Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Mar 25, 2012 17:10:28 GMT -5
WILD KISS AND AMBER BLACK
KISS'S WORKOUT FOR THE KENTUCKY OPEN
Her meticulous plan was to take over the world. She had allowed none to stand in the way of this plan, and had originally allowed none to help her with this goal, either. This was slowly changing. Amber Black had arrived in Kiss's life. Though grudgingly accepted at first, Amber was now the sole human Kiss allowed to have a part in her victory, her glory. The beautiful bay filly was a good one - winner of last year's Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and this year's Unicorn Horn Fillies. She was a proven competitor in the turf filly division, and the future turf queen of the stable. But in order to prove that she deserved her top spot, she was off to face the best in the acclaimed first leg of the Turf Triple Crown - the Kentucky Open. SOPS had the best record of stables when it came to the Turf Triple Crown. Last year, their own horses had won the Kentucky Open and Belmont Turf Classic, while a horse they had bred and sold won the Preakness Champion. Kiss was the legacy of turf accomplishment. This was the best of times for the filly to lay claim to the world as she so desired to do.
Let none interfere with our thoughts. Let the competition disappear as mist does in the morning. Let there be only us and our run and the ground under our feet.
The mantra Amber repeated in her head represented their desire to win this one. The competition did not matter. The distance did not matter. The track conditions wouldn't matter. Kiss had the soul of a worker. She would not give up no matter how big the gap was or how much her legs were burning. True to her pedigree, she had a will full of grit. Races were not always about the will the horse possessed; Amber knew this from seasons of experience. But in Kiss's case, her will could do amazing things. As her sire did, Kiss followed; she made the wins happen by digging in and giving it her all. And like her Hall of Fame dam, she had the talent to let it go and sweep it all. Today, they would mimic the fashion of their victory through a mile long workout. Kiss would practice in the manner of victory, and by doing so would achieve what the pair sought so badly.
Entering the canter was like floating on water; it was upon entering the gallop that Amber felt the coiled energy she held beneath her. Upon receiving the cue, Kiss stretched out and let her hooves fly. The turf changed to a green blur beneath them; the world faded around them. They weren't even going at top speed yet, but Amber was aware of the filly's speed. She was running at top class fractions for a closer, for that was what the filly was. She broke excellently, but preferred to close in from behind. Throughout the race, she would accelerate, letting the horses in front of her duel while keeping her head cool and calculating the exact moment when the ones in front would have trouble stopping her. Then, she would come bearing down on them, and attempt to sweep past and run the rest off of their hooves.
Right now, she was at stalking speed. Amber crouched comfortably over her neck, letting her have enough rein to stretch her neck out a bit, keeping her strictly to the inside. In the beginning stages, there were usually no horses back there with Kiss. She had the track to herself. It only made sense to conserve energy by taking the inside, then. As Amber held Kiss there, she paid attention both to her mount and to the poles passing by. The first turn, when it came, was taken with her stirrup nearly scraping the paint. Kiss didn't mind her current speed, but as soon as they hit the stretch Amber felt the subtle acceleration that came from her. The filly hit one of her many gears and went forward. Her eyes, Amber knew, were blazing with eagerness. She could tell because she felt the same eagerness, the same readiness to go when it was time to.
They would just be catching up to the pack right now in an actual race. Amber steered Kiss slightly to the outside, imagining horses on their inside. She kept Kiss at as steady a pace as she could, letting the filly run her race while keeping to a strategy that complemented what she wanted. They would be at the same pace as those inside horses now, midway down the backstretch with half the race behind them and half left to go. Amber let a grin cross her face. They were running perfectly, with the exact fractions she wanted right now. And as they approached the final turn, Kiss revved up a little bit more. Now Amber knew they would be putting the pack behind them, staying to the outside to block any horse from getting on their outside for the stretch duels that were to come. The turn came up fast, and Kiss smoothly bent her body into it, not losing speed as she came around and into the stretch.
Let none stand in our way. Let them crumble beneath this onslaught. Let Kiss take this one all the way.
She envisioned the field before her; two in front, dueling, with another closing fast from the pack, Kiss in between the two and gaining speed. She let the filly go, and it was time for them to shine. Kiss accelerated to her final gear, the wind holding no sway over their power as they blew into the stretch. Amber urged the filly on, pumping her arms and letting her know it was time to go. She needed no encouragement. The three year old lightened the impact of her hooves, turning them faster and faster, reaching for the wire with her nose. Amber envisioned blowing past the spent two horses behind them and approaching the win. She imagined widening the gap, her continuously encouraging Kiss and receiving more than she asked for. The filly continued giving and giving, feeling Amber's urgency. An attack right now would be hard to recuperate from; they had to maintain this lead, or they would lose.
Amber almost didn't realize when they went under the wire; the blur of the red and white pole to her left let her know when. Breathing hard, she pulled her filly up slowly, letting her know it was time to decelerate. Kiss resisted slightly, but recognized her workout as over and slowed down. They were soon cantering around the first turn again. Her body steamed with sweat, and her sides heaved slightly with exertion. Yet the filly's eyes were bright, and her confidence apparent in her every movement. Amber turned her around and trotted back to the finish wire. She paused the filly there, viewing the stretch with calculating eyes. Yes, they would do it. Kiss would achieve it. She would show the world that she had it in her to win a leg of the most prestigious turf series in their world, and she would show it soon.
