Soaring Softly (1995 in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

– 2015) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are c ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic pr ...

whose biggest win came in the 1999

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf The Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf is a Weight for Age Thoroughbred horse race on turf for fillies and mares, three years old and up. It is held annually at a different racetrack in the United States as part of the Breeders' Cup World Championship ...

. She originally raced on dirt, with limited success. Switched to turf at age four, she won seven of eight starts and was named the

American Champion Female Turf Horse The American Champion Female Turf Horse award is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor. It is part of the Eclipse Awards program and is awarded annually to a female horse (filly or mare) for her performance on grass race courses. Until 1978 t ...

Background

Soaring Softly was bred and raced by Joan Phillips and her son John of the renowned

Darby Dan Farm Darby Dan Farm is a produce, livestock, and thoroughbred horse breeding and training farm founded in 1935 near the Darby Creek in Galloway, Ohio by businessman John W. Galbreath. Named for the creek and for Galbreath's son, Daniel M. Galbreath (19 ...

. Her sire is Darby Dan's outstanding stallion

Kris S. Kris S. (foaled April 25, 1977 – May 7, 2002) was an American Thoroughbred race horse who is best known as a highly successful sire. Background Kris S. was a son of the 1972 Epsom Derby winner Roberto who was a sire of international influenc ...

, a son of the Darby Dan European star grass racer

Roberto The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. Her dam is the farm's own

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

Wings of Grace, who was a daughter of the 1972 American Champion 3-Year-Old Colt,

Key to the Mint Key to the Mint (1969–1996) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Background Bred by Paul Mellon and raced under his Rokeby Stable colors, Key to the Mint was trained by future Hall of Fame inductee Elliott Burch. Racing career Key to the ...

. Wings of Grace is from the family of Softly, one of Darby Dan's most influential broodmares.

Racing career

At age two

Soaring Softly was conditioned for racing by

Jimmy Toner James Toner (23 August 1924 – 31 March 2016) was a Scottish footballer, who played for Dundee and Leeds United. He won two Scottish League Cup winner's medals with Dundee.

. She made her racing debut at age two on October 18, 1997, with a third-place finish in a seven-

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one eighth of a mile, equivalent to 660 feet, 220 yards, 40 rods, 10 chains or approximately 201 metres. It is now mostly confined to use in hors ...

event for maidens on the dirt track at

Belmont Park Belmont Park is a major thoroughbred horse racing facility in the northeastern United States, located in Elmont, New York, just east of the New York City limits. It was opened on May 4, 1905. It is operated by the non-profit New York Racin ...

Elmont, New York Elmont is an unincorporated hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) located in northwestern Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City. The population was 35,265 at the ...

. She won her second and final start of the year in a one-mile event for maidens at

Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park, Queens, South Ozone Park and Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack locate ...

on November 11.

At age three

Soaring Softly made six starts at age three, winning her first outing on April 24, 1998, at

Keeneland Race Course Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for its ...

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County, Kentucky, Fayette County. By population, it is the List of cities in Kentucky, second-largest city in Kentucky and List of United States cities by popul ...

. She then returned to Belmont Park for the June 7

Grade 1 First grade (also called Grade One, called ''Year 2'' in England or Primary 2 in Scotland) is the first grade in elementary school and the first school year after kindergarten. Children are usually 6–7 years old in this grade. Examples by re ...

Acorn Stakes The Acorn Stakes is an American Grade I race at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies. It is raced on dirt over a distance of one mile with a current purse of $500,000. It is the first leg of the US Triple Tiara ...

, in which she finished fourth behind winner Jersey Girl. She then finished sixth in the June 27

Mother Goose Stakes The Mother Goose Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old fillies held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Raced on dirt in late June or early July, the race currently offers a purse of $300,000. Inaugurated in 1957 at a mi ...

, again won by Jersey Girl. Soaring Softly did not start again until November, when she returned to competing in allowance races at Aqueduct Racetrack, earning two third-place finishes in mile events. In her final start of 1998, on December 5, Soaring Softly ran second in a mile and a sixteenth allowance race.

At age four, a Champion on turf

Wintered in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, after she won just one minor race in six starts on dirt in 1998, Soaring Softly's handlers made the decision to test her on the

turf Sod, also known as turf, is the upper layer of soil with the grass growing on it that is often harvested into rolls. In Australian and British English, sod is more commonly known as ''turf'', and the word "sod" is limited mainly to agricultu ...

course at

Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...

. The result was instant success that ended with a Championship year. Soaring Softly won her first five starts of the year, including the

Sheepshead Bay Handicap The Sheepshead Bay Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares ages four-years-old and older run over a distance of one and three-eighth miles on the turf scheduled annually in early May at Belmont Park in Elmont, ...

and New York Handicap, before finishing fifth in the

Diana Handicap The Diana Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race. Named for the mythological goddess Diana, the race is run each year at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Inaugurated in 1939, it is open to fillies and mares age three and ...

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actua ...

in early September. Then, under new jockey

Jerry Bailey Jerry D. Bailey (born August 29, 1957 in Dallas, Texas) is an Thoroughbred Racing on NBC, NBC Sports thoroughbred racing analyst and a retired American National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame jockey. Early years Bailey was born ...

, she won the Grade 1

Flower Bowl Invitational Handicap The Flower Bowl Stakes is a Grade II American thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged four years old and older over a distance of miles on the turf held annually in early September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. ...

at Belmont Park, notably defeating runnerup

Coretta {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Coretta , image = , caption = , sire = Caerleon , grandsire = Nijinsky , dam = Free At Last , damsire = Shirley Heights , sex = Mare , foaled = 1994 , country = Ireland , colour = Bay , breeder = ...

. She capped off the year with her seventh win in eight starts, gaining a second straight victory over Coretta in the mile and three-eighths

, hosted that year by Gulfstream Park

She was voted the 1999

. After developing a tissue strain that would have required therapy and a lengthy recovery, Soaring Softly was retired from racing.

Retirement

As a

broodmare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

, Soaring Softly was bred to top class stallions such as

Storm Cat Storm Cat (February 27, 1983 – April 24, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred stallion whose breeding fee during the peak of his stud career was $500,000, the highest in North America at the time. He was the leading sire in North America in 1999 ...

Gone West Gone West (March 10, 1984 – September 7, 2009) was an American Thoroughbred Horse racing, racehorse. Bred by William O. Reed, he was a son of the influential sire Mr. Prospector. His dam, Secrettame, was a daughter of 1973 United States Tripl ...

Seeking The Gold Seeking The Gold (April 7, 1985 – July 28, 2016) was an American thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire. Background and Family Seeking The Gold, a bay colt, was bred in Kentucky by Ogden Phipps, who also owned him. One of numerous t ...

and

Distorted Humor Distorted Humor (foaled March 19, 1993 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and a successful sire. Bloodline Distorted Humor's sire is Forty Niner, 1987's Eclipse Award winning Outstanding Two-Year-Old Male Horse by the champio ...

. She produced seven foals between 2001 and 2008, one of which have met with much success in racing. After failing to deliver a live foal for the next several years, she underwent a

Caesarian section Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...

in 2013. The resulting foal, named Manitoulin, was raised by a nurse mare and went on to become a graded stakes winner. Soaring Softly died in a paddock accident in September, 2015, at the age of 20. The Soaring Softly Stakes at Belmont Park is named in her honor.

References

{{reflist
Soaring softly's pedigree and partial racing stats

The 1999 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf with video at Breeders' Cup.com
1995 racehorse births 2015 racehorse deaths Thoroughbred family 12-c Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Eclipse Award winners Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf winners