Post by Dante on Mar 9, 2012 15:49:51 GMT -5
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EXECUTIONER'S APPRENTICE
workout with
TOBIAS LANCASTER
for the
KENTUCKY OPEN
workout I[/color]
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This was the big leagues. This was where people were predicting Executioner's Apprentice would go - the turf triple crown. Now the first leg would be underway soon, the Kentucky Open. Ten furlongs, on the turf, a distance App had raced and won at. But this was the big leagues now. This was where the big boys came out to play and the pressure was on. Everyone knew PHS would put Executioner's Apprentice in, but now was the time to show them just what he could do. And do do that, they would work hard.
"Let's get going." Tobias could hear the excitement in Skylark's voice. "Let's hit the track." Once, in Skylark's heyday, he'd been on this track with the likes of Bank on Silver. Now, it was time to put the horse he trained out there. Tobias was riding on a hope, and one he wanted to come true. The grey colt danced a little under his jockey. He could see the track and knew what it meant. It meant running. App had dug his teeth into victory before, and he wanted it again. They trotted to the gates, and were loaded in with little problem. It was funny, in Tobias' mind, how this time last year they were just starting out - and in the span of a year, the dapple grey colt had gone from an unknown to a well known turf horse.
"We're gonna keep that up, hey?" Tobias whispered as he pulled down his goggles, shifted in his stirrups and took up the reins. They were going to be in gate one for this race, so the strategy would be essential so as not to get boxed in. Open face, dive wide, settle for the middle of the race at second or a narrow third, but never let up the pressure. "We'll knock 'em dead, pun intended." Tobias whispered, watching one of App's ears flip back briefly. And then...
CLANG! The gates sprung open and App opened strong, black mane and tail streaming behind him as the horse and rider took off. They broke ahead of the imaginary field and moved out just a little, just enough to prevent being boxed in, and settled. Settled didn't mean slow down by any means - in fact, it very well meant the opposite. App would "settle" behind the leader, yes, but he wouldn't slow. He'd stay fast enough that the mid pack wouldn't catch him, and fast enough the the frontrunner was always forced to go faster than they'd like; it was all about driving the horse in front to breaking point, and not letting the middle legions catch up to you in the process. The sun shone down and the wind slapped his face, and the jockey couldn't feel more alive. He could feel App's hooves tearing up the turf, each step sound and sure. He could feel the muscle, he could feel the pull on the bit, he could feel the enthusiasm he was dealing with, and by the beard of Moses (the guy in the Talmud, not his brother), he was going to help App do this!
The duo took the corner with good balance, and now, seven furlongs in, began to push every harder. They crept up on the nose of an imaginary horse, pulling neck and neck with them, then, a quick check over his shoulder for how fast the closers were coming at him, and they were off! An explosion of speed didn't describe them. Oh, they were fast all right, but t was controlled. The blood-red shoulder that App sported was but a blur as they channeled all that "explosive" energy into a straight line, pulling ahead and towards the ten furlong marker.
They crossed the marker, and a Skylark with the stopwatch, before looping on back to him. "How'd we do?" The tiny man called, as App snorted and chewed the bit. He wanted more, more, more! That was a good sign, though - he'd have plenty in him when the time came.
"Good, good, lookie here!" Skylark pointed to the time he'd jotted down, and Tobias grinned.
"And here to think a year ago we were worried about this guy." He laughed. "Let's keep the good work going, yeah, App?" The jockey leaned down and scratched the colt's neck, while the colt in question just stared, bright eyed, at the track.-----------------------
WORKOUT STATS
words| 734
workout surface| Turf
distance| 10 furlongs
horse| Executioner's Apprentice
jockey| Tobias Lancaster
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