It's that time of year - when every stable's maturing three year olds are preparing for some of the biggest races of their careers in the three year old series held across all three tracks. Every year, Stride of Perfection sends postward their most prepared (and sometimes the most surprising!) horses to take part in these series. As we near the second half of March Y17, here is who SOPS has decided to decisively reveal as their key contenders for the Year Seventeen edition of these major series!

Triple Crown: Black Thriller
The coal black son of Black Wire and Midnight Thriller was the surprise winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile at the end of Year Sixteen. Now, he is three for three this season, turning from an underestimated challenger to a post-time favorite. We are still uncertain about what exactly flipped the switch for this colt and turned him into the horse he has become today, but we are certainly not questioning it. SOPS has a long history of bringing Breeders Cup Juvenile winners swinging into the Triple Crown - past winners Impressario, Radiance, Flashy Wings, Limited Edition, and Incognito all successfully secured at least one leg of the Triple Crown, with Impressario securing all three and Flashy Wings and Limited Edition securing two. The only exception to the past-winner rule has been Forbidden To Fly, who we all know as the successful sprinter who somehow won a nine-furlong Breeders Cup race at two and didn't meet the distance requirements for the Derby. Black Thriller is due to run in the Blue Grass Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, and Lecomte Stakes before hitting the Triple Crown. While plans afterwards are uncertain, it is unlikely that he will make an appearance in the Breeders Cup Classic given that stablemates Coincidence and Fleet Street are likelier candidates, though he will most likely be in the Marathon.

Triple Tiara/Red Mile Series: Hysteria
Hysteria was not a stand-out juvenile; she was good, but not great, and she did not go to the Breeders Cup. At three, however, the daughter of Limitless Time and Euphoria has been flourishing. She won her first start back in the Hot Springs Stakes at The Wire and then caught some eyes when she came back to take the inaugural running of the Unicorn Horn Junior Dirt Mile. Since then, she has placed second in two Triple Tiara preps and has found each distance of the Triple Tiara series to her liking. Hysteria has always had high expectations placed upon her, especially because of her Hall of Fame dam. Considering that Euphoria matured into true dangerousness at three, it is not surprising that Hysteria is doing the same. Teri will make starts in the Sherluck Stakes and Silverbulletday Stakes before heading into the Triple Tiara. It is expected that the filly will attempt the Red Mile series afterwards, a decision made based on her performance in the Unicorn Horn Junior Dirt Mile.

Turf Triple Crown/Turf Distance Series: Mr. Wild
Mr. Wild was bred with the expectation of becoming SOPS's next turf star. While he did meet those expectations per-say at two, he did race to the point of having a great foundation for his classic season, and it shows. Though still a grade four, Mr. Wild is almost unrecognizable as the horse that finished sixth in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf to cap off last season. He has won both of the non-HOTY races he has raced in so far and placed admirably in the HoTY races he has attempted, indicating this growth. Coming off a second place finish in the Prince Cup, Mr. Wild will be starting in the Stable Faceoff and Silk Road Stakes at GHF before attempting the TTC. While he will probably not be going in as a favorite, he will definitely be going in as a threat, and it is expected that he will enter each leg of the series (depending on performance and health up to that point). The real stand-out portion of the season will likely be in the Turf Distance Series at BSD held a few months after the TTC.

Turf Triple Tiara: Celebrity
Celebrity became our most surprising horse last season when she took the AJC Sires Produce Stakes, a leg of the Turf Challenge, en route to a fantastic final two months of the season, capped off with a banner victory in the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. She started off the season with a powerful win in the Unicorn Horn Junior Turf Mile and has performed awesomely since, with excellent places in HoTY company. It is expected that Celebrity will roll in under jockey Krystal Yhate for the entirety of the Turf Triple Tiara and then potentially embrace the Green Mile series. She currently heads the three year old roster with ten wins. As a daughter of Everyday Hero and Foolish Entity, nothing less was expected of the gorgeous chestnut filly. She is living up to expectations and we look forward to seeing how she will run in the coming months. In terms of Breeders Cup plans, depending on how she does it is likely she will make an appearance in the Filly And Mare Turf or the Mile.

Canadian Triple Crown: Prometheus
Prometheus has been prepping for the Canadian Triple Crown for a long time, running successfully over both dirt and turf as a juvenile. He distinguished himself as the only two year old to win a leg of the Youth Challenge and the Turf Challenge, taking the Just A Trot Futurity and the Champagne Stakes. At three, Prometheus has won a Triple Crown prep and a Turf Triple Crown prep, further distinguishing his ability to tackle both surfaces. Last season, Prometheus was heralded as a better dirt runner than Black Thriller and a better turf runner than Mr Wild; that rating has not changed despite the massive improvements in his stablemates' performance. Excitement around the barn is extremely high for this flexible colt, probably one of the most surface-flexible we've ever had. Prometheus is due to run in the Triple Crown and Turf Triple Crown "undercard" races held at BSD before heading to TW for the CTC itself. Afterwards, it is likely that he will split the Dirt Distance Series with Black Thriller. While it is likely that he will go to the Breeders Cup, it will likely be in the Marathon or Turf Marathon instead of the Classic or Turf. Theus has already shown a particular liking for the twelve furlong distance and his dam Fire Dancer certainly proves that such affection is in the family.

Canadian Triple Tiara: Wild Tide
Wild Tide is a special filly currently showing Devil's Flair tendencies - preferring one surface one season and then switching to the other the next. Campaigned over the dirt as a juvenile, we knew that she needed some exposure to the turf before she could take on the CTT. Thus, she has run on nothing but turf this season and has brought home a win and two thirds to show for it. Running solely in HOTY company, Wild Tide has been doing well. She will hit some undercards in March before being re-routed for some HoTY prep races for the CTT in late June. Plans call for the filly to face restricted competition as she continues to develop as a racehorse, so expect to see her in the distaff races over both surfaces as the season progresses. With the bloodline potential to go far, Wild Tide is emerging as a threat in any race she enters in, and with talented jockey Kylie Silverstar in the irons it would be unsurprising to see this filly continue to exceed all expectations.

What about the other races?
These are by no means solidified, but here is the line-up for the sprinter series races later in the season:

Turf Triple Sprinter Crown - Amaris
Triple Sprinter Tiara - Dauntless

As for the Red Mile/Green Mile/Turf Distance Series/Dirt Distance Series, here are the potentials:

Red Mile - Dauntless and Hysteria (likely to favor Hysteria)
Green Mile - Amaris and Celebrity (likely to split evenly, or favor Celebrity slightly)
Dirt Distance Series - Black Thriller and Prometheus (likely to split such that Prometheus is favored slightly)
Turf Distance Series - Mr. Wild

Do you have any horses poised for surprise appearances in certain series?
Note, these horses would not supplant but supplement SOPS entries in these series.

Triple Tiara: Dauntless (could potentially show up for the entirety of the series, depending on entry pool)
Turf Triple Tiara: Amaris (later legs, if Celebrity does not take first leg of series)
Canadian Triple Crown: Mr. Wild (if fails to win leg of TTC, will be in final leg)
Green Mile - Ruling Restraint (depending on entry pool, may show up for just one or a few legs)
Turf Triple Sprinter Crown: Ruling Restraint (later legs)
Turf Triple Sprinter Tiara: Celebrity (final leg only)