the Novizio at The Wire, and then we're going to try her at seven furlongs in the Starshine Sprint. She's certainly speedy enough for it." Henna Turath wouldn't let us leave without giving us her opinion. "I know speed," says the renown sprinter-lover confidently. "Tia has got plenty of it. You don't often get a tactical filly like her. She's won at every distance in her range except one, and we're trying her at seven soon in the Starshine. We're very excited to see how she does. I love this filly."

Which brought Henna rolling on to the topic of another one of her favorites - Altercation. "This horse is tough and he is good," she commented. "He's improved so much. We may have skipped the Turf Triple Crown, but we did run in the Turf Triple Crown undercards, and he won the Frankel Stakes the week his half-brother World Dominion took the Belmont Turf Classic. I get the feeling Altercation likes that twelve furlong distance. He didn't fare well in the Coronation at it, but his last two wins were at a mile and a half. He'll like the Breeders Stakes just fine. Even if Natural Selection is staring him in the face." henna then proceeded into a truly terrifying rant. "I can't escape these family members! If it's main turf, World Dominion is staring him in the face, and they share a sire. But Natural Selection is out of Wildly Natural, yet another freaking Wild Flower descendant. Sometimes I feel like kicking Amber for these breeding deals. She needs to keep those mare's lines under lock and key unless they propagate further!". To which Amber slyly mentioned going for Breeder Of The Year, and Henna gave her an eloquent look of exasperation and walked off. Logically, there was only one choice of action here - moving on to a different topic of conversation.

Ares seemed like a safe place to go. Amber laughed at mention of the colt, eyes blazing, and proceeded to say he was merely a safe topic of conversation, not necessarily a safe horse. "He got along great with Valencia, but the minute Timothy Andrews stepped up as jockey it's like the two gravitated towards each other." She frowned. "We were worried we wouldn't be able to campaign him in the Triple Sprinter Crown confidently. Now he's won his last two races, the Acadiana and the Seaspray Cup, and we feel like at least testing out the first two legs. Ares has potent speed, and though he can run up to ten furlongs he's currently favoring five and six. We'll definitely run him in the first two legs, but we might switch him out for Coincidence in the last. Unless he wins of course. Then he's staying in." Ares is known for being a handful on the track and for his vicious turn of foot, all the more devastating at shorter distance races. While his half-sister Artemis's Glory pursues the Turf Triple Crown, Ares will pursue the dirt half. Amber laughed when we made this comment to her. "You know, I raced their sire Positively Precious, but I never bred to him. I'm very grateful to Ripley Marsh and Battle Brook for breeding him and developing these amazing horses. Also very happy to have Ares in the barn. He's frighteningly fast, but if he ever decides sprints aren't for him we can just as easily create a miler or distance horse out of him. For now though...he's in excellent form and Innerstellar better watch out."

One can't mention one sprinter without mentioning his shadow. Coincidence is the oddity of his lines, being the only sprinter-oriented descendant of both sides. As a juvenile, the gray colt was mainly a six and seven furlong horse. Now at three, he's a seven and eight furlong horse, and if his win the Holly Bull Stakes at eight and a half furlongs earlier in the season is any indication he could one day go longer. But for now, the horse is developing into quite the miler. After placing second in the Dr Fager Red Mile, Coney went on to win the Star Party last out. He is currently gearing up for the Easy Goer Red Mile. Amber Black only had one word to describe this one - "Brilliant. Coincidence has never taken any prisoners. He goes out there and runs, and either you keep up with him and his tactics or you don't. He rarely has bad rides during a race because he just knows how to run out there. His latest victories have been at seven furlongs, but you can't discount his mile and up victories earlier in the season. We're taking this horse far. If he continues like he has, we may have a horse that not only wins at six, seven and eight furlongs, but one that could run nine furlongs and up and be victorious as well. You don't get horses like that often. Nobody expected a son of Oddside and Santana's Moment to dodge the stamina influence of his pedigree, but he has. He's already proven himself by being an awesome sprinter. This season it's the miles. Next season...who knows."

You can hardly breathe the word "miler" around SOPS without some excited staff member bringing up Cyclonaria. Tough as nails, this filly was born with the desire to fight everything she comes into contact with. At three, that appears to be every horse that shows up on the track to face her. Valencia expressed nothing but affection for the brilliant chestnut even though the filly is anything but affectionate. Hailed as the second coming of Spotlight Pride in her latest race, Valencia only smirked and laughed when a match-up was brought up. "Well, I believe it's been informally decided between barns to avoid that match-up for now. At least on the racetrack. Breeding wise? Heck yes it's happening." When questioned as to the filly's next moves, Valencia was only too happy to tell us. "Well, Cy certainly is a miler type...and unfortunately for other milers, that's where she's going to be. The Rose Mile Cup and the Frankel Green Mile are next. Then we're cutting back to seven furlongs like Animatia is to run in the Butter Cup Sprint, or maybe we'll take the Crown version, who knows. She's mainly racing at a mile or so for now, but next year we may shorten up or lengthen her races. It depends on her. One thing's for sure - we're not going away anytime soon. We're just getting started and I'm excited to bring this fighting filly all the way to the Breeders Cup this season." She sounded supremely confident. Here's to hoping that Cyclonaria continues to perform well. We imagine to see her in the Mile the final week of December, though the Filly and Mare Turf was floated as a suggestion.

Not every horse is easy to figure out like Cyclonaria. Melusine is one of them. Ultra consistent, tough as nails and terrifying when she puts it all together, Melusine has not exactly been having a highlight of a season. She appears infected with thirditus. Her last try against Horse of the Year company was in the Betterbetterbetter Fillies at Battlestone, where she took second. "She's stubborn," comments Krystal. "We tried her over the dirt, and she didn't take to it too well so we backed right off. She has her mother's spirit, but she hasn't been closing the deal. Regardless, we're putting her in the Wonder Where Stakes at Battlestone. We'll see how she holds up. I can't speak as to her other races with confidence, but we're hoping to hit one leg of the Turf Distance Series and see how it goes. Her mother was a classic horse, so we're considering trying out marathoning next year. If anything, we have plenty of time to test her, and we won't rush. She's only three. Plenty of horses improve dramatically at four and five. For now, she's my tough fighter, and we never go down easy." Amber Black had nothing to add on to that, punctuating her jockey and assistant trainer's statements with a firm nod.

Frustration comes in pairs, and Melodious is the horse that completes the SOPS Frustration Duo. The gray filly was a rockstar in the turf sprints at two, but at three she has become a shadow of her former self...at least over the turf. Faced with frustrations, Amber Black switched the filly to the dirt in May Week Three and there was immediately a remarkable change. Melodious won her first race on dirt. She then proceeded to place second at HoTY level in the Evangeline Sprint, challenged the top dirt sprinter fillies in the Girl's Party for fourth and came back just last week to score a win in the July Dirt Stakes. Amber Black mentions that she was completely "thrown off" by the filly's sudden drop in performance over turf and love of dirt. "It came as such a surprise. She was so quick last year over it, but this year it's like the opposite - in terms of surface, of course, she's still a quick filly." With this record standing behind her, Melodious moves to enter the Triple Sprinter Tiara. She will surely run in the Shining Stakes and Purple Rose Stakes, though whether she hits the Starshine Sprint instead of stablemate Animatia remains a question. Jockey Henna Turath comments that the filly certainly has the speed to run and win at seven and eight furlongs, as she already has this season, but it's more a question of whether she takes well to the competition. "We're not pushing her too much right now. We want her to run comfortably. This season threw us for a loop, but we never want to not pick up on what she wants again. We're the most alert we've ever been with her. Her workouts are picking up speed again, and we're looking forward to the Triple Sprinter Tiara."

Rounding out SOPS's three year old roster is Sweet Like Sugar. A reclaim from Star Thoroughbreds, the blue-bred gray was no slouch at two. After some steady and consistent racing, she finally won her first race of the season two weeks ago in the Seaspray Cup. "She's only been with us since late April, but we're already very fond of her," Amber comments. "I've been dying to get my hands on a Dash Of Sugar descendant - oh wait, that's besides the point." She pauses to collect her thoughts. "Candy is a very quick, easy to please filly. We've been trying her over the dirt and she's certainly been liking it, but just the other week we discovered she had a penchant for the turf as well, and we're trying that next. Our current goal is to get this filly racing and build her up. She loves competition and is really improving in leaps and bounds with every race. Chris is smitten with her - he's usually out by her stall, and she usually doesn't throw one of her mood-swing tantrums with him. Lucky guy." Amber beamed a soft smile of affection at that one. "One thing is for sure, this filly fights every race for that win. She leaves it all on the track. Horses like that don't stay down for long. We're looking at mainly undercard races for her right now, and probably for the remainder of the season, though I'd love to see this filly duking it out with the best of them next year. And she may just get there, so I'd watch out. Determination is the name of the game with this one."

Moving on to the juvenile roster, Amber was beaming with pride as she mentioned Amaris. The daughter of Wire Champion Frozen Motion and Hall Of Fame inductee Axis Mundae had just pulled off a massive win in the Riley Allison Futurity at The Wire. "She's the toughest horse we've got on the juvenile roster. She's never stepped foot out of Horse of the Year company, and that toughness won her that last race. What I can promise you is that we're only going to keep going from here. She's a very physical filly, both imposing and willful, and she was starting to become a nightmare to train because of the win drought. I thought she wouldn't be able to work any faster! She really needed that win, and now she's back on the map." Amaris certainly has been working fast, ranking in the top ten in terms of workout times for every workout she's run in the past two months. "She's won at five and six furlongs so far, though we initially bred her with eight furlongs in mind. She's making her second try at seven furlongs in the Azalea Cup Fillies next week, and then we're stretching her to eight furlongs for her following two races. I'm thinking Turf Triple Sprinter Tiara and Green Mile already for her. She's been living up to her pedigree. Amaris is a very dangerous combination with Meredith Mahon. I'd watch out."

Speaking of dangerous...Black Thriller is rumored to be close to making the barn explode. "Mar got her win, but Black Thriller has not," explained Amber. "He rolled in the Follow The Hoofprints Dirt Classic and really loved eleven furlongs, but since then he's been repetitively frustrated. Seconds, thirds - these aren't good enough for Prince. He's tough, insistent and pushy normally, but now he's a nightmare. I only let Valencia and Timothy handle him. Regardless of his difficulties, I love this horse. His third in the El Joven was another near miss, but he'll only get better." Black Thriller is well known for being forcefully held back throughout a race before exploding in the final quarter mile with an intense, blisteringly fast charge. "That's just it. We've been fast, but we close from the back, and that's why we keep missing," explains Valencia fiercely. "Once we time that move just right, we'll bury our competition. He has the perfect style for the classic races next year, and I feel like he's, more than anything else, a budding marathoner. He's perfect for the Triple Crown and the Dirt Distance Series. The horse he beats don't even know they've lost until he sweeps under the line a half length in front and widening. I know my horse is good - better than Prometheus, at least." This last comment she tosses to Amber. It is well known that there's a rivalry between Prometheus and Black Thriller within the barn, and it often fires up discussions between Amber and Valencia.

Prometheus, son of Flashy Wings and Fire Dancer, is a third generation Stride Of Perfection horse that was hotly anticipated by his connections. He's already demonstrated the ability to run and win over both surfaces, has never lost an undercard race and recently won at twelve furlongs last week. Amber's eyes gleamed as she described her colt. "I love Theus. He acts like such a prince and is one of the most rock solid horses on the roster. I can't see this horse ever getting injured - he's so conditioned and well trained. Yet even though he's very powerful, I consider him to be more graceful. He has lovely, flowing motion and is just so easy to watch race. Black Thriller is all rolling power...Prometheus is concealed power with overt grace. Funnily enough, Theus is also a closer, though his style is more gradual than all-out force. He narrows the distance throughout his races. The rivalry has only helped him become better. I've never had a horse that truly thrives off of competition like he does." When asked about future racing plans, Amber mentioned that Theus was their consummate Canadian Triple Crown and Distance Series horse. "He's actually won at twelve furlongs three out of four tries - I think he's a better marathoner than your horse, Valencia - and he's won once over turf in two tries and the rest over dirt. He's mainly a dirt horse for now, though he's spending August and September on the turf and he will make an appearance in both the Youth Challenge and Turf Challenge series. What Breeders Cup race he goes to is up in the air, but you can expect to see him there."

SOPS's main turf horse was slated to be Mr Wild. The son of Mr Light and Wild Kiss has excellent manners and is a track favorite, but has yet to make a true splash. "He's astonishingly consistent and recently he's been on an upswing," comments jockey Christopher Black. "He's the kind of horse I love - talented, nice, willful when faced with a challenge. He's also very quirky. He has this weird distance when the sun isn't out, like he wants to be left alone. We leave him alone, but it's odd. Regardless - I love quirks. And he's the best kind of racehorse to have. He adapts to whatever spot works in the pace scenario of the race he's running. It takes a while to figure that stuff out, but the reason why he's widely regarded as being on an upswing right now is because he's starting to get it. I still think we can make the Turf Triple Crown next year with the way he's thinking and working." Mr Wild is slated to run in some Battlestone undercards for his next few, but then it's off to the Wire. "We are going to run him in at least one leg of the Turf Challenge," comments Amber. "We've only tried him at that competition level twice, and that was before his current form became so spectacular. As he races more, he'll only get better, and I'm fully confident that he can handle it."

The wild card router for SOPS is Wild Tide. Amber likes to call her Ms. Constant, muttering something about how the only constant in life is change, and that sums the filly up perfectly. "I have rarely worked with such a changeable, inconsistent filly. On race day, she either shows up or she doesn't. She's either one way, or she's not. The only thing we can rely on with her is her being near the front of a race. She looked freaking good in her Follow The Hoofprints win, but she's had a very rough July. The Bull Page Stakes and Governor's Cup did not go her way. We're going to step back into undercards again. She favors dirt over turf but can run at both, and she seems to prefer ten furlongs or less in her races. Probably an excellent Canadian Triple Tiara filly with those conditions, but first we need her to run. Usually consistency problems run themselves out over time, and that's certainly what we're hoping with this filly. I have really high aspirations for her." Kylie Silverstar, the filly's talented jockey, had more to add. "Wild Tide is not one of those brilliant-from-the-start types. But she's got heart, and she has talent, and I know talent when I see it. Once we figure things out, Ardent will be really good."

Classic season brings to mind Hysteria. Amber snorted when the filly's name was brought up. "Teri is insane. She makes a big deal out of everything. It would be annoying if she was a mean horse, but she's not. She's just very, very dramatic. Her running style is dramatic too - either she's at the front or chomping on the bit at the back. She is a very good filly though, our hope for the Triple Tiara. She's won from seven to nine furlongs so far, and we're stretching out to ten in September. Her win in the Fantasy was really strong." Wanda Brown, the mouse-brown haired woman standing nearby, got a word in before Amber opened up her mouth again. "Teri and I had a blast last week in the Orchid Cup Fillies. This filly has got so much speed and she used it at seven furlongs. I really enjoy dabbling with the sprinters at the top of their range and then swinging around to face the more classic oriented fillies in theirs. Teri is so flexible and so, so talented. Earlier in the season we had to work on quieting down her speed - she didn't take to ten furlongs very well then because of it - but now the filly is settling and we're going places. She is really good at a higher level and we look forward to the Breeders Cup. My first one, and I'm excited to potentially be riding a filly like her in it."

Potentially the scariest horse on the SOPS roster is Dauntless. Ridiculously tall, coldly controlled power and an absolute bully to other horses, it is not difficult to get on her bad side. "Don't let her physique fool you. James Greyson had the easiest time breaking in this one. She's extremely intelligent," warns Amber. Dauntless is widely recognized as one of the best dirt sprinter juveniles right now, with her three wins in Horse of the Year victories at six and seven furlongs. Valencia snorted when we mentioned the Triple Sprinter Tiara next season. "If Hysteria isn't careful, we'll steal her Triple Tiara spot. Last out, Dauntless won at nine furlongs in the Upgrading Derby. I think she can get the Tiara distance. Wouldn't that be something...a filly contending for the Triple Tiara, then the dirt sprinter tiara, and along with that potentially the Red Mile. I don't think I'm being overconfident when I say the filly could get it. Have you seen her close? She's devastating. I love riding her. It's exhilarating." Amber sighed at Valencia's overt confidence and turned to us once more. "Dauntless is certainly talented, but her distance capabilities are only just being explored. She's starting at a mile next out, but I don't anticipate us trying longer than that again for a while. It would not be a surprise if she did get distance, though. Her half-sister Battle Wings was quite the Triple Tiara horse. But her half-brother Silent Snap is a sprinter-miler type. So I guess we'll see what happens!"

Rounding out the SOPS racing roster is Celebrity. Often described as the most beautiful horse on the juvenile roster, Celebrity is much loved by the barn. Jockey Krystal Yhate in particular loves the filly. "I rode her half-sister Wish Upon A Star. And I rode her half-sister Moondance when she was with us. Celebrity brings their best qualities together. She's classy and is extremely smooth moving. And she loves to race. Her enthusiasm infects us all on race day." Celebrity has had a mixed career so far, and when questioned on that Krystal only shrugged. "My filly's a good one. Her win last out was rock solid. She's our Turf Triple Tiara filly, which might seem odd because she's only lost one race at seven furlongs. Maybe she'll turn to sprinting when she's older, though it would be odd to see that, given her pedigree. Well, if Ventura could go against her pedigree, I'm sure Bri could too." When questioned on future plans, Krystal was pleased to tell us to watch out for the flashy chestnut in the Kindergarten Stakes next week. "Seven furlongs again, I know, but we want to see if there's anything to her surprise affinity for the distance. And if there is...she could be like Dauntless and just run everywhere. That would be fun." Amber laughed. "Let's not forget that she broke her maiden at ten furlongs. She's still developing into herself, as all horses at two are, and we'll see what happens. We're very excited for the future with her."

After that exhaustive analysis, Amber strode away from us, intent on getting back to her horses, taking her jockeys with her. It will certainly be interesting to see if these horses live up to what Amber and their jockeys have told us. One thing is for sure - the Stride Of Perfection roster is ever improving and all connections involved are looking forward to the second half of the year!