CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA
PERSONALITY
Nova is a sweet girl to the core, there's no doubt about it. One of five horses imported to Valkyrie in her crop, it became clear early on that the fillies would be the darlings of the group. Nova is a gentle soul, with a big, kind eye and an eagerness to please that makes her a real joy to work with. She was, at first, pretty her-bound with her paddock-mate Larkspur, but once she realized that separations weren't forever she became a lot more forgiving. She doesn't get along particularly well with the other fillies, but it's not necessarily for lack of willing. She's just too timid to handle the normal push and jostle of a bigger group, and often ends up low-man. She's easy to handle on the ground for the most part, though she's very needle-shy and can be a monster in an effort to avoid the pokes. She resents the sound of the vet's truck now, so you'd better get her in the barn before they arrive - otherwise you'll absolutely never catch her. Despite the rather annoying shortcoming, her manners under saddle lead to a lot of forgiveness on the part of the staff. She's always been nothing short of a dream to train, picking up lessons eagerly and intelligently. She's never offered to buck or rear, even when she's scared. The wind has always made her really nervous, and though she can get pretty on her toes on a windy day, a soothing voice can always get her through it. She has so much trust in her riders that she rarely offers a problem, and it has allowed that gorgeous conformation to translate to elegantly quick racehorse.
LEG TYPE: VARIABLE
Nova's timidness, of course, tends to show up on race day in a couple of different ways. But so, too, does her eagnerness to please and overcome. She's on her toes in the paddock and during the post parade, watching everything around her and getting mildly washed out with nerves. She abhores the gate, and though she does nothing more than balk and require some manhandling to get her in, it's always a sticky point before a race. She sits in the gate like a bundle of nerves, a tense rocket ready to explode. And when the bell rings, explode she does. She absolutely rockets to the front, fleeing her own nerves rather than making any particular move for the front. Wherever she lands after the first furlong or so on her own burst of speed is where she stays - she's happy to lead, and also just as content to follow. She heavily relies on her rider to cue her into action, as she spends most of the race watching the movements of the other horses - she doesn't like to be bumped or jostled, but she's also quick enough to sidestep if she sees it coming. Only once asked to drive on does she truly focus, putting her head down and lengthening her stride into a sustainable rhythm as the wire draws close. She's got the talent to make a splash, even if she's not the cleanest or most efficient runner in the race. She somehow still manages to do something special.
CURRENT SEASON
Record: 23-5-7-7 Ridden By: Tigris Greenfire 2nd in BSD Jaipur Stakes - Feb Wk 3 [9F/D/3] [+3] 3rd in BSD Harlestine Derby - Jan Wk 2 [11F/D/4] [+2] 3rd in BSD Venetian Way Stakes - Jan Wk 4 [8F/D/3] [+2] 3rd in Battlestone Downs Dirt Classic* - Feb Wk 1 [11F/D/5] [+4] Total Points: 26 Starter Points [+5] | Raced Previously [+5] | Raced 3+ Seasons [+5]
W/P/S 10+ HOTY [+5] | Won HOTY [+5] | Won 5+ HOTY [+5] |
PAST PERFORMANCES
TWO YEAR OLD SEASON [Y21]
1st in BSD M. Pope Maiden - Apr Wk 4 [9F/D/3] [+4]
1st in GHF September Juvenile Dirt Faceoff - Sep Wk 2 [11F/D/3] [+4]
1st in BSD Class Clown Derby - Sep Wk 4 [9F/D/4] [+4]
1st in BSD Ezra Derby - Oct Wk 2 [11F/D/4] [+4]
1st in TW Moondance Memorial Stakes* - Nov Wk 2 [11F/D/5] [+8]
2nd in BSD Green and White Stakes - May Wk 2 [8F/D/2] [+3]
2nd in TW Arthur I. Appelton Juvenile - June Wk 1 [8F/D/2] [+3]
2nd in TW Ollie's Candy Stakes* - Jul Wk 3 [8.5F/D/3] [+6]
2nd in BSD Bank Handicap - Aug Wk 1 [11F/D/2] [+3]
2nd in BSD Oakley Stakes - Aug Wk 3 [11F/D/5] [+3]
2nd in GHF Just A Trot Futurity** - Oct Wk 3 [9F/D/5] [+9]
3rd in BSD Black Balkan Stakes - Apr Wk 3 [9F/D/3] [+2]
3rd in BSD Angry Dog Stakes - June Wk 3 [11F/D/4] [+2]
3rd in GHF Bull Page Stakes - July Wk 1 [11F/D/3] [+2]
3rd in BSD Smile Again Derby* - Dec Wk 2 [8F/D/6] [+4]
4th in GHF Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies* - Dec Wk 4 [9F/D/6] [+3]
5th in TW Close Racing Stakes* - Mar Wk 4 [11F/D/5] [+2]
6th in TW On A Streak Stakes* - Feb Wk 4 [8.5F/D/6] [+2]
8th in TW The Dark Sunrise Distaff* - Feb Wk 2 [10F/D/8] [+2]
Horse Pictured: Royal Charlotte | Buybacks: None | Other Reserves: None