By John

Perhaps you'd forgiven for not spotting the big career this filly had in front of her if you'd gone by her first maiden run. A late filly with a better than average trainer who cannily placed her in a low profile Idaho race. She only managed 4th place that day but returned to Idaho five weeks later and scored her first victory on an off-track. Many of us would have been tempted at that stage to try her on turf as her times on dirt were far from top notch, but that off-track victory seems to have been a big factor as her first allowance run (in Wyoming over 7 furlongs) produced a most impressive SP# 92.5, and set her connections to dreaming of having that once-in-a-lifetime super filly that we're all looking for. Suddenly her trainer was looking at her a little more seriously and, despite having to settle for the runners up spot in her first Stakes outing, she duly moved up to the mile and won her first California Stakes race with apparent ease. Her 2yo career was rounded off in East Kentucky with not only another Stakes win but her first run over the magic SP#100 mark. The dream was very much on.

Livvi's Lass' big year started off with the challenge that greets most new 3yo's - would she maintain the devastating form she had shown in her final two 2yo races. Nerves were high but her trainer decided to up the ante by entering her in her first Graded race, but played an ace card by sending her back to the California track she'd already shown a big liking for. Everything was rosy as she won with her best performance to date. This hat-trick of victories instilled a great deal of confidence in her camp so it seemed only natural to step her up to a Grade II next time out, especially as it was again at her beloved California. But this time things went awry and her form dipped alarmingly as she struggled to take 8th place. To those of us on the outside it looked as though her dream could be in tatters. Phantom however, was not prepared to give up so easily and just 3 weeks later she again ran at California, this time to run in a Grade I - it seemed like madness, but that soon turned to genius as she ran the legs off of the rest of the field to take the honours. And again she was the darling of California.

Despite this first Grade I race it was apparent that this was a filly of some temperament who seemed to have developed a worrying trend of throwing in the odd bad run. This was certainly true of her next run, over 9 furlongs, in Kentucky when she only managed 4th, but she again bounced back for a Grade I victory in Pennsylvania. Worse was to follow as her next run, also in Kentucky and again over 9 furlongs, saw her finishing a distant 12th. This was a worry. A Grade III on an off-track was soon to follow but some of her other runs saw her missing out on the spoils, including her only run on turf. And then came the very worst - she came plum last in a NY Grade I and it looked as though a dreaded injury had robbed her of her Breeders Bowl shot. But this is where the magic came in, just two weeks later her trainer gave her a simple stakes run over a long mile and she looked to be at her very best. It wasn't all plain sailing however as she failed in a Grade II in her next run and experienced a longer than usual lay off. Her return heralded another Pennsylvania Grade II victory, completed in her very best style with three weeks to spare before that Breeders Bowl appointment.

The big day finally arrived. 14 of the sims top fillies lines up for this gruelling mile race and whilst Livvi's Lass was not considered one of the favourites the smart money realised that here was a California specialist running at the top of her form. For the first half mile she simply tracked the top 3 or 4, but come the 4 furlong pole she began to eat up the ground till only the leader was ahead of her. At the 3 pole she still was 4 lengths adrift. At the 2 pole she'd cut the lead down to 3 lengths. And by the 1 pole it looked as though the 2 lengths gap would be just a bit too much. She showed just how much heart she really has as she steadily up the distance and by the finish pole a short head was the difference between victory and loss. She'd done it. An incredible SP# 124.1 had earned her $1.2m and a page in Sim history.

Without a doubt this years Eclipse award is by virtue of her impressive Breeders Bowl Distaff victory in what has proved to be a very difficult division. Two years ago the legend that is known as Storm Dog collected this title and what an act to have to follow. She has since gone on to be a real star, winning more Grade I races than I would care to shake a stick at, but whether this unfashionably bred Roar filly will be able to emulate that is open to question. Probably more than any of the other divisions the 3yo's have it toughest as stakes runs over the last couple of months are up against older fillies which can be a seriously steep learning curve and her runs since this race have been understandably anti-climatic. However there's no question that at her best she is able to more than hold her own against older mares and given time should build on her 3yo career. If anything, her career shows that betting against her being nominated in a couple of years time for the older mares title could be a big mistake.