ven and anna

INNOCENT PASSION AND KRYSTAL YHATE
VENTURA AND AMBER BLACK
MAGIC MILLIONS WORKOUTS

What better way to keep stoking the flames than to work Ventura out with her fiercely competitive stablemate Innocent Passion? Both fillies were filled with flames and they were both looking for wins. Ventura had finished second in the Wire Finish Cup Juvenile Mile last time out and that had been the last straw for the filly. Nightshade had to go down after that. They had just run into Nightshade and Nick Landing actually, and that had been a....fascinating experience. Amber flinched internally at the thought, though outwardly she had a soft and small smile on her face. Oh how that had been interesting. But anyways, she had more important things to focus on right now. Like showing Nightshade Ven's butt during the Magic Millions Fillies Turf.

Nightshade was their biggest competition. Coming off of a win in the Juvenile Faceoff, she had had two weeks of rest and would be strong here. Ven had a bit more rest than her, but Amber doubted that would actually factor in. She would close from behind. Passion Heart from new Bowen Acres Stable seemed like a bit of a long shot. She had only started twice and seemed like she was still figuring things out. However, she still had the potential to be a welcome challenge on race day, and she'd be pace setting. Bella Luna from Witch Creek was another entry. She had raced hard last month but would be coming in off of two weeks rest and she would be stalking the pace with them. Naturally A Flyer from Star Thoroughbreds was amazingly bred but not all too consistent. She had just broken his maiden last time out and would also be stalking the pace. Spectacular Motion rounded out the field. She had also just broken her maiden. She could run preceder or front runner, but Amber bet she'd be up front with the speed due to the amount of stalkers.

This race would be full of pressure. Only Nightshade would be in her comfort zone and that really annoyed Amber. They didn't need their biggest competition riding in the back! She would let Ven run this race as she wanted, as per usual. To disagree with Ven's desires was to be met with a bucking animal halfway through the race. Ven was intelligent enough to know what she was doing, and she didn't need intervention from Amber in order to run well. They were coming in furious from losing to Atropa. And now they would run against Anna on the turf today, and that would really get Ven going. The two fillies had worked together. Anna lived off of competitive spirit. Ven lived to compete. So putting the two together was naturally a fireworks show.

To put Anna with Ven for a workout was divine insanity. The two fillies acted as dominant as colts and were always kept far away from each other. But a race was necessary, and they were both top fillies. Anna herself was full of speed and fantastically bred. She, like Ven, was also a preceder, but she wasn't as adaptable. Her last win had been in February and her last start had been four weeks ago, a second in the Wire Finish Cup Juvenile Sprint. So naturally the filly was raring to go and kick some pony butt. She would be facing Flyin Out Loud and Blazing Kiss on race day. Flyin Out Loud was a confident front runner who had last raced in late February. She hadn't been seen for a while and it was possible that she wouldn't be sharp for the race. Blazing Kiss had placed fifth in her first start in January before winning both her races in February and going second in the Wannabeastar Turf Stakes last time out, two or three weeks ago. The filly seemed to be coming into her own and would be running from the middle of the pack.

Overall, every horse would be comfortable for Anna's race and Krystal liked it that way. Anna would press Flyin for a faster pace while keeping an eye on Blazing Kiss just behind. Then they'd go for the lead and hopefully outrun the other two fillies and finally reach grade four status. Krystal was liking their chances and it was a small field, too, which only increased their chances of victory. In large fields, anything was liable to happen, but in smaller fields those random things were less likely to happen. It was murderous to ride Anna in larger fields, anyway. The bay tended to get overly competitive and then Krystal was usually in for the ride of her life.

Bay met black on the track and the action was set to begin. Fiery gaze met determined one and the sparks exploded. Ventura seemed to raise her head higher, as though arrogantly declaring her place, and Anna's head snaked forward in a rare display of hot temper as she tried to clack her teeth in front of Ven's face to display her sudden anger. Amber just managed to perform a rein back with Ven just as the filly bucked once, sending her hooves flying to Anna's face. The bay filly snorted, ears pinned back, and dodged the hooves. Krystal's face was a mask of annoyance as she backed the unwilling Anna up. Send your filly by herself Amber. These two aren't going to get along through a warm up. Amber agreed wordlessly, her lips tight as she worked to get Ven as far away from Anna as possible. The two fillies were causing a scene and she didn't want that.

Amber began to canter Ven along the inside of the turf track. The turf barely touched Ven's hooves as the filly pounded away with quick strides, absolutely displaying temper. Amber was having trouble keeping her to a reasonable pace and knew that Ven would explode if she didn't get a chance to run this off soon. It was too risky to gallop her even a little bit right now, as she might never stop if she did. Krystal was having similar troubles with Anna. The bay daughter of Little Miss Innocent was pulling at the reins the entire warm up. Her canter was choppy as she expressed her distress at not being able to run down and attack Ven as she so wanted to right now. The black filly really got under her skin. It was necessary to canter this out and so Krystal did. Five furlongs, six, eight passed and then Anna calmed down a bit. Her eyes roved around the track, searching out Ventura, but at least now she was behaving, while it seemed Ven continued to give Amber problems about two furlongs ahead of them.

Amber and Krystal brought their fillies together at the mile marker. The two fillies were both wired. They were worked up, sweating and eager to burn the other into the ground. Amber and Krystal exchanged nervous looks but still leaned forward at the same time, entering the gallop. Their nervous looks changed to thoughtful and competitive expressions as the turf beneath their feet blazed with fire. The fillies were duking it out and the world was a blur of speed. Undeniable speed. They would not be denied their respective victories in the Magic Millions. The burning of their passion was far too great.