Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2012 7:24:02 GMT -5
The final leg of the Triple Tiara series at The Wire was quickly approaching, and the buzz around the Silver Stride Stables yard could not be mistaken. It was the buzz of excitement, of anticipation. The grooms were talking, the jockeys becoming more and more competitive, and in the middle of all this fuss was one team - Paradise Island, and her jockey Tanya Stratt. The bay filly was on a real roll this season, having not lost since her face-down with Eternal Phantom at the beginning of the year, and now she had claimed two legs of the prestigious tiara. The battle was ongoing, however, and it all came down to one race... The Coaching Club American Oaks.
Could Sonja and Tanya pull off another victory and claim the title? It was the question on the lips of many in the racing world. With the Triple Crown out of the window, with no champion now possible, attention had turned to the tiara. Would their be a champion this year? If yes, Paradise Island would be the second behind Born To Soar and all indicators were that the filly had a chance. However, it was not going to be easy. Not only was Winning Touch, who was better rested, returning to the series for the final leg but Stride Of Perfection Stables had decided to enter their Kentucky Derby winner, Eternal Phantom as well. On top of that, Phantie's twin sister, Midnight Thriller was also set to make an appearance which all in all made for a very exciting field.
Winning Touch had come on in leaps and bounds for Serendipity Hills this year and was on the cusp of breaking into Grade Three. She had not ran in the Mother Goose Stakes after coming in third in the Acorn Stakes but had instead gone into the Jackhopper Derby in May Week 2, claiming victory. The Touch Up filly would be coming into the race with a huge confidence boost after that victory and Matthias knew the team working with her well enough to be sure that they would be fighting to claim this race. Winnie, as she was nicknamed, ran as a stalker and would be starting in the first gate.
Eternal Phantom would be starting in Gate Three, and Matthias had been glad to see her name in the line-up. This season, the beautifully bred filly had claimed five wins, bringing her total wins up to nine and she was on the very verge of breaking into Grade Two. She had ran well, claiming victory in the first leg of the Triple Crown before coming in third in the second. The last time Eternal Phantom and Paradise Island had raced, Phantie had won, and Matthias had been itching to see his filly race against her again. Phantie was well known for her versatility, but would likely run as a closer in the given field.
Midtee, starting in gate four, was less known that the other competitors but one to watch anyway because she had strengthened her record a lot over the last few months. Now back at her home stable, which had been forced to take a hiatus due to a barn fire, there was no doubt she would be running for gold. Midtee was certainly the underdog but she would not give in easily. All previous indicators from this filly showed that she would be running as a stalker.
Paradise Island herself would be starting in Gate Two, between the two other competitors. Given the current field she would be running up front and she would be perfectly able to do that, even if in general she tended to run as a preceder she was versatile between the positions. The advantage that Sonja had when running as a front runner was that she would not be pressured by stalkers and would maintain the pace she desired. It had been several races since Sonja had ran as a front runner, seems as Arachne had been entered in the previous legs, and Matthias was sure both the horse and her jockey would find the change to be refreshing.
Tanya had been easy enough to distract for the first few days of the three week break - Alana had been willing to do anything to keep her sister's mind off of the American Oaks. She had even gone shopping, which was almost unheard of for the jockey. But while it had worked for the first few days, her sister had then started to threat. The pressure, of course, was huge. The whole world was watching, and Alana couldn't even begin to imagine how it felt to be in Tanya's shoes at that moment in time.
Finally, however, the jockey would finally be allowed to focus on the one thing which had been dominating her mind. Ignoring the press, who had been chasing her for a statement since the Mother Goose Stakes, she walked to the track with a determined look across her brow - it would make quite the difference from the usual images of the smiling, bubbly jockey that the public were used to and showed the ore serious side of her. Her dark eyes had bags under them - clearly the stress of the race had been getting to her despite her sister's best effort to try and keep her from thinking about it.
Arriving at the track, she was glad to see that Sonja had already arrived and was looking as healthy and fit as ever if perhaps a little more energetic than before the previous two legs. She was tossing her head, shifting every time Lucas tried to still her, but it was expected - this was a filly who had become used to running every two weeks, and the three week gap had left her feeling rejuvenated and determined to get back to the track. Tanya smiled slightly as she placed the helmet, which she had been carrying under her arm, atop her head and fastened the strap to find an arm around her shoulders. Matthias, of course.
"Okay, I know your stressed out - we're all nervous but remember what your sister said, okay? Just relax, race like it's any other race and forget about the title. You win, that's great. You lose... Well, we'll come back from it. Sonja's energetic and ready to go, she'll give her best and I know you will too. Just remember not to forget about those closers, because that could be a deadly mistake." Tanya nodded, looked over to Sonja again who was now pulling at the rein to get to her. "We're going to run her over four furlongs today, but not press her too hard. We don't want to waste her energy before the race." Again Tanya nodded, started to walk toward the horse.
"Chin up, and remember we believe in you okay?" Suddenly the jockey turned and wrapped her arms around the trainer's neck, finding herself annoyed when the flash of a camera caught the corner of her eye. Anger bubbled within her, and she turned to deal with it but Matthias shook his head. "They are bound to be curious. Ignore them, focus on preparing for this race. It will all be over soon, then they'll leave you alone." Tanya sighed, rolling her shoulders. She opened her mouth to speak but Matthias smiled knowingly and pushed her forwards. "Come on, I think Son wants to get started."
It didn't take long for preperations to be finished. Tanya was lifted into the saddle, the girth was tightened and stirrups adjusted slightly. The jockey took a moment to move a strange of hair which had managed to fall into her face and sighed. Beneath her, Sonja was fidgeting constantly, it was as if she didn't know how to keep still and her impatience was clearly catching because very quickly the jockey found herself wandering what she had been worried about, why she was procrastinating. "Let's do this thing." she said and Lucas grinned. That was what he liked to hear. He led horse and jockey to the four furlong point, held her steady while the jockey took up her position.
"Three, Two, One... GO!" as he shouted he released his grip on the rein and the filly darted forwards, making a clean break from where she had been stood. Powerful legs picked up the pace quickly and her determination to run was clear as she was showing no signs of moderating her own speed. Tanya pulled her back down to a reasonable speed, patted the filly's neck softly. "Calm girl, no need to rush." she spoke and the filly's right audit flicked back for half a second before pressing forwards again. The gait was strong and smooth, the filly's experience on the track now shining through in the way she moved and handled herself. Although she had seemed headstrong at first, now she relaxed and seemed to settle into herself quickly. "That's it." Tanya spoke again, praising the powerful creature beneath her.
Now that they had started, Tanya allowed herself a moment to consider how the race would play out. Her and Sonja would take the lead, according to plan, with Winning Touch and Midnight Thriller at their flanks. There would likely be several lengths between Winnie, Midtee and Phantie. Phantie... Just the name set Tanya's jaw on edge. The filly was the only horse to have beaten Sonja so far this season, right at the beginning of the year, and they hadn't faced one another since. Since then, both fillies had accumulated further wins, and Phantie had claimed a leg of the Triple Crown. Tanya was not willing to lose to Phantie again... Not without a fight, and Sonja was ready to give that fight.
Things were going well as they moved into the second furlong, Tanya allowing the filly a little more rein as they continued up the stretch. It was relaxed now, as if they were just riding for the fun of it and not to prepare for a race, but Tanya's mind was alive with thought and a need to prove herself, and the filly seemed to pick up on the jockey's now calm determination. Yes, her and Sonja would give it their all and while the others would give them a run for their money they fight to claim victory. Whether or not they would seize it depended on race day performance, but over all it did not matter. It was just a race. She wanted to win it because it was a race, Sonja would be spurred on by the competitive environment and the presence of her rival. There would be sparks, there would be drama and excitement, but in the end it was just a race.
Another furlong closed, and Sonja's speed surged now, her limbs carrying her more quickly across the dirt as the post came into sight. Tanya couldn't help smiling to herself as she tucked closer to the filly's neck and while she did not drive Sonja forwards she did not hold her back. Naturally, Sonja fought for the post. Stride after stride, she closed the gap and her pace soon came to an impressive peak. It didn't matter now... Nothing mattered now but that post, but finishing the workout. Even without encouragement, the filly was going for it and she was not showing any signs of slowing down.
The distance was reducing rapidly, one furlong remained and Tanya gave in to her own desires. The crop cracked, the jockey worked alongside the filly and again the speed increased. They were really fighting, hitting speeds Matthias was sure Sonja had never achieved before and with that ever-determined attitude that was becoming a symbol of the filly. The only triple tiara contender this year with no known lines, the filly who had won two legs of the series already and who never gave in. They flew past the post, and the grin on Tanya's face said it all. It did not matter if they won, she didn't care... She had Sonja, and that was all that mattered.
Could Sonja and Tanya pull off another victory and claim the title? It was the question on the lips of many in the racing world. With the Triple Crown out of the window, with no champion now possible, attention had turned to the tiara. Would their be a champion this year? If yes, Paradise Island would be the second behind Born To Soar and all indicators were that the filly had a chance. However, it was not going to be easy. Not only was Winning Touch, who was better rested, returning to the series for the final leg but Stride Of Perfection Stables had decided to enter their Kentucky Derby winner, Eternal Phantom as well. On top of that, Phantie's twin sister, Midnight Thriller was also set to make an appearance which all in all made for a very exciting field.
Winning Touch had come on in leaps and bounds for Serendipity Hills this year and was on the cusp of breaking into Grade Three. She had not ran in the Mother Goose Stakes after coming in third in the Acorn Stakes but had instead gone into the Jackhopper Derby in May Week 2, claiming victory. The Touch Up filly would be coming into the race with a huge confidence boost after that victory and Matthias knew the team working with her well enough to be sure that they would be fighting to claim this race. Winnie, as she was nicknamed, ran as a stalker and would be starting in the first gate.
Eternal Phantom would be starting in Gate Three, and Matthias had been glad to see her name in the line-up. This season, the beautifully bred filly had claimed five wins, bringing her total wins up to nine and she was on the very verge of breaking into Grade Two. She had ran well, claiming victory in the first leg of the Triple Crown before coming in third in the second. The last time Eternal Phantom and Paradise Island had raced, Phantie had won, and Matthias had been itching to see his filly race against her again. Phantie was well known for her versatility, but would likely run as a closer in the given field.
Midtee, starting in gate four, was less known that the other competitors but one to watch anyway because she had strengthened her record a lot over the last few months. Now back at her home stable, which had been forced to take a hiatus due to a barn fire, there was no doubt she would be running for gold. Midtee was certainly the underdog but she would not give in easily. All previous indicators from this filly showed that she would be running as a stalker.
Paradise Island herself would be starting in Gate Two, between the two other competitors. Given the current field she would be running up front and she would be perfectly able to do that, even if in general she tended to run as a preceder she was versatile between the positions. The advantage that Sonja had when running as a front runner was that she would not be pressured by stalkers and would maintain the pace she desired. It had been several races since Sonja had ran as a front runner, seems as Arachne had been entered in the previous legs, and Matthias was sure both the horse and her jockey would find the change to be refreshing.
Tanya had been easy enough to distract for the first few days of the three week break - Alana had been willing to do anything to keep her sister's mind off of the American Oaks. She had even gone shopping, which was almost unheard of for the jockey. But while it had worked for the first few days, her sister had then started to threat. The pressure, of course, was huge. The whole world was watching, and Alana couldn't even begin to imagine how it felt to be in Tanya's shoes at that moment in time.
Finally, however, the jockey would finally be allowed to focus on the one thing which had been dominating her mind. Ignoring the press, who had been chasing her for a statement since the Mother Goose Stakes, she walked to the track with a determined look across her brow - it would make quite the difference from the usual images of the smiling, bubbly jockey that the public were used to and showed the ore serious side of her. Her dark eyes had bags under them - clearly the stress of the race had been getting to her despite her sister's best effort to try and keep her from thinking about it.
Arriving at the track, she was glad to see that Sonja had already arrived and was looking as healthy and fit as ever if perhaps a little more energetic than before the previous two legs. She was tossing her head, shifting every time Lucas tried to still her, but it was expected - this was a filly who had become used to running every two weeks, and the three week gap had left her feeling rejuvenated and determined to get back to the track. Tanya smiled slightly as she placed the helmet, which she had been carrying under her arm, atop her head and fastened the strap to find an arm around her shoulders. Matthias, of course.
"Okay, I know your stressed out - we're all nervous but remember what your sister said, okay? Just relax, race like it's any other race and forget about the title. You win, that's great. You lose... Well, we'll come back from it. Sonja's energetic and ready to go, she'll give her best and I know you will too. Just remember not to forget about those closers, because that could be a deadly mistake." Tanya nodded, looked over to Sonja again who was now pulling at the rein to get to her. "We're going to run her over four furlongs today, but not press her too hard. We don't want to waste her energy before the race." Again Tanya nodded, started to walk toward the horse.
"Chin up, and remember we believe in you okay?" Suddenly the jockey turned and wrapped her arms around the trainer's neck, finding herself annoyed when the flash of a camera caught the corner of her eye. Anger bubbled within her, and she turned to deal with it but Matthias shook his head. "They are bound to be curious. Ignore them, focus on preparing for this race. It will all be over soon, then they'll leave you alone." Tanya sighed, rolling her shoulders. She opened her mouth to speak but Matthias smiled knowingly and pushed her forwards. "Come on, I think Son wants to get started."
It didn't take long for preperations to be finished. Tanya was lifted into the saddle, the girth was tightened and stirrups adjusted slightly. The jockey took a moment to move a strange of hair which had managed to fall into her face and sighed. Beneath her, Sonja was fidgeting constantly, it was as if she didn't know how to keep still and her impatience was clearly catching because very quickly the jockey found herself wandering what she had been worried about, why she was procrastinating. "Let's do this thing." she said and Lucas grinned. That was what he liked to hear. He led horse and jockey to the four furlong point, held her steady while the jockey took up her position.
"Three, Two, One... GO!" as he shouted he released his grip on the rein and the filly darted forwards, making a clean break from where she had been stood. Powerful legs picked up the pace quickly and her determination to run was clear as she was showing no signs of moderating her own speed. Tanya pulled her back down to a reasonable speed, patted the filly's neck softly. "Calm girl, no need to rush." she spoke and the filly's right audit flicked back for half a second before pressing forwards again. The gait was strong and smooth, the filly's experience on the track now shining through in the way she moved and handled herself. Although she had seemed headstrong at first, now she relaxed and seemed to settle into herself quickly. "That's it." Tanya spoke again, praising the powerful creature beneath her.
Now that they had started, Tanya allowed herself a moment to consider how the race would play out. Her and Sonja would take the lead, according to plan, with Winning Touch and Midnight Thriller at their flanks. There would likely be several lengths between Winnie, Midtee and Phantie. Phantie... Just the name set Tanya's jaw on edge. The filly was the only horse to have beaten Sonja so far this season, right at the beginning of the year, and they hadn't faced one another since. Since then, both fillies had accumulated further wins, and Phantie had claimed a leg of the Triple Crown. Tanya was not willing to lose to Phantie again... Not without a fight, and Sonja was ready to give that fight.
Things were going well as they moved into the second furlong, Tanya allowing the filly a little more rein as they continued up the stretch. It was relaxed now, as if they were just riding for the fun of it and not to prepare for a race, but Tanya's mind was alive with thought and a need to prove herself, and the filly seemed to pick up on the jockey's now calm determination. Yes, her and Sonja would give it their all and while the others would give them a run for their money they fight to claim victory. Whether or not they would seize it depended on race day performance, but over all it did not matter. It was just a race. She wanted to win it because it was a race, Sonja would be spurred on by the competitive environment and the presence of her rival. There would be sparks, there would be drama and excitement, but in the end it was just a race.
Another furlong closed, and Sonja's speed surged now, her limbs carrying her more quickly across the dirt as the post came into sight. Tanya couldn't help smiling to herself as she tucked closer to the filly's neck and while she did not drive Sonja forwards she did not hold her back. Naturally, Sonja fought for the post. Stride after stride, she closed the gap and her pace soon came to an impressive peak. It didn't matter now... Nothing mattered now but that post, but finishing the workout. Even without encouragement, the filly was going for it and she was not showing any signs of slowing down.
The distance was reducing rapidly, one furlong remained and Tanya gave in to her own desires. The crop cracked, the jockey worked alongside the filly and again the speed increased. They were really fighting, hitting speeds Matthias was sure Sonja had never achieved before and with that ever-determined attitude that was becoming a symbol of the filly. The only triple tiara contender this year with no known lines, the filly who had won two legs of the series already and who never gave in. They flew past the post, and the grin on Tanya's face said it all. It did not matter if they won, she didn't care... She had Sonja, and that was all that mattered.
