Apr 19, 2015 11:41:27 GMT -5
S u N f r O s T ~, Ripley, and 4 more like this
Post by creativecause on Apr 19, 2015 11:41:27 GMT -5
One Year Later: Passion Heart’s Story
Just so ya'll know it isn't a year until the 21st of April but I got anxious and I never know what school will throw at me so we get this 2 days early
Just so ya'll know it isn't a year until the 21st of April but I got anxious and I never know what school will throw at me so we get this 2 days early
However, on this day one year ago, Grayson Meadows purchased a horse that was so unknown and broken that no one could have predicted the outcome that she received. Passion Heart was an unknown and invisible. She was lightly raced, but with what record she had well, it wasn’t exactly something flashy (18-3-3-4). Her record was so tarnished no one really bothered to give her a second look. She was a rabbit, fast as lightning and seemed to be good for not much else; however, it is what caught Tanner Grayson’s eye when he first met the mare and ultimately what lead to his decision to purchase her. Tanner Grayson spotted the mare while at a sale and liked what he saw in the fiery mare, but not for the track. He’d bought her as a broodmare interest with the intent of just racing her through her four year old season. If you told him she would have nearly won a Breeders’ Cup race he probably would have laughed at you. So, he bought the mare without thinking much about it. She never appeared very grouchy in the beginning. The team had no idea what they were in for the day she stepped off that trailer with a terrified Spirit Of Joy and shot Andrew, Steve and Tanner a death glare before completely losing it. They’d known of her hateful streaks, but they didn’t expect that she’d be that way 24/7.
As most things are for Passion Heart, the beginning with Grayson Meadows wasn’t easy either. The first workout she’d dumped Alex at least six times in five minutes and Andrew was the only one that really seemed to be able to stay on her and keep her calm enough. However their first workout was no cakewalk together either. The black daughter of Passionate Ruler reared up mid way through the final turn in the middle of the work.
Her first start under the colors of Grayson Meadows wasn’t easy, or great either. It resulted in a 5th place finish, pushing her out of money finishes to a whopping 9 of 19 career starts. However, that was the set up for her next start. The one that changed everything.
May week 4 was the turning point in this mares career, and although no one thought much of it, Ally’s dominating win in the Summer Cup Grade Five Turf was what sparked the fire of something great. She followed that up with a second to Acanthca in the Whipping By Stakes and then another win in the G4 Golden Fortuna Stakes. That was when Steve knew that this mare wasn’t over yet, she was only getting started. She then took an ambitious step and faced off with Hall Of Fame Cross My Heart, which she ran a very strong second to. A start that Andrew would describe as inspiring to the mare. She came back in the G4 Leaf Cup with another dominating performance. After another second she would come back with two dominating Horse Of The Year performances, including a win in the Y14 Just A Game Stakes* the very race she’d run 5th in the previous year. But the victory proved to be very impressive, although narrow, she did outrun Belmont Turf Classic Winner, The Devil’s Hourglass and Unicorn Horn Turf Mile winner, Night Goddess. She was quickly becoming classy and had a grand total of 7 wins to her name just for the season. To say her comeback was good was something of an understatement. She would go winless until November where she would win the November Turf Stakes and then the G3 Harbinger Stakes which would make her Grade Two. She went winless into the Breeders’ Cup however her three races leading into it were all narrow losses, the largest margin by a nose. Passion Heart went to the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf a furicious monster. Angered by narrow losses, she dominated all of her workmates and took a chunk out of Daddy’s Overdraft while they were working. She was an obsessed animal, and ready to demolish a field that she was a very strong favorite in. On race day she looked great, but so did Grayson Meadows other contender, Dare To Impress who walked away the winner by a whisker on her nose. She finished out the season with 9 wins, 3 of them horse of the year races, enough to keep her out of the end of the year awards at Green Horse Fields. However, her improvements didn’t go unnoticed. Passion Heart was crowned the Y15 Mare Usurper award and the Y15 Usurper Of The Year.
It was decided that she would finish out what Grayson Meadows had set out for her to do last season when she hit Grade Three. Make it to Grade One. And she sure did, with 4 wins so far this season including the Y15 Queen Cup* Passion Heart has obtained what she was truly meant to do. And she isn’t done just yet. Passion Heart has one final race this year, and she’s been working very well into it. If anyone couldn’t guess, Grayson Meadows is planning to place her in the Summer Cup, it’s kind of poetic to end her career where it started, and if she won there, well that would be great.
She may not be Hall Of Fame quality, but Passion Heart is arguably in a league all of her own. Her story is one that will certainly not be forgotten anytime in the near future, and although she didn’t pull G5-G1 all in one season, she came pretty close and ran her heart out in every race she was put in. She taught the staff about effort, that it’s never too late to do something great, and she taught us about the true meaning of heart and grit. And you’ll certainly see some of that in her in the last week of May. The mare’s most recent work was 56 seconds flat over five furlongs on the turf. She looks great and we assure you, this mare will be running her heart out in her final race at the end of May.
Passion Heart after G1 Rampallion Stakes Victory (14th Win)
P.S.
On a side note, I would love to thank everyone who had a part in this. To everyone who made my dream of getting this horse to Grade One possible. To everyone who gave her some of those wins she didn’t exactly deserve but she wouldn’t have been the same horse had she not had them. I would love to thank Cavallo for judging the Summer Cup Grade Five Turf back in May that got this mare rolling. And to S u N f r O s T ~ who believed that this mare could do something great before I thought she could. I’m thankful to Ripley who placed her second by a whisker in the Breeders’ Cup instead of dead last :P. And Sammy, I couldn’t forget you. I’m so grateful that bred this wonderful mare and sold her to me. Thank you everyone who made this possible
