constellation

[S u N f r O s t ~]

PEGASUS WINGS AND HENNA TURATH
AXIS MUNDAE AND AMBER BLACK

ASUS'S WORKOUT FOR THE BREEDERS CUP TURF SPRINT

There was only one other turf sprinter Henna had wanted to face for Asus's Breeders Cup workout, and that was Deadly Desires. But Amber had instead decided to bring along her juvenile turfer Axis Mundae. And for what reason? Henna was still wondering this as she began Asus at a quick, energetic trot. The black four year old was tossing his head incessantly, dying for the faster pace already. His eyes gleamed with an innate desire to sprint. Henna always had problems keeping him held in, and right now those problems had multiplied. Axis Mundae half-cantered at Asus's side, already struggling to keep up with the energetic colt despite her massive size compared to his. Amber was frowning slightly, as though doubting her filly, but she did not voice any of her new doubts. Henna was actually being quite verbal about her own; she kept throwing glances at Amber, questioning her sanity. A two year old filly who wasn't even a primary sprinter against Asus, one of if not the most skilled sprinter in his division? Ridiculous.

In order to take her mind off of her grossly outclassed opponent, Henna went through the Turf Sprint field. They were facing four other horses, one of the biggest Turf Sprint fields in recent years. They were Seattle Sun, Windbreaker, She's De Grey and White Chocolate. And honestly, none of them could hold a candle to Asus, in her mind. If anything, their biggest threat was Windbreaker. The Sweet Sugar Cane daughter had won the Juvenile Fillies Turf last year and the Girls Festival along with some other wins this year. She also had an unpredictable racing style. Asus would be challenged on the lead by She's De Grey, and was perfectly capable of taking the challenge, but Henna worried about that three year old filly. It would be a tough race.

When they had finally warmed up for a sufficient amount of time, Henna pulled her horse up and sent a glance at Amber. Amber grimaced slightly at the accusation present in the glance but launched right into the workout plan nonetheless. Now, you're probably about to kill me for bringing Axia and not Desiree to this workout she began. Henna nodded sharply, eyes demanding an answer. Well, its because I want Asus to learn an important lesson today, and that lesson is to show restraint and not get too ahead of himself. Henna's eyebrow raised. You see, with his energy and front running style, he'll hold nothing back when racing in the Turf Sprint. Thing is, he needs to hold back a little bit. Burning out too early on is not a good idea. He needs to stick with the front runners and save more for the final stretch. Make them think that you're tired, and then blow them away. See what I'm saying? Henna nodded, not quite agreeing but understanding. So, your job is to stay with Axia at a full sprint for two furlongs. Don't leave her behind. Henna snorted. It would be hard not to. Amber slightly glared at Henna's snort. This will help Asus, believe me she promised. Henna did not respond.

Soon as they were ready, the two women had their horses begin to gallop. At the beginning of the backstretch, the sprint began. Axia leaped faster, but Asus was quicker on the uptake. He nearly blew Axia away before Henna managed to hold him in with strong hands. Head nearly bowed to neck, Asus was held back as Axia sprinted up alongside of them, and then Henna gradually released rein in order to match the two year old filly's pace. There was constant pressure on the reins as she did so, and Henna was hard pressed to hold the hard-to-handle colt back. He really was a handful. Axia appeared to be working hard, while Asus was simply gliding. He wanted to pull the competition off of their feet.

It was a painful two furlongs for Henna, each moment spent holding Asus's head to his chest. Axia ran freely, enjoying every minute and not minding Asus's presence, while Asus longed to be released. When the furlongs finally ended, Axia dropped back to a canter, panting slightly, while Asus fought hard for a half furlong before also dropping back to a canter. He was hardly breathing at all. Henna honestly thought he had gotten nothing but frustration out of the workout. What exactly was Asus supposed to learn from this? When Amber caught up to them, she actually voiced this question out loud. It took Amber a minute before she could answer. Think about it. You might burn up racing that one front runner the whole race and not have enough left for the closers. I'm just telling you to be careful she cautioned.

Henna raised an eyebrow at her and feigned doubt, but in fact she suddenly realized the truth of Amber's words, and learned what Amber was trying to teach her. And gratitude filled her eyes, and she nodded, before trotting the still energetic stallion off of the track.