Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Apr 30, 2012 16:46:14 GMT -5
WORLDBREAKER AND AMBER BLACK
WORLD'S WORKOUT FOR THE WILD FLOWER MEMORIAL STAKES
The chestnut four year old was silhouetted against an amber-pink sunrise. Amber sat in the racing saddle on his back, completely relaxed into the seat of one of her favorite mounts, ever. She watched the sunrise and thought of the new successes of her chestnut. He had finally broken into grade three with a win in the Summer Cup Grade Four Turf. Now, he was truly being run in the first big turf race of his career, the Wild Flower Memorial Stakes. Funnily enough it was his dam's memorial race. Amber had high hopes to win the race, but it wasn't looking good. The other horse entered was Executioner's Apprentice, and though younger the colt had more than enough talent to defeat them, the latest additions to the elite racing scene dominated by those grade three and up. And Amber was nervous about the race. She wanted World to show the world, ha ha, what he was made of by either winning or being narrowly defeated. A humiliation here would be as painful as what she had felt retiring Ario, and she wasn't willing to let that happen.
World had done surprisingly well this year. He had won half of his six starts and had placed out of the top three only once. He had consistently raced against his "shadow", The Innocent Skier, and had come out on top, leaving him behind in the grade four division. World was moving on to bigger and better things. For the first time ever, a Breeders Cup race could be in the schedule for him, and Amber deeply looked forward to it. It would be a culmination of many things.
As the sun completely peaked over the horizon, Amber turned the thoroughbred and trotted him down the turf track. It was simply beautiful at this hour, and there were surprisingly few horses out and about. They had the turf track basically all to themselves. World focused as he always did when he was running. He was attentive to all of Amber's cues and responded almost instantly to them. Amber warmed him up for five minutes at a trot before transitioning to his canter. The rocking beat was all he was for ten minutes. They swung into the backstretch, and then Amber turned him around and cantered him back the wrong way to the track entrance.
There, she found Krystal Yhate lounging on the rail, critically watching World. He's moving smooth Amber...but you do know this workout is basically in vain, right? He doesn't have a good chance she commented seriously. Amber's eyes flashed, but even she knew the truth. We'll take any chance we can get. Besides, who said I couldn't ride one of my favorite turf mounts just because? Krystal nodded, solemnly understanding what Amber was trying to tell her. How long are you going for? she asked. Oh, a four furlong blowout. Time us? asked Amber. Krystal nodded, and while she was searching for a stopwatch Amber turned World around and cantered him around the track until they neared the half mile pole. She checked to see if Krystal was ready, saw that she was and then gently coaxed World into a sprinting gallop.
World was a closer, not a front runner, and he wasn't a sprinter either, so his acceleration wasn't all too good, but within two furlongs they were chipping along at a fabulous pace. Amber continued to get World to run on, feeling the energy she knew World possessed and wanting him to run hard for this workout. Anything to get that energy going so he was ready to go for the memorial. World's stride was long and effortless. The turf zipped by underneath them as though it was the one moving and not them. World's eyes and ears indicated his attentiveness, and as he was asked for even more speed in the stretch he willingly gave it, going for the gold as they flashed under the wire.
Amber pulled the stallion up, grinning, and glanced inquiringly at Krystal. The woman was already walking towards them, her expression giving nothing away. The first quarter was slow, 24.5, but the last quarter was in 21 seconds flat. That is some speed he's got, when he's had time to build it of course. You've got a good horse here she commented, eyes twinkling knowingly. She would know, seeing as she rode The Innocent Skier. Amber grinned back, and then began to cool down World with a good trot. Though the Wild Flower Memorial would most likely end with defeat, at least she knew she had tried as much as she could to get World ready for it, and that there were plenty more major turf races to try their luck at in the future.
