Two Worlds Colliding

<sup>WINNING TOUCH AND IVANA BABICOVÁ
WINNIE'S WORKOUT FOR THE ACORN STAKES

Let me tell you a story. A few years ago, a little bay filly was born. She was weak and small after being born premature. She lay in the shavings, a bandage round her neck connected to a drip, but the filly fought, and broke through, defying all the odds. People would tell them that she wouldn't be successful. People would tell them that they should just shoot her, but no. The yard powered through and were determined to keep the filly alive... Within two days, she was standing and nursing from her mother, Strike The Win, and within a year, she had grown tall and muscular.

She started her bid during her two-year-old season. It started out very successfully, with a place in the Flipping Frog Stakes during the Akita Rose Newcomers Series. She went on to grab a win, two places and two shows, before being out for most of the year when Battle Brook went out of business. She was sold on to Serendipity Hills before kicking up the dust in the Breeders' Cup to grab a place behind Georgie's Girl in that. Just a month later, she had already grabbed two wins and a place as a three year old, and they were soon to get revenge on the people who had judged her. The moral of the story is that you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

This was it. There was no going back now. I had made the biggest decision of my life, and that decision would affect me for practically a life time. We were going to the Triple Tiara... we were going to face Paradise Island. The entries at the moment looked almost unbelievable. I had made the right choice not sending Jackie to the Tiara, as the field was too strong for her... but with a filly who was one win from Grade One in the field, the winner seemed almost predictable. It was the filly that had beaten us twice in the past... she had won the Alabama Stakes, the Ruffian Handicap, and she had just taken the Kentucky Oaks, leaving Winnie in the dust. That was it... we weren't going to win it, so we might as well go for the experience more than anything.

There were many things sending alarm bells through my head, and though I was calm on the outside, I was freaking out on the inside. I was shaking slightly as I sat on Winnie's box at the crack of dawn. Though everything seemed pretty simple, this was the Triple Tiara, the fillies equivalent of the Triple Crown. I gulped and put my hands in my head. I then heard footsteps. I stopped breathing for a second. Jace? My croaky voice yelled. I listened for a response. No, it's me, the reply was almost instant. Oh, hi Evie. I lifted my head, pretending that I wasn't thinking about something that was practically killing my brain.

I continued to sit on the box. Walking down the barn with her mouse brown hair down in her distince purple and black jodphurs, she stopped outside Blue's stable, the one next to Winnie's. She loved that filly, and though she didn't ride it the bond that both horse and human had was unbreakable. She walked over to me and saw me shaking. Her eyes stared at my legs, my hands were held together in my lap. Are you alright? She sat next to me. I nodded and bit my lip. Don't worry about me, I'm just stressing about tomorrow. Eve put her hand on my shoulder. Don't stress. It's the last thing you want to do. I looked up, But I d- Eve shushed her. No but's, no if's, pretend it's a normal race. It's all you can do. I nodded and sighed.

To beat the filly would be a massive achievement to both me and Winnie. We added our little spin onto it all, with our weekly sessions for workouts. Three pool workouts, a week before each race, then finally a breeze the day before. Nothing too over powering. Her swim last week was brilliant, and she had defied all odds, really powering herself through the water. Her determination made me smile. I loved that filly, I loved her with a passion, and nothing would break the bond that me and her had. Jacey had called me in that morning to discuss the opponents in the Tiara.

I walked to her office door and knocked loudly. Smiling, I turned the handle and walked in, closing the door behind me and sitting down in the chair. I looked at her and smiled. She handed me the current list of declared entrants and I smiled. Looking down it, it appeared to me that we could possibly grab second place, but my negative thoughts were still getting to me slightly. I thought about the field for a moment, I think the best place to run would be to settle in just behind Paradise Island. It seems Arachne will take the lead. Paradise Island being a front runner or preceder would probably be hot on Arachne's heels, but not presuring the pace. I want to linger a length or so behind Sonja, and stalk her the whole way round the mile distance.

Jacey nodded. You have some good tactics you do Ivana. I'm sure they'll play a huge part.Jacey took the entrant list back, and leant back in her chair. Okay - Starting in Gate One is the Witch Creek filly, half sister to Winnie, Fiery Touch. You've beaten her twice before, and I'm certain you could do it again. I nodded and continued to listen to her. She is the only closer in the race, which leaves her at an advantage. Her pre-race work was a good one as I watched this morning, and though she only had two wins, two places, and six shows, she looked a good contender. They promised Stride Of Perfection that they would go to the Tiara, and they aren't letting them down anytime soon. I nodded and smiled. We would never face her on the turf as she wasn't able to run over the dirt. She did finish a very good second in the Breeder's Cup Juvenile Fillies race in her last start of Year Eleven. She finished third in the Alabama Stakes behind Winnie, and Paradise Island. I grumbled at the name. She finished fourth behind Arachne, Union Jaque, and Paradise Island again in the Ruffian, but a long lay off means that she is ready, willing, and fighting for a win in this race tomorrow. I nodded and took that all down, making notes as I listened to Jacey.

Jacey looked up and giggled at me. Okay, here is our next one, I finished scribbling down Fie's notes and looked back up. Starting in Gate Two is Arachne, the Intrepid filly who went on to win her race last week at Green Horse Fields. Her main rival is definitely Fiery Touch - they swapped placings in the Alabama and Ruffian, meaning that they appear to be onto something in that department. I nodded, continuing to listen. She has three wins under her belt, good for a filly who only started racing this year, but though her experience level is still low, she has pulled something dramatic out of the bag to perform well recently. Gazing over at Jacey, I raised my eyebrow. She had definitely performed well and I was in agreement with her, but she wasn't far behind us, which was scaring me a bit. We needed to start grabbing a few wins in Graded Stakes races soon otherwise I would be worried. With eight starts, three wins, two seconds, and two thirds, she's only placed out of the top three once, in the Ruffian Handicap behind Fie. I jotted my notes down and smiled.

Jacey smiled. Now here's Matt's pride and joy. I sighed instantly and put my hand on my head. Paradise Island will be starting in Gate Three. The filly is looking to be practically unbeatable. With five wins, and a place behind Eternal Phantom at the start of the year, this filly had stormed in a winning streak since then, proving that she could quite possibly be the next Born To Soar and take the Tiara. I nodded. It looked highly likely that we would be beaten again, but we weren't going to go down without one hell of a fight. Jacey interrupted my thinking. Her streak doesn't look like it is going to stop anytime soon, and being one win away from Grade One has left her the heavy favourite for the Tiara. I accepted defeat to her twice, but I'm not going to let the grudge slip that easily. She won the Ruffian, The Oaks, and the Alabama... all three major prep races for the Tiara. I said to Jacey. Jacey nodded, Yes, but if we work hard, work well, and try our best, we might be able to run her down in the final furlong. I nodded.

You will be starting in Gate Four. On the outside, so you have a good position there to rest in third as Fie breaks slow. I nodded. Okay, that's all we really need to talk about today. Winnie is tacked up for you, I asked Eve to do it, which is why I sent her down the barn. Smiling, I stood and I exited the office after discussing my plans with Jacey, and, sure enough, Winnie had been tacked up for me and she was ready to roll. This rivalry reminded me of Silverianna and Afterglow, last years Triple Tiara rivalry. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Walking out into the yard, Eve offered me a leg up. I paused her and ran to grab my stuff. Picking it up, I put my protector and hat on, before grabbing my crop and walking back into the yard. I gave her the thumbs up before being bounced into the saddle. I grinned and took hold of the reins and placed my stirrups in the irons. I was ready, and so was she. Bring it on Sonja.

I walked the energetic bay filly out onto the dirt surface. She looked around, her little ears pricking as she did so. She had worked beautifully in the pool last week, and though I didn't want to push her so much, she enjoyed it very much. It was time to step it up a gear now. We were going to be racing against some of the best three year old fillies at The Wire. As the darkness of the morning began to fade away, I wondered what would happen if we did pull something out the bag. I didn't want there to be a Tiara winner this year If I was completely honest, as I wanted my filly to try and take atleast one leg. Jacey had been talking about throwing Mizadori or Union Jaque in the Coaching Club American Oaks. Though unlikely, both fillies seemed at the top of their game at the moment. Mida had won two races and placed behind Ashes To Ashes... Union Jaque had won two and placed in two, also behind Ashes To Ashes, and Paradise Island.

I took a deep breath and composed myself, almost forgetting where I was, on board the beautiful bay filly. I shook my head and closed my eyes as the headache that I had began to subside. I took a deep breath and looked to see if Jacey was coming. I felt myself becoming a little unstable, which was normal for me considering I was stressing, but I'd listened to Eve's wise words, and they were beginning to settle me a little bit. I opened my eyes and smiled, turning my head only to see Jacey walking up to watch the workout. It was her husband, Matthias, that convinced Jacey into persuading me about putting Winnie back in the Tiara, but after much persuasion, it had worked, and I was ready to show what we had in store.

Jacey got her radio from her pocket. She spoke down it, and the reply exploded from the radio which was now in my back pocket. I smiled and began to trot the bay filly round the track. Both of us were hoping for wins from the mount, and both of us knew that our horses were capable, but whether or not it would happen was a different story. I began to let Winnie canter, letting her stride it out and warm up for the race ahead. I allowed her to loap along the dirt, not really paying attention, but more focused on the fact that Jacey was watching with eager eyes. I let Winnie look at the Jacey out the corner of her eye, but her eyes were now blazing with sheer determination. She could taste racing in the air and began to pull impatiently on the reins. I grinned and held her back. I, too, was eager to get going now that my nerves had settled. It would be interesting to see how we worked today.

Okay, a three furlong pre-race gallop then. Nothing too harsh. Jacey's voice echoed through the radio. I bit my lip, ready and prepared to feel Winnie's speed. Winnie, being a stalker, liked to see where the leaders were, and with other horses behind her, I had to be extremely careful. She wasn't a horse who could run in any position depending on how she felt and dependant on what the jockey told her. I was still working on being able to read the filly a bit better, but my bond with her was now practically inseparable. We reached the three and a half furlong pole, and I let Winnie go.

Instantly, she refocused and took to a high paced gallop, flashing away, not really wanting to slow down at my command. After about half a furlong of sprint, I brought her back down to a slower and steadier gallop and grinned. She continued to run at a high pace with me resting on her back. Once I'd got her to slow her pace, it was a reasonable one. The first furlong of flight went in a speedy ten seconds flat; not break neck speeds, but just perfect. I was going to keep her at this gallop for now.

As we rounded the turn and passing the two furlong post, Winnie was hooked to the inside rail, and I scraped the paint off with my iron. We came off the turn and the thoroughbred filly kept her gallop fast and forward, and I was comfortable with her speed. Finally, into the final furlong, I let her go. She dug in and shot forward almost effortlessly, finding a new gear. I grinned as I pushed her forward a bit, her huge bounding strides carrying me effortlessly across the dirt. We coasted across the line, and Winnie slowed. I smiled and patted her. Save it all for race day, honey. I stroked her neck. I was secretely glad that we'd be facing Sonja now - however, given more time, the other races would have been Winnie's, of that, I was almost certain.</sup>