Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Apr 7, 2012 12:40:48 GMT -5
ETERNAL PHANTOM AND KRYSTAL YHATE
LYNARA'S KINGDOM AND AMBER BLACK
PHANTIE'S WORKOUT FOR THE BURNING BLAZE STAKES
Only two year olds could be entered into the Burning Blaze Stakes - so already, Krystal and Phantie were at an advantage. But the two year olds that had been entered were of amazing caliber and would all pose a threat. This was one of the rare two year old-only races on the calendar, and one of the earliest engagements between all of them. Thus, Krystal was excited about it, and had asked Amber or Henna to take a horse out and work with her and Phantie. Eternal Phantom had been performing amazingly well. The coal black daughter of Night Stalker and El Sol Del Mar was proving her blood. She had won her very first race in the March Maiden Dirt and then had come second in the three races following that in absolutely huge fields, some of which were against older horses. She had proven class and was definitely a looker. The only down spot to her was her temper. She was quiet and anti-social, and if forced to interact acted like a daughter of Rising Fury. Krystal could only hope that a sensible horse had been chosen to ride against them.
Naturally, Amber had chosen just about the worst possible horse to ride against them; Lynara's Kingdom. Willful and prissy, what she wanted, she received, and she was consistently moody and difficult to ride. Amber usually rode effortlessly, but aboard the dapple gray filly it was clear that she was actually struggling a little bit to control her. The filly clearly wanted to run, and upon catching sight of a potential competitor was even more crazy with the desire to go. Amber met Krystal's rather accusing welcoming gaze with a slightly embarrassed one. Sorry, Krystal. Lynara just needed to head out. Phantie could do with a temperamental friend, don't you think? Krystal was already shaking her head furiously, all the while keeping the now bite-ready Phantie in hand. Nothing could be worse than that temperamental two year old of yours, Amber. Just make sure she stays away from Phantie until we're galloping. I don't want your precious temper-tantrum filly getting bitten.
Amber barely had time to come up with a retort before Phantie's head snaked out, teeth bared, ready to bite Lynara on the neck. Lynara reacted violently; she dodged Phantie's head and reached forward with her own bared teeth. Enough, enough! snarled Krystal, yanking Phantie away. See what you've done now, Amber? Jeez. We'll be lucky to survive the workout! Amber only smirked at Krystal, syrupy sweetness positively dripping from her, and Krystal sighed. Let's get on with it then. Simultaneously, the two fillies were turned and made to canter down the dirt track, making sure to keep some space in between them. Phantie was only too aware of Lynara's proximity, and her ears were nearly flat against her skull. Meanwhile, Lynara had forgotten about Phantie for now, focusing purely on annoying her rider beyond the point of all reason with her scattered antics.
Warm up was quicker than usual due to the horrible antics of the two fillies. It was dangerous to keep them together at a slow pace for this long. With a six furlong workout being decided on, the two women glanced at each other and then let the reins go. Phantie had identified a threat in the field, so she went straight to the lead and wouldn't take no for an answer. Unfortunately for her, Lynara was also in a speedy mood today, so also went diving for the lead. And just like that, the two fillies became locked in an epic speed duel the likes of which would have had spectators screaming. As it was, Amber and Krystal had no doubts that the first quarter was in at least 21 seconds and that the first half would be equally blazing.
Neither filly showed the desire to relent. They were intent on running the other into the ground. Lynara, being an inherent sprinter, actually drifted ahead a little bit, but at the half Phantie was right there alongside. They were matched evenly, stride for stride, in speed. Now it was time to see who had the best stamina. Krystal and Amber were both full of exhilaration as they went along. The raw speed and power in these two year olds was unspeakable blissful. They felt as though they could get drunk on the speed. But they only had a limited time to do so, and as all non-machines do Phantie and Lynara were both tiring. They were pushing on as hard as they could, but they could only hang on for so long. Being a distance runner, Phantie was starting to push in front, while Lynara, who was officially pissed off, plowed forward with all that she could.
The finish was close, and neither woman was willing to say that they had won due to the closeness. But as they pulled up, Phantie's gaze locked onto Lynara's and stayed there. Lynara maintained the eye contact. The air fizzled with tension and energy, and the riders could practically feel the lightning bolts crackling in the air. In the act of preparing for the Burning Blaze Stakes, a new rivalry had been forged, and the effects of it would be felt for many a time.
