Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on May 31, 2012 16:46:27 GMT -5
WILD KISS AND AMBER BLACK
KISS'S WORKOUT FOR THE WINTER CUP GRADE FOUR TURF
She had placed second far too many times, and Amber Black was out for revenge. Just where had Kiss placed second? Oh, in the Preakness Champion Stakes, the Belmont Turf Classic, in her latest start a couple weeks ago in the Alot-To-Live-Up-To Stakes, just to name a few. Yet Kiss's heart was still there. She had an undying will to win, a characteristic that must have been inherited from her sire DW Flamekissed. Last year's Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner wasn't looking like too much of a champion right now, and that bugged Amber. She was a champion, even if she only had one win this year and was a lowly grade four. For one moment last year they had basked in the adoration of newly made fans. That had been the win that broke them into grade four, and they had not made any progress past that.
Her first race in two weeks was coming up, the Winter Cup Grade Four Turf. They stood a good chance of winning here. Calle Ocho and The Innocent Skier were horses Kiss could handle, and they had worked often enough with Ian to know of his strategies. Amber just hoped that they could pull through with the win they desperately needed to add some shine to their star before the upcoming Breeders Cup. It was time to show the world that the petite bay filly that had stolen the title of Juvenile Turf Filly champion in a mighty closing charge was still here and ready to win some more. There was one major problem, though; Terror Smile. The rising star was also entered in the race, and was the favorite to win.
They would begin by trotting. Amber cued Kiss, and the filly slyly accelerated slightly, dragging her hooves as she barely trotted. Amber slowly applied more pressure, getting Kiss to speed up fully. What the filly had been searching for was a sudden, harsh cue to accelerate so that she could accelerate just before it and then use the cue as an excuse to gallop. She was sly and intelligent, but Amber had known this. She had ridden the filly long enough. Thus, they got into a good, working trot. When Amber felt that Kiss was paying enough attention, she cued for a canter, which Kiss grudgingly responded to. The three year old knew that Amber knew her antics now, and wouldn't fall for the same ones over and over again, much to her displeasure.
Working alone for the Winter Cup was an excellent plan. Kiss did not play too well with others. She preferred to be alone, and only tolerated Amber because she had learned it was necessary. Being a closer, she also disliked setting the pace. Calle Ocho was also a closer. So was Ian. So Kiss would be having a lot of company at the back of the pack. Luckily, Terror Smile was a front runner. She would break and take the lead, but would have an unchallenged lead. This worried Amber. This would give the mare the opportunity to take the race wire to wire and just have too big of a lead to make up. Though Kiss was a talented closer, Amber didn't want Terror Smile to have a huge lead. So they would start moving up sooner than usual to ensure they had time to eat away at it.
The race itself was ten furlongs on the turf, a bread and butter distance for Kiss. They would simulate their strategy with a mile long gallop, steadily accelerating for the last half. Amber wanted their second half to be faster than the first. Thus, she set her watch at the ready, and at the beginning of their gallop clicked the time. And they were off and running! Kiss was, of course, slow to start. She moved to the inside and stayed there, contentedly running, almost going nowhere at all. Amber just let her run as she normally would, not paying attention to the time at all until the half marker approached. She glanced at the watch. They had run the first half in a slow fifty seconds and one fifth. Time to go a bit faster!
She shook the reins at Kiss, and the filly responded with some acceleration. As a true closer, she steadily increased her speed, not just pouring it on at the last moment. As they went faster, Amber asked for more, and as they flew around the final turn and into the stretch she asked for all Kiss could give her. They were blowing down the track now, Kiss giving it everything she had, and as they went under the wire Amber saw that the last half was in forty seven and three fifths and smiled. Her plan had worked! They were ready to go!
