Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Dec 22, 2011 15:20:05 GMT -5
WILDLY NATURAL AND AMBER BLACK
FOOLISH LAD AND KRYSTAL YHATE
TURA'S AND LADDY'S WORKOUT FOR THE BREEDERS CUP TURF
There was a certain rivalry that connected these two and appeared to transcend current conditions. It was a rivalry borne of constant racing against the other, with one's defeat being the others victory in a perfect finish of one-two in a major turf stakes race. This last year had been a picture of this rivalry. First one would win, then the other, and the two alternated as though dancing a dance nobody would ever understand. As Foolish Lad and Wildly Natural trotted side by side onto the turf oval, it was with a sense of familiarity, and the air burned with competitive fire. Tura, sassy as usual, was tossing her head constantly, while Laddy was as quiet as usual, with a certain fiery gleam in his eyes. Amber and Krystal basically ignored each other, caught up in the private rivalry between their two horses. They had goals, each of them, and it involved winning the Breeders Cup Turf. It was Laddy's last season, while this could be Tura's third straight Breeders Cup victory.
To say the last, tensions were high.
Still without speaking a word, the two women began cantering their horses. The five year old stallion went quietly, while the four year old mare begged for more. Amber held Tura back as the mare steadily pulled at the reins. After a furlong of cantering, she actually managed to calm down, and Amber grinned with enjoyment at her rocking canter. Aboard Laddy, Krystal was also smiling. She had been riding the colt ever since he was a yearling, and had trained him herself. He had been her first yearling and her second ride, ever, at Stride Of Perfection. It was hard to believe that it was finally his last year. After the Breeders Cup Turf, he'd go and get a few dates and settle down to sire legacies. Just as Passionate Class had done.
The workout plan for today was a quick five furlongs gallop. Nothing strenuous, as the Turf was twelve furlongs long, and the horses would want full energy to face Lawliet's Girl. They were both closers, so the plan was to hold them back, running side by side, and then hunt the mare down by the end of the race. Both were excellent closers, of course, and definitely stood a chance against the mare. It could be anyone's race. Amber actually found it funny that Star Thoroughbreds was racing a Merry Bay King daughter, while she was racing a The Natural daughter. The sires were from the opposing stables, and the progeny were facing off. Who would win? Amber couldn't wait to find out. And neither could Krystal, either. She hoped it was her and Laddy, so that the stallion could go out with a bang into his stud career.
Warm up was over quickly, and the two horses began galloping. Naturally, once Tura figured out that Laddy was, as per usual, staying by her side, she increased her pace slightly so that she was slightly ahead. This was her tactic for racing other closers - eliminate their morale by getting ahead of them and making them feel tired before they actually were. Laddy's strategy was to remain in last and then surprise the field at the end of the race. Both strategies worked. Both horses had won big races with these strategies. With the ultimate challenge ahead, neither rider was going to change a thing about the running styles of their horses.
The furlongs went quickly and efficiently. Neither horse challenged the other; they knew that they would not be allowed to until their riders permitted it. Crossing the wire side by side, as Laddy had let himself close the gap separating him from his female rival, both riders slowed the easily galloping horses down. They smirked at each other, both pleased with how their horses were doing. Both knew that they could beat the other. Both knew that they could win in the Turf. They would just have to see who had the most luck come race day - and both hoped it would be themselves.
