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Hall of Fame - Soldier Girl Glory
Original article written by Nathan Klein posted 3 years 4 weeks agoThe name Soldier Girl is an interesting one as it's been one that is associated with not one but two-star race mares. Firstly was Soldier Girl who won the sixth annual Steward's Cup Distaff and became a legendary broodmare of fellow Hall Of Famer Bishoujo Senshi. But the Soldier Girl name wouldn't come back to the racetrack until her great-granddaughter. Soldier Girl first gave birth to Wise To The Future an unraced Stewardbred stallion who then sired Soldiergirlsbeauty another Stewardbred who never raced. She went on to produce many dirt mile champions but the one that made it into the Hall Of Fame was the one who carried her namesake Soldier Girl Glory.
Out of the gate, she was fast going to the lead and blitzing to a six-length maiden victory on first asking. In just her second start she was a Grade 1 winner running gate to wire in the Olympic Gold Stakes by 2 and 1/2 lengths. Her sudden success continued with the Grade 1 Long Island Matron. A far more difficult win as she was for the first time in her career, not the leader. But she fought to gain it back and at the line despite fast fractions and her tiring a bit in the stretch she held off late challenging James' Farewell to win by half a length. Then in her last start, she went from off the pace dropping back to eighth going into the final turn but then kicking it back up as she ran home 1 and 1/2 lengths in front.
The grey filly was a rising star and remained undefeated for her first two starts of her three-year-old season winning the Grade 3 Northern Kentucky Oaks and Grade 1 Long Island Oaks in a thrilling two-horse battle with Sincerely. By the end of the race, they were 7 and 3/4 lengths ahead of the nearest competitor and the battle was only decided by a neck. But after one of her best showings, she hit a small pit in the road in the Grade 2 Long Island Ladies Mile being run down in the home stretch to be third. It was her first career defeat but an isolated detour as she won her next race by 5 and 1/2 lengths. She followed that up with a 1 and 1/2 length win in the Grade 2 Canadian Oaks her last prep for the Steward's Cup Filly and Mare Dirt Mile. Where she would have her hyped rematch with Sincerely where fans expected another fight.
They got one as Soldier Girl Glory went to the lead with Sincerely trying to run her down. They both truly were tested late stretch as they were neck and neck. Soldier Girl Glory had led the whole way and Sincerely was closer than ever to passing her. Who would buckle first. Well, she wouldn't be a soldier girl if she didn't know how to fight. She held off Sincerely again this time by just a head. It sealed the deal as with that win she was awarded North American Champion Three Year Old Female. An impressive feat for a miler or any racehorse for that matter. But she wasn't gonna get it easy as an older horse. The change in competition depth was significant and she was now having to fight harder than ever to stay on top. She raced all but once in six starts that year in Grade 1 company.
Tasting defeat more times than ever in her life. She fought tooth and nail but would come up short in her first three races that year. She was always two lengths or less away from victory. But pushing her paid off as she ran in the Grade 1 Rosita Cup against three older males to have a remarkable 3 and 1/4 length victory. Although it wasn't a Steward's Cup a Grade 1 win against males further added to her list of achievements as a star filly. She then made Grade 1 wins back to back as she went gate to wire once more to win by 2 and 3/4 lengths in the For My Girl Stakes. Despite suffering multiple losses, her four-year-old season still proved important as it doubled her Grade 1 count and added beating the boys to her list of accomplishments.
Soldier Girl Glory only raced one more time against the nearly unbeatable King Of Kindness and she ended well beaten three lengths behind the champ. She finished fourth only a head and nose from second place but also well beaten for first place. While it isn't the most storybook ending to a racing career she had already proven many things and was ready to be a broodmare. There she stayed a success with $3,077,750 in progeny earnings including her best son Seattle Mile winner and Steward's Cup Dirt Mile placer Get Me. While the Soldier Girl name has yet to appear since in a great horse there forever lives two Soldier Girl's in the Hall Of Fame, the first Soldier Girl and Soldier Girl Glory. And maybe someday will have a third Soldier Girl join them. But that's a story that has yet to be written.