Post by Dante on Oct 15, 2011 12:35:23 GMT -5
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EXECUTIONER'S APPRENTICE
workout with
TOBIAS LANCASTER[/b]
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It was time to step it up a notch. Amidst the colors of the sunset, a dapple grey colt stood with a child-sized jockey atop him. Just because Executioner's Apprentice broke his maiden didn't mean it was time to stop. He it was time to move. Literally. He had a race coming up, and it was time to prepare for it. The field was small, and the distance a comfortable one for App. Tobias was quietly confident, but he wasn't going to let that get in the way of training. He could see Connor waiting the in the grandstands, and with one final stretch Tobias got App going to a brisk trot to the gate. The colt snorted, ears pricked forwards. He was clever, and even a dull horse knew what was coming next. It was time to run. The gates meant running. The gates meant it was time to run, and keep running until he was in front, and stay there. That was the point of the game.[/color][/b]
Today's mock-race was on turf, as always, and was seven furlongs on the nose. App didn't do much as he was loaded into the gate There was no head tossing or stamping, just a snort and a lowering of the head, as though to say 'I'm ready, let's go'. Or, it was to see how to open the gate himself. Or both, as opening the gate was conducive to running. Tobias adjusted his goggles and then his helmet chin strap, before shifting a bit in his stirrups and bending down, ready for the pull of the house as the gates-
Yep! Tobias was ready just in time. The gates opened and App pulled forwards, as though he was going to leave Tobias behind in a single bound. The turf flashed past beneath them, one big blur, which melded into the sides of Tobias' vision. They'd started in a middle gate, to give a good reading on how long it would take up to pull to second, and then the inside or nearly so at first, when diagonal motion was involved. He'd done it before, and it was his style; snake into second or third, then slip ahead and into first.
The colt's black mane streamed out behind him, as did his tail. His distinctive mark of "blood" on his shoulder rippled with his muscles. Tobias could feel the motion, he felt halfway melted to the racehorse underneath him. He could almost feel the turf, feel the breath coming in his lungs, feel everything App was feeling right then. Of course it wasn't quite true, but Tobias liked the fleeting feeling of it at the start of the race. He never lost track of how the horse he was riding was feeling, but he couldn't imagine he was the horse for the whole race! That would be silly.
Executioner's Apprentice kept a steady course and speed until about the four furlong marker. Now it was time to kick it off. Tobias gave App the rein and the stick, hard. The horse knew what that meant. An earl flicked back briefly, then forwards as he sped up, but Tobias did not let up as App accelerated. Three furlongs more, no time for slowing or stagnation of speed. He'd kept up with the imaginary pack, now was the time to lose it in the dust. He could feel App pulling, and gave him more. This was his element. This was what he was supposed to do - run. Run for all he was worth. And the colt loved it.
The horse and rider duo passed the five furlong marker, and moved to the inside; not quite at the rail but near to, almost enough for a horse to squeak on by. The reason for this was simple - room to maneuver. In a real race, when he was weaving in and ducking ahead, he'd need space. If he could preserve a "bubble" to avoid being shut out from speeding up, that was good. Of course, the main thing was not getting caught there (Tobias wasn't stupid, he knew when not to weave in and run outside with horses like App) in the first place, but the occasional safeguard was good, moreso in a crowded field. That being said, Tobias doubted that the field in the next race with exceed five or six. They thundered past the six furlong marker and Tobias pushed more. He wanted App to take him away into the sunset, take them right into the race and right into victory. All of PHS was banking on the colt just now, and the bet, the jockey felt, was a good one. His feet landed where they were supposed to, there was no stumbling or spooking, just focus.
They finished the mock race and looped back around to Connor, who was scrawling down the results; even from horseback, Tobias could see the sharp contrast between it and Skylark's writing. "Let's hope he does that again for the race." Connor said simply. "Because that was good." He grinned and laughed into a series of curses, finishing by saying, "Bloody awesome!"
App just looked at him like he had a few screws loose, who Tobias had to admit, Connor probably did.
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WORKOUT STATS
words| 876
workout surface| Turf
distance| 7 furlongs
horse| Executioner's Apprentice
jockey| Tobias Lancaster
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