Y16 Juvenile Workouts

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It's another exciting year here at Oceanic and we're all chomping at the bit (literally) to get our youngsters going in the big leagues. This year's juveniles have been acquired by the barn the past year through sales or other barns' generosity. With the Breeder's Cup wrapping up in the next week or so, we caught up with trainer Felicity to get the run down on the five horses joining the racing roster in year sixteen. We also had the chance to join them on the workout track to watch the juveniles show their talents before moving into the bigger fields.

Joining the ranks in January are:

Bona Fide
Dark Sparrow
Deathflash's Truth
Evanescence
Ruling Restraint
Rough Boy
Stylishly Wild

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HOF True Enough x Samantha's Wisdom

Dirt, 8-11 Furlongs, Closer/Front Runner
Jockeyed by: Maverick Harris

    Sawyer ducked as the filly swung her head around, her big teeth searching for anything to latch onto. Bona Fide thought she had reached her limit for being tied up in the stable isle and voiced her opinion loudly on the subject. Down the barn a few horses answered her frustrated whinny and drew her attention away long enough for the stable hand to tighten the cinch once last time. Bonnie's jockey watched warily from the tack room door as the bay stamped her hoof impatiently on the rubber mats. Maverick knew he was going to be in for a wild couple years on this girl. Plus whatever offspring she would carry later on. So far she had been a spitfire her first year on the ground. Everyday was a fight getting her to sit still long enough for them to get a brush over her coat. Forget the tangles in her tail. The day she had her first race some unfortunate soul would have the honors of standing near those quick back hooves. Maverick was just happy not to be the one required to do so.
    The filly was gorgeous when her attitude wasn't showing through, that was for sure. Ever since getting her as a weanling Felicity had shown tons of interest in her training and making sure she was properly brought up. Mav was sure it had to do with Bonnie's bloodlines, being her sire was HOF/BHOF True Enough. He was sure the owner regretted every day letting the stallion slip through her fingers. She showed it enough in her hoarding of the bloodline. First Bona Fide, then Seems Legit and Rough Boy, now rumors were flying that they may have found another line linked to famous line. He had yet to hear of it but the way Felicity had been acting the past couple days he knew that she was up to something. 

    Walking out to the dirt track calmed the mare down tremendously. Her bitterness towards the people around her melted away as she found something to do other than find targets around her to practice her kicking on. Bona Fide was a real sweetheart when her wishes were followed. Keep her entertained and tempt her with a few sugar cubes and she will do just about anything. But tie her up for a long period of time and she becomes little miss hell-on-wheels. She studied the track and the grand stands with curiosity as she absent-mindedly followed along behind the group of stable workers. Felicity was chatting with Maverick, giving him the run-down on what she wanted him to do with the filly. They had already run her several times in the past but wanted to make sure she was okay with the gate before her first maiden race next week. The plan was to load her into the gate a couple times and release her at an easy pace. The last time they loaded Mav was to run her hard for four furlongs, but no more. She was a two year old after all and they didn't want to wear her out.

    The first loading was the hardest. For the past couple weeks they had been walking her through but never really closed the doors on her. So Bonnie balked a little when they clanged the gate behind her. She chomped on the bit, her eyes rolling a little. They left the front doors open for her to escape if she couldn't handle the situation. Sure enough, no amount of coaxing from Maverick would keep her in. The bay danced around and slipped out the front of the gate. Felicity, watching from the side, urged them to keep going. Eventually she would get the idea.

    Two loads later Maverick sat perched above the mare, in the gate, with both doors closed. He patted her on the neck and continued to sooth her with his talking and pats on her neck. Only when she stopped jumping around did they open the gates and her jockey encouraged her out at a relaxed canter. A couple more tries later Bonnie was approaching the gate like a veteran. Satisfied with his mount, Maverick motioned that it would be the last loading. This time they would leave the gate at a flat out run.

    Not knowing how much encouragement she needed, Maverick asked for a crop in case the filly had gotten used to her slow break from the gate. Turns out all Bonnie needed was to see the stick to break quick. When the gate opened for the last time she was all go as she fired from inside. Mav couldn't help but grin as she leaped into a quick run. He wondered how easy it was going to be on race day to discern which running position she would pick. Today Bonnie wanted to run so it was likely she would have taken up her front runner position. 
    Two furlongs went by quickly so he focused on getting her to the inside of the rail and sticking to it. It was tough to keep her from swinging to the outside. Bonnie liked the look of the wide open track and tugged at the reins, wanting to run down the middle instead of where she would be during a race. Always patient and firm her jockey pushed her to the inside. He wasn't really worried about pace as much because she was eager to stretch her legs out. Any faster and he would have to hold her back for the danger of injuring herself would be too great. Instead he focused on keeping her in that position, where eventually she would learn to drift to for familiarity. 
    Soon they passed the two furlong marker and they slowed to a jarring trot. Bonnie wanted to keep going and tossed her nose into the air a couple times. Maverick growled at her stubbornness but was pleased with her performance thus far. He was expecting a much harder horse to train but so far she had been willing to do a lot without throwing a fit. 

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HOF Everyday Hero x Golden Grove
Dirt, 5-8 Furlongs, Mid-Pack
Jockeyed by: Isabelle Nottingham

    Not much has been heard about this little filly that came out of the walls a year ago for Felicity at OVS. When broodmare Golden Grove was taken in from a reclaim sale, the bay filly followed along behind. She is sired by Hall of Famer and recent Breeding Hall of Fame nominee Everyday Hero. His progeny have proven to be winners and the same can be expected of Evanescence once she hits the track. It is rumored that she will be prepared for the Dirt Sprinter Tiara next year and this year will be focused on preparing her for the large groups she will be going up against.
    As for workouts, this girl has been brought to the local tracks several times and our sources say that Felicity is attempting to expose her to as many people as possible so she knows to ignored them and become focused on her job. Her most recent outing was at Santa Anita racetrack just before her first maiden race of the year. They appeared later in the evening when most of the workouts were done for the day. Jockey Isabelle Nottingham was seen walking her out to the barn and mounting up as soon as she hit the dirt. Behind them the red coat and flashy legs of Southern Peach were seen leaving the barn and following the darker bay mare around the track. 
    Both horses were warmed up properly before being worked a short distance of three furlongs. Evanescence showed her talent as they were released into a gallop. She ran without too much effort and easily kept up with her breezing partner. It is obvious that even as a sprinter, the filly could possibly go for even longer distances if Felicity decided to push her. Southern Peach is a natural front runner so Isabelle and Kallie (Sullivan) decided to keep the chestnut three year old in front and have Evanescence pushing from behind. 
    And push she did. Evanescence stayed hot on the chestnut's tail as they rounded the northern end of the track. Even pushing the filly did not look like she was truly trying her hardest as she has a very lofty and floating gait. By the time they pulled up after a brisk three furlong run both horses were blowing but wanted to keep running. Evanescence's final time was :36.80.

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Passionate Ruler x Unbridled Mystery
Turf, 6-9 Furlongs, Front Runner
Jockeyed by: Kallie Sullivan

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HOF True Enough x Dashing in the Firelight
Dirt, 7-12 Furlongs, Closer
Jockeyed by: Clinton Ward

    The most recently acquired True Enough colt by Oceanic View has been rarely seen since his arrival at the California-based barn. Curiosity has struck the timers at the racetracks but to their amazement not much as been seen of the colt since his appearance at the Y15 Breeder's Cup Yearling Show. He placed second in a rather large field of seven horses, including above his twin brother, Tuff E' Nuff. A few have reportedly stopped by OVS in the hopes to get glimpses of the yearling string but even the other seven yearlings have been hidden from the public view. Not much of Rough Boy's training has been recorded due to the private facilities on the site and poor view of the breezing track. What exactly has the OVS crew been doing with him and why are they keeping him out of sight?
    We first caught wind of the pairing of HOF True Enough and Dashing in the Firelight before the breeding even took place. Less than a year later it was a surprise to hear that the mare was carrying twins, not a single foal. Since the birth of the two colts not much has been given out about their personalities or running styles. We caught a glimpse of what Rough Boy and Tuff E' Nuff could do during the Yearling Show, but that isn't a huge precursor for what will come out of them as two year olds this year. 

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(Two weeks later)

Breaking news from observers at the local race track. Today was the first day Rough Boy has been worked outside of Oceanic View. Though it was an early morning workout, a few watchers caught wind of him heading up to the dirt track just before five this morning. He emerged from the barn tacked in his workout gear and with jockey Clinton Ward close behind. We attempted to gain more info from the grooms and jockey but they declined to say anything besides "we will be working him over five furlongs with a breezing partner". Close behind a dappled grey stallion followed, being led by Isabelle Nottingham. She refused to comment anymore on the juvenile but did give the name of his breezing partner, Glory Bell. 

From our knowledge Glory Bell has been working his way up in the dirt distance races but beyond that he has been gaining ground since his year off and disappearance from the track. This morning he looked fresh and a little wound up as he prepared for the workout next to Rough Boy. In stark contrast the colt was eerily calm and patient with Clinton. In the few months it's been since the Yearling Show, the barn certainly has gone a long way in working with his attitude under saddle. 

The colt ran rather well with the older horse and proved that he can be quick on his feet when Glory Bell unexpectedly side-swiped the bay. They had just started running when the grey stallion lost his focus and took a step closer to the inside and bumped the younger colt. Rough Boy pinned his ears for a second but a retort from his rider made him focus once again. Both horses were gunning for the lead when they crossed the five furlong marker, neither one of them showing any signs of fatigue. We managed to get three watches on their times and Rough Boy pulled 1:01.80, a good pace for the beginning of his two year old season.

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Footloose x Made in Manhattan
Turf, 9-12 Furlongs, Front Runner
Jockeyed by: Isabelle Nottingham

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Swelling Darkness (CR) x Out of the Rain (CR)
Turf, 7-12 Furlongs, Mid-Pack
Jockeyed by: Maggiletti Reynolds [guest jockey]

Coming.

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Deathflash's Pride x Loose Truth
Dual, 5-8 Furlongs, Front Runner
Jockeyed by: Maggiletti Reynolds [guest jockey]

   "Thank you so much for doing this," Felicity Chay said not for the first time this morning. "I really do appreciate the fact that Ripley has loaned you out to me for a couple of workouts. I swear that flu has specifically targeted my staff and I need to get these juvis out on the track already."

    Maggie laughed and shook her head, holding up her hand to dissuade any more thank yous. "Don't worry about it. We're covered at the farm and it's time to get your guys back on track." She glanced down the railing, eyeing up the men and women who were watching the horses on the track. It's been a very long time since she'd worked a horse over Green Horse Fields track. She could feel the excitement in the air and yearned for that feeling of excitement. It was amazing to have the turf hills and lonely dirt track at Witch Creek, but GHF was a testament to equine majesty.

    "Good. Umm. Today, I have Deathflash's Truth for you to ride. His groom should be bringing him along any second. He's pretty straightforward. Never had a problem with an attitude. In fact he's quite a sweetheart and everyone at the barn tends to favor him."

    Maggie nodded, well aware of the colt even though she'd yet to see him on the track. He had one of the best pedigrees going right now and was a half to Battle Brook's Spotlight Pride and Grayson Meadow's grade one winner Chatoyant. If a racing career didn't pan out, the youngster would likely still end up with a well-supported stud career anyway. She followed Felicity's gaze and immediately recognized her charge. He was a nicely formed horse, bigger than Spotlight Pride had been at that age and one of the lightest grays she'd seen on the track. He was a picture of health, long and lean. His eyes were gentle and he had a foolishness to him. His groom was trying to walk with dignity, but the colt ruined it by tap dancing sideways and throwing his head.

    "Here we go," Felicity stated when the young horse reached them. Maggie patted the colt's satiny neck and got into position for a leg up. Oceanic View's trainer was a lot stronger than she looked. Maggie barely saved herself from being flung over the colt's side. She took a huge breath and settled herself in. He has a surprisingly long stride and an unexpected confidence. His ears flick around and he switches his tail, but otherwise he seems unbothered by her unfamiliar presence.

    "Good," Felicity mutters. "Just take him around for five furlongs after a jogging lap. He's a good worker so he shouldn't need pressure to finish. If you feel like he isn't giving you enough, chirp to him and he'll rebreak... Good luck."

    She didn't mean to gape at Felicity and she quickly caught herself before the trainer noticed. The woman was a fast talker and definitely to the point in her instructions. Maggie nodded and turned the colt loose on the track. His ears instantly perked up and he cocked his head to get a load of the horses running on the rail. She nudged him forward until he started focusing on her. She liked his good energy, his easy movement. He stepped right into a canter upon asking and seemed to float over the course. He was a tall thing, but he had cat-like ability.

    Maggie became very accustomed to the colt's movement on the first lap around. He liked to look at everything, but seemed really focused on the horses on the rail. She took that as a good sign that when she asked him to pick up the pace, he'd do just that. All Deathflash offspring seemed to have that extra dose of competitiveness. They needed it when they were dealing with the hot pace of a sprint and mile. She gave the colt a pat as they re-entered the backstretch. He mouthed the bit impatiently and tossed his head again, fighting her for his head. She suspected he was used to being let go at this point.

    Deathflash's Truth leaped into the bridle the instant she let go of the reins. She wrapped her hands in his dark mane and held on tight as the colt roared to life. For such an easygoing horse, he took off like a hotrod. She leaned close to his flying mane as he gathered himself and settled down into that leggy stride of his. She watched the poles fly by and peeked over her shoulder to make sure that the youngster didn't have any competition down on the rail. Satisfied that there was nothing close, Maggie tugged on the reins and guided the colt along the rail. Seemingly egged on by the reinwork, the gray picked up speed. She definitely saw what Felicity meant by a willingness to perform.

    The colt shot through the turn like he was made for it, winding his body like he wanted to become the rail itself. His nostrils flared with every big breath he took and he swapped leads without her even asking. She had to admit that the boy could flipping run. She went still as a stone when the colt straightened up for the homestretch. His ears flicked up like he was having a ball out on the track. For all of the extra time it took the gray to get ready for the races, he was sharp as a tack. He poured it on through the lane and into the gallop out without much physical effort.

    "Easy boy," Maggie whispered into the colt's ear. "I don't need your connections to eat me... Dang you can run." Her blue eyes shifted to the rail where Felicity was standing with the colt's groom. If she was seeing correctly, Felicity was about to be hounded by one of the most renowned clockers in the business. A small smirk fluttered over her lips and she gave the barely winded horse a pat. "That's when you know you've done good, buddy."