Y12 Twilight Stakes

[Cavallo]

Y12 Twilight Stakes

Hello and Welcome to the first running of The Twilight Stakes, here on The Wire! It's a cool night here and it will definitely be hard on the jockeys tonight! I hope they are bundled up! The turf though is looking simply pristine and should run well for this years TS contenders.

The Twilight Stakes - G5+ + 4Y0+ - 11F - T

[/u] Ripley

Gate One:[/sub]


Purse:
Winner - $1,000,000 + 8 stable/racing points
Place - $500,000 + 7 stable/racing points
Show - $250,000,00 + 6 stable/racing points

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[sub][blockquote]
[center][size=15][font=freestyle Script][color=RoyalBlue][u]Twilight Stakes[/u][/color][/font][/size]
[img]http://i46.tinypic.com/2ynflax.jpg[/img][/center]

Hello and Welcome to the first running of The Twilight Stakes, here on The Wire! It's a cool night here and it will definitely be hard on the jockeys tonight! I hope they are bundled up! The turf though is looking simply pristine and should run well for this years TS contenders.
[b]
[u]The Twilight Stakes - G5+ + 4Y0+ - 11F - T[/b][/u]

[b][u]Gate One:[/u][/b]
[/sub][/blockquote]
[/blockquote]

[Cavallo]

[sub][blockquote]
[center][size=15][font=freestyle Script][color=RoyalBlue][u]Twilight Stakes[/u][/color][/font][/size]
[img]http://i46.tinypic.com/2ynflax.jpg[/img][/center]

Hello and Welcome to the first running of The Twilight Stakes, here on The Wire! It's a cool night here and it will definitely be hard on the jockeys tonight! I hope they are bundled up! The turf though is looking simply pristine and should run well for this years TS contenders.
[b]
[u]The Twilight Stakes - G5+ + 4Y0+ - 11F - T[/b][/u]

[b][u]Gate One:[/u][/b] [url=http://xintrepidracingx.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=alluringassault&action=display&thread=51]Alluring Assault[/url]
[/sub][/blockquote]

[Deleted]

[sub][blockquote]
[center][size=15][font=freestyle Script][color=RoyalBlue][u]Twilight Stakes[/u][/color][/font][/size]
[img]http://i46.tinypic.com/2ynflax.jpg[/img][/center]

Hello and Welcome to the first running of The Twilight Stakes, here on The Wire! It's a cool night here and it will definitely be hard on the jockeys tonight! I hope they are bundled up! The turf though is looking simply pristine and should run well for this years TS contenders.
[b]
[u]The Twilight Stakes - G5+ + 4Y0+ - 11F - T[/b][/u] [color=Red]Ripley[/color]

[b][u]Gate One:[/u][/b] [url=http://xintrepidracingx.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=alluringassault&action=display&thread=51]Alluring Assault[/url]
[b][u]Gate Two:[/b][/u] [url=http://silverstride.weebly.com/souvenir.html]Souvenir[/url]
[/sub][/blockquote]

[Ripley]

Would like to judge this! I'll even do a write up!

[Cavallo]

Thanks Ripley! More entries guys!!!

[Deleted]

Awh I'd love to judge it too :P Haha - go ahead Ripley! Your write ups make me happy

[S u N f r O s T ~]


[sub][blockquote]
[center][size=15][font=freestyle Script][color=RoyalBlue][u]Twilight Stakes[/u][/color][/font][/size]
[img]http://i46.tinypic.com/2ynflax.jpg[/img][/center]

Hello and Welcome to the first running of The Twilight Stakes, here on The Wire! It's a cool night here and it will definitely be hard on the jockeys tonight! I hope they are bundled up! The turf though is looking simply pristine and should run well for this years TS contenders.
[b]
[u]The Twilight Stakes - G5+ + 4Y0+ - 11F - T[/b][/u] [color=Red]Ripley[/color]

[b][u]Gate One:[/u][/b] [url=http://xintrepidracingx.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=alluringassault&action=display&thread=51]Alluring Assault[/url]
[b][u]Gate Two:[/b][/u] [url=http://silverstride.weebly.com/souvenir.html]Souvenir[/url]
[b][u]Gate Three:[/u][/b] [url=http://sopss.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=racehorses&action=display&thread=256]Sillenia[/url] jockeyed by Krystal Yhate
[/sub][/blockquote]

[Cavallo]

Twilight Stakes

Hello and Welcome to the first running of The Twilight Stakes, here on The Wire! It's a cool night here and it will definitely be hard on the jockeys tonight! I hope they are bundled up! The turf though is looking simply pristine and should run well for this years TS contenders.

The Twilight Stakes - G5+ + 4Y0+ - 11F - T

[/u] Ripley

Gate One: Alluring Assault
Gate Two:[/u] Souvenir
Gate Three: Sillenia jockeyed by Krystal Yhate
[/sub][/blockquote]

[Ripley]

Hello and Welcome to the first running of the Twilight Stakes at The Wire. The Twilight Stakes used to be run all of the time and this will be the first rendition including stars at Green Horse Fields and The Wire. The stars and moon are bright, our undercards in August Week Four on the turf and dirt have run, and it is now time to bring in the big guns.

Three horses will line up to contest the eleven furlong Twilight Stakes. Two mares and a stallion are going to face off over this track and prove just who the best older horse is at The Wire. Alluring Assault and Sillenia break from gates one and three with Souvenir beginning between them. This is an unexpected line up to everyone if you were looking from the end of Year Eleven.

If you asked one person which horse they thought would dramatically improve from Year Eleven to Year Twelve, it probably would not have been Alluring Assault. The bay filly by FS Waylay Attack has done a full turn around in her career. It appears as though the light bulb has finally lit up in that well-crafted hers and with Nick Landing's help, Alluring Assault has virtually done nothing wrong in Year Twelve. The Mare on Fire, as she has been referred to, has run against top horses and demolished them with a strong closing kick. She's won eleven races, among them the Queen Cup, Sunshine Millions Filly and Mare Turf, and The Diana. She did finish second in the Full Moon Derby and the Willie Nillie Distaff. She is fresh and ready to go.

One horse Alluring Assault knows very well is last year's Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf victress, Sillenia from Stride of Perfection Stables. Sillenia has not raced as many times this year as Alluring Assault, but she is the classy defending turf champion. The bay daughter of Grand Silence beat Alluring Assault in the Willie Nillie Distaff and also won the Rising Fury Memorial Stakes and the Merry Bay King Memorial Stakes. She is looking to continue her winning ways and beat the mare she easily dispatched in last year's Filly and Mare Turf. The press is calling this race the initial proving ground.

The surprise entrant is Souvenir. A bright bay son of MHS Triple Crown champion Admirals' Revenge, he has only raced in three races over the course of Year Twelve, finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in each. He seems to be in over his head here, but he is a grade one horse so he certainly should not be underestimated. He makes a fantastic appearance in the paddock with his 17.1 hand frame and he is definitely on his toes.

They are called to the track and the jockeys are now mounted on their powerful and very promising steeds. The huddle close to the horses' necks, trying to stay warm on this chilly eve. Forty thousand people are on hand to watch the Twilight Stakes and it has been reported that up to 4 million are watching the race on television right this moment. Racing of Year Twelve has taken the world by storm.

Alluring Assault steps out onto the track, coat gleaming, neck bowed. She is as graceful as ever, her ears pricked. She is not worried. She prances sideways and looks quite within herself. Everyone is waiting to see if the Mare on Fire can take down her rival Sillenia. They've raced a number of times, but Sillenia has not faced Alluring Assault of recent. She is truly a different horse altogether. I can't help but wonder how this race is going to play out.

Souvenir, carrying the number two cloth, trots along next. He looks amazing out on the track, body pulsing with fire and energy. He has not been seen out on the track training or racing recently and the stallion will be a real mystery, possibly a game changer in the Twilight Stakes.

Sillenia is being a handful at the moment, her body lean and powerful. She looks fired up and fierce. Her win in last week's Madame Derby has clearly resonated with her. She put in a superior workout over The Wire turf and is going to be a solid competitor.

The horses have reached the gate and are now loading. It is so nice to see horses behave for once. The pros know exactly what is going on and they sure are aware that the real show is the actual race. Alluring Assault is now in gate one, Souvenir moves into gate two and Sillenia jumps right into the gate, tossing her gate worker around. He laughs, pats her neck and balances once more along the rails, holding onto her head.

And they're off!

Souvenir misses the break and falls behind Alluring Assault and Sillenia. The mares, six and five years of age, take note of one another and bound away from the gathering bay stallion. Souvenir has finally found his stride and leaps forward. He can't take the lead and move into the stalker position he wants. He is forced to stay behind Alluring Assault and Sillenia.

It appears as though the racing world will get exactly what it wants: a duel between racing's top distance mares. Alluring Assault is not completely pressing Sillenia. The two mares are a little thrown off, not used to leading from the get-go. Sillenia has the lead, her eyes fired up and fierce. Her ears are pinned, but she still is showing bravado. She wants no part of the lead but has no clue what exactly she is supposed to do with it. Alluring Assault confidently moves in second. Souvenir now sits back three lengths, his great stride pulling him over the springy turf.

They move through slow fractions of :25 for the first quarter mile of this eleven furlong race. Sillenia still has the lead and Alluring Assault still is loping along in second place. The jocks are content... or maybe just coming to terms with their plight. The mares move eagerly up the course, settling into stride. The horses meet eye to eye, nose and nose, neck and neck.

The second quarter passes into the third and the mares have increased the pace. Their riders haven't moved at all. Alluring Assault and Sillenia are sprinting along now. The fractions have been picked up by two, nearly three seconds. Souvenir is out of connection with the top two, four lengths behind and falling. Alluring Assault and Sillenia are head and head, ears pinned. They are rocking and rolling as they cruise into the backstretch once again.

They have three furlongs left in this classic race. The mares are not giving each other a break, but it appears as though they have nothing to fear from the Admiral's Revenge colt. Sillenia and Alluring Assault are sharing the lead. Neither has been in the lead for more than one stride since the first quarter. The riders are motionless. Both of them harboring some energy for the homestretch drive. They will surely need it. The mares cannot possibly sustain this racing speed for all eleven furlongs. They would have to be beyond superior, goddesses of a sort.

They are nearing the final turn, neither jockey has moved. Sillenia has taken the lead briefly. She has put her nose down in front. Alluring Assault is settling though and I suppose that is more threatening then if she were actually preparing for a big move.

The mares move into the turn together, legs flying which way. The grass is a little slick it appears and the mares are not slowing down, much to their riders nerves. Alluring Assault tries to cut the corner, but instead is carried wide and butts into Sillenia. AND SILLENIA GOES DOWN TO HER KNEES! HER NOSE PRACTICALLY TOUCHES THE GRASS! ALLURING ASSAULT TAKES THE LEAD, NICK LANDING LOOKING AROUND FOR HER COMPETITOR!

AND OH MY LORD SILLENIA IS COMING! SHE HAS PICKED IT UP AGAIN! THE GRAND SILENCE FILLY IS FLYING UP THE TRACK AFTER ALLURING ASSAULT! NICK IS PUSHING ALLURING ASSAULT MIGHTILY! They are now battling! The mares are battling fiercely! This is a wild drive! The mares are bouncing off of one another, scraping each other and defying body space.

Sillenia is all guts, Alluring Assault is all heart. They are driving to the wire in the Twilight Stakes. Sizzling through the final quarter in :22 seconds, meaning Sillenia had to run a sub :21 second final quarter to be at Alluring Assault's throat. She is here now! Last years Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner is pouring it on and she has gotten the better of Alluring Assault by a neck. Alluring Assault struggles to fight back, caught between the powerful mare and the rail. But here it is! Here is the wire!

AND SILLENIA WINS THE TWILIGHT STAKES! Alluring Assault battled gamely on the rail to get second. It is ten lengths back to Souvenir in third.

The Twilight Stakes
Win. Sillenia
Place. Alluring Assault
Show. Souvenir

[Kirsten Jade]

_{great write up Ripley. I thought Sillenia was a goner there for a second.}

[Cavallo]

Shakes fist!!! AHHH Twilght Stakes Slips through fingers AGAIN! *head desk*
We will get you later Sillenia... Congrats Frosty

Great write up Ripley. ;)

It's okay if there's no reason, but can I ask why Allure lost?
Weaknesses I can address before the BC?

[Ripley]

Hmph... I really could not separate these two in the race. There wasn't so much a reason why Alluring Assault lost as there was a reason to why Sillenia won the race. She's been so consistent over the years and the Twilight Stakes, to me anyway, is the proving ground of legends. She was the highlighted horse out of this rivalry because she had everything to lose.

Sillenia has won three Breeders Cup Races and just seems to be on this different level for a race geared toward overall career strength. Alluring Assault has sparkled this year, but Sillenia is the horse that has just been "there" over the years.

Had this race been, say, the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf, the results may have been switched around. Allure is a different animal altogether now and by the end of Year Twelve I bet she beats Sillenia once. There is no weakness in either mare and that was the hard part about judging this race.

[Cavallo]

Thanks

[S u N f r O s T ~]

Wow. Sill really does get the job done each time I really need her to. She's so reliable. Thanks Ripley and good race Cavvy, Alexia