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The Once In A Lifetime Filly - Tickle
Original article written by Nena Olson posted 8 years 0 weeks agoOn March 14th, 2009 a filly for the ages laid down to rest for one last time. Tickle’s stark black coat still shone bright like the tiny white diamond centered perfectly in the middle of her forehead. Yet, this little tiny filly who stood a mere 15.1 hands was a giant on the turf course. Her career was short but unmatched with 8 wins from 10 starts and $1.7 million dollars in earnings. If you head to Jon Xett’s barn, you can see her Steward’s Cup Turf Mile trophy shining bright among his other stars but really, there can only be one like her.
Born with a fantastic pedigree, Tickle is sired by Punishment and out of the Future Hero mare, All In Fun, which gave her owner, Jon Xett, high hopes from the start. However, Tickle’s career started off in an unspectacular way with a 4th place finish in a maiden special weight going 6 furlongs on the dirt. That’s right, this brilliant turf legend started off with the hopes of a dirt career so you cannot really hold the fourth place against her. It was when she felt the lush grass under her hooves that the monster inside was finally released from her cage.
It was the Saturday of Week 8, Year 11 where she found her true calling in a 1 mile turf maiden special weight for two year old fillies. It was a full field of 12 who got to see this tiny black torpedo put it all together and draw off to a 9 length victory. This would be the first of many for her. After that dazzling victory, her owner did what many owners now days wouldn’t dare to do, and entered her into a 1 1/16 mile stakes race on the turf against open company.
Now, this is the type of race where true greatness is planted and born, all in a single performance. Tickle was not only stretching out for her first stakes debut but she was also taking on the boys, and not just any boys. When people talk about fillies beating the boys, not many fillies can say that they beat two $7 million dollar earners in their first attempt at it. Not only did Tickle do that but by doing so she took down a horse that won the Two Thousand Guineas, Desert Duty Free and two time winner of the once prestigious Pellegrini Stakes as well as a horse who won the Epsom Derby, Arc, and Japan Cup. The truly remarkable part is that she did it easily. This tiny black superstar showed these classy boys just what girl power truly is and pulled away to a 3 ½ length victory.
Tickle’s march to greatness didn’t stop there though and as a three year old, she started the year off with an emphatic eight length tour de force in the grade 3 Jennifer Steward Stakes going 1 1/16 miles on the grass over a field of five talented three year old fillies. Next she decided to try a new distance by winning the G2 Oceanside Oaks going 1 1/8 miles, this time defeating Kismet, another legend in her own right, and Up In Lights, earner of $1.2 mil, by a ½ length.
By that time, Xett decided it was time to drop Tickle back down to a mile with his eyes set on the Steward’s Cup Turf Mile as an end goal for the year. For a prep, he put Tickle back in against the boys, this time in the Atto Mile which, once again, Tickle dominated. This time as she was cruising home to a 4 ½ length victory, she took down eventual Steward’s Cup Turf Mile champion, Here Indeed, who earned $2.1 million on the track. She was ready, the little black filly that would enter the gates to see if she could become the first filly to ever win the Steward’s Cup Turf Mile.
All eyes were on the track as the ball of black energy entered the gate, facing off against the fastest turf milers in the world. When the gates flew open, the jockey sent her straight to the lead. Tickle was off and running as fast as she could, the fractions lighting up the board. The roar of the crowd was defending as she blazed away on the lead with the rest of the field left in her wake. As they turned for home, the roar only got louder as half the crowd screamed for the little black filly to keep going and the other half had their eyes on the chestnut bullet released from the back of the field. As they hit the home stretch, it was apparent that Tickle was growing leg weary and with every stride Playingforthecrowd got closer and closer. Tickle was all out and had her whole heart into the race, desperately searching for the wire but as it grew closer the blaze faced Playingforthecrowd got his nose to the wire first. The gallant black filly, who had won the hearts of the nation, tasted her first defeat since her debut.
After that race, Xett let his filly take a small vacation back at the farm in preparation for her final year on the track which he mapped out to be three races. Taking half of the year off, the filly rested and waited for her chance at a rematch with Playingforthecrowd, who was continuing his winning ways with wins in the Grade 3 Give Applause Stakes and the July Stakes.
For her return, Xett picked out the G1 Ramona Handicap going 1 1/8 miles on turf which would square her off against River Gauche, Prix Charmant, Insane, and Something to Prove. It was a tough field to return in but Tickle laughed off her foes to another decisive victory in true star style.
The stage was then set for the rematch of the year. Tickle was scheduled to meet her conqueror, Playingforthecrowd in the Grade 1 Oak Tree Steward’s Cup Turf Mile on week 8 as a prep for the week 12 Steward’s Cup Turf Mile. The chestnut colt that broke the hearts of Tickle’s fans was coming in off of a three race win streak and he had been winning with the same type of style that Tickle had been. Plus there was a new challenger as well by the name of Skill, who had been running in the turf sprint races. Tickle was ready though and her owner/trainer, Jon Xett, had her looking every inch the superstar that she was before the race. Her jet black coat shone bright under the clear California skies as she marched into the starting gate. With the clang of the bells, the gates flew open and Tickle, once again, rushed to the lead while her rival fell back to the back of the field in usual fashion. As they raced down the backstretch, Tickle bounded along happily setting the fractions for the race with nobody daring the contest her. As they hit the far turn, Playingforthecrowd began to roll from the back picking off horses one by one but this time, Tickle had gas left in the tank. Soon the chestnut colt and black filly were stride for stride, eye for eye, neither wanting to lose. Skill was trying to cut into their lead but wasn’t able to do much damage. As the wire flashed over them, the crowd grew silent. It was so close! The filly on the inside was smaller than the chestnut so it was hard to tell if she was able to get her nose to the wire first or not! With bated breath, the crowd waited to see if their heroine managed to take the victory. The seconds ticked by in agony, but finally the official results appeared. Dead Heat! The crowd erupted into a deafening roar at these results and it was good enough for both Jon Xett and Alyse Shuver as neither horses would face each other again.
Playingforthecrowd departed to Japan while Tickle tried once again, to become the first filly to win the Steward’s Cup Turf Mile. There was also another filly attempting the same fate, by the name of Up In Lights, who was coming in off of a victory against the boys in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile. Jon Xett wasn’t worried though as Tickle was still full of energy and ready for her dance with destiny. As the field pranced past the stands, all eyes were on Tickle though the field was full of other stars such as Up In Lights, Castle, Esteem, Compass, Capture My Heart and Kingdominthestars, all great horses of the yesteryear. None had the brilliant speed of Tickle though and when the gates flew open, she once again found herself racing along alone on the lead. The crowd cheered her on, and watched as she moved along in fluid motion. She looked unbeatable with her ears pricked, her legs a black blur as they moved her forward effortlessly. Up In Lights tried to close the distance numerous times but couldn’t get to her and as they hit the homestretch, it was apparent that Tickle was about to write her name down in the history books. As she crossed the wire two lengths in front of Up In Lights, it was obvious that Tickle would go down as one of the greatest turf fillies in the SIM history. She wrote the story herself, and it was crystal clear to all as she retired that she had nothing left to prove.
As a broodmare, Tickle was just as fantastic giving birth to such superstars as Do Something, Stand Up and Speak, and Tackle. If you are looking to add some Tickle into your bloodlines, you can do so through Go Do, Do Magick, Adrian, and Shelter plus a sprinkle of fillies out in the SIM. So, when one tries to think of one of the greatest turf miler fillies in the history of the SIM recall the black bolt of lightning that defeated some of the best boys and fillies of her time while coming within a nose to being not only the first filly to win the Steward’s Cup Turf Mile but a two time winner of it. That, my friends, is a true superstar.