Post by Ripley on Jul 28, 2015 8:45:35 GMT -5
Y14'S TWO YEAR OLD FILLY CHAMP FACING POSSIBLE RETIREMENT
Every so often a really good filly becomes despondent toward racing. Suddenly, the will to win and compete is completely gone without rhyme or reason. The speed remains, but the eagerness to do the fast work just isn't there. Folks... I hate to say this, but I think one of the upper echelon fillies has caught the devastating bug.
Last year's two year old filly champion, Nirvana, was supposed to be gearing up for a run in the Starshine Sprint. She just had to get through one more workout and she'd be clear to make her run in the final leg of the dirt sprinter tiara. She finished second against Siren Call last out in the Purple Rose Stakes, just dropping the ball after a six furlong duel. Perhaps that race took just enough out of her because the Nirvana I saw in her last workout, was not the Nirvana of two year old fame and fortune.
Working in company with Taboo, the blaze faced daughter of Gold Storm and Quintessential was made to look absolutely inferior by her gray stablemate. She left the clockers scratching their heads because it honestly looked like what she wasn't even participating in the workout. While Taboo clocked off impressive fractions that will set her up for the final leg of the Turf Sprinter Tiara, Nirvana hand galloped around under a urgent ride by Laura DeComte. The pair once looked like a match made in heaven, but that old spark has blown away on the wind of races past.
Trainer Ripley Marsh had no response for the lacking effort. She replied, "She's got some lingering issues. This was just a test. Obviously, Vana is not where we expected her to be at this time." To this reporter's eyes, I don't know if Nirvana will ever make it back to the track. She was supposed to go to Blue Cross Estates in Year Fifteen, but if she's not the same horse, why bother?
Obviously Witch Creek could drop the burly filly down to the undercards, but the eight race winning wonder will likely never return to her glory at two. I'd rather remember the hard charging two year old than the ghost of past year's glory. Whatever the case, if I were given the opportunity to meet the gorgeous filly, I'll make sure to bring carrots for racing's sweetheart. She provided many thrills for me. While Sun King and Taboo are likely to continue on and break records, I'll always remember Nirvana's blistering stretch drives.
