don't count us out

[S u N f r O s t ~]

FLASHY WINGS AND HENNA TURATH

FLASH'S WORKOUT FOR THE EL SOL DEL MAR MEMORIAL STAKES

Despite his successes, Henna still felt as though they were the most underrated pair out there. They had won the Preakness. They had won the Belmont. They had just won the freaking huge Climax Cup. They had been the first to reach grade one among the three year olds. Yet Flash wasn't getting the respect he deserved. He probably wasn't rated higher than his nemesis Sunset Crusade right now. He definitely wasn't regarded as highly as Executioner's Apprentice, Henna felt. Those were the colts vying for his year end award. And Henna, as she had felt all year, wanted it badly. She wanted to erase the doubt in the minds of the press and demonstrate to them that Flash was a true champion.

The colt was surely beautiful enough to garner titles. His eyes gleamed with keen intelligence, and he was a handsome blood bay color that drew particular attention to his black points. Handsome and beautiful. That was Flash. And accomplished. He had reigned over the three year old crop in terms of awards and achievements for the entirety of his racing career. He had always taken the highest honors for his division at the end of every year. And right now his status was, as per usual, being jeopardized. It was going to be tough. Henna had known that from the beginning. They were a pair blessed with opportunities that others didn't have and talent that others also did not share. She wanted to put it on proud display.

They danced through a warm up and then began to gallop. They galloped quickly, with the business like attitude of a champion undergoing his regular conditioning. The challenge of the sport energized Flash like nothing else. He ran because it challenged him, and won because he loved being good at this game. Henna loved helping him along this path. He was class, Flash won. He had won exactly half of his races and had only placed out of the top three twice. This showed as he galloped through some excellent fractions. He wasn't sprinting or anything, just going along at a reasonable pace, yet his fractions were still good.

Henna wished that they were recognized. She wished that they had more respect. She desired this respect as she desired nothing else. The El Sol Del Mar Memorial Stakes was coming up. They were facing Xalbadora, Limitless Time, Sillenia, TDI Live This Lie, Bank On Greatness and his great arch rival Sunset Crusade. The odds were essentially stacked against them. A win here was doubtful. But Henna hoped that the fury of her desire, the want for this title, the need to at least beat Sunset Crusade, would win over on race day. They needed this win. Not only to make Henna more confident about herself and her colt, but to demonstrate that they were capable of doing things none had done before.

They slowed and stopped, a picture of readiness and greatness. The path lay before them. Would they walk it? Of one thing was Henna certain; they shouldn't be counted out. Not now, and not ever.

[S u N f r O s t ~]

TDI LIVE THIS LIE AND AMBER BLACK

They had come so far, and it was surprising to Amber that they had. Yes, surprising, yet at the same time not too surprising. Falsehood had three wins this year, all from monthly dirt races. That alone would lower the opinion one had of him. Yet Amber knew that Falsehood had talent. Had he shown this talent? Amber went through his life story and considered this question with careful thought.

Falsehood had been bought as a yearling from Tropicana Dreams, Inc. He had been in their annual weanling sale. They had been one of the many parties interested in him, and they had had the good luck to receive him. He was now the last they had of the TDI bloodlines. By TDI Secrets Of Excalibur and out of Definite Glory, he was bred to be talented and bred to be a racehorse. As a prospect he had garnered some further acclaim before starting as a two year old. He had come fifth in the Juvenile and won two races by the end of that year. When he turned three, he had been the premier competitor from the stable in the Triple Crown. He placed third in the Derby and Preakness and ended the season with a second in the Dirt Mile. Now this year, his four year old season, they were still expecting great things from him. He had recently won his way into grade two, with three wins to go until grade one. He didn't strike many as a good racehorse, but he had pulled a surprise when he placed second in the Sweet Stalker Memorial Stakes. And Amber wanted to keep pulling out surprises.

She mounted the gray stallion and got him going in a canter on the dirt track. The usually arrogant stallion was quieter today, being alone, yet alert. His eyes swam around the track, looking for a competitor, but found none. Amber wanted it that way. She wanted them to have some alone time, time to think of their plans for the future. They had a lot to accomplish next year, their final year of racing. Amber wanted to go out with a bang. She wanted to show the world just what they had been missing with Falsehood. She did not want to be counted out as they had been for the majority of this year. He had been the surprise horse turned grade two. By the end of next year, he would be the unsurprising horse winning the Breeders Cup Classic.

Amber started their workout with these thoughts in her mind. She never let them go as they worked to bring their dreams into reality.

[S u N f r O s t ~]

SILLENIA AND KRYSTAL YHATE

Looking for the underdog racehorse? Well congratulations, you had come to the right place. Sillenia was such a racehorse. She was sometimes great and other times not, and was constantly overshadowed by Wildly Natural in the big turf races. She had won two Breeders Cup races and even the Kentucky Open, so it wasn't as though she was lacking talent. She had places in the big races and even three wins this year, so she was at least semi famous for her turf racing. Yet her reign would begin next year, and after her Wild Kiss would take her place. There was no doubt in Krystal's mind that their worst enemy was Tura, and to have Amber's mare off of the track would bring peace to their hearts.

Typically as her sire would be, Sill was extremely headstrong today. She pulled at the reins and didn't want to take no for an answer. How long would it take the thoroughbred to learn that Krystal wasn't giving it? She had told the mare no before countless times, yet it never sank in if Sill was in a headstrong mood. It never seemed to anyway, but especially at times like this. Sill could conveniently forget things that she didn't want to remember, it seemed. That had made gate training really fun as a yearling. She had conveniently refused to learn how to do it, until she discovered her love for racing and had gone through with it. Before then, things had been hard.

Sill's career was anything but lustrous despite her accomplishments. Krystal wanted more. They were often counted out due to an apparent lack of performance, though Krystal knew the press judged on face value. They didn't know everything. They didn't know that Sill was reaching her prime now. They were going to go out with a bang next season. Their ending this season would be a preview of just what was to come.

They were galloping now. Krystal had warmed her up quickly and now the breeze sang to them. They attempted to keep up with a sudden breeze but couldn't race the invisible foe. So they raced their shadow, and let their will to win guide them. Sill was a closer, but this was a workout of release. They did not pace themselves. They simply went as fast as they wanted to, as far as they wanted to. It was almost beautiful, this complete freedom, and Krystal relished it. Sill was enjoying herself too. How did Krystal know? The aura had changed. The steady pressure on the reins had lessened. And Sill's demeanor was just calm, peaceful. Waiting. Ready for what was to come.

Ready to unveil just what was hiding at the end of this year. Don't count her out. There was more to come, hidden within.

[S u N f r O s t ~]

DASHING IN THE FIRELIGHT AND HENNA TURATH

They were one. The gorgeous light bay five year old thoroughbred mare was one with the rider that graced her back. It took almost nothing from Henna to get her Fire to do as she asked. Like a pillar of flame they accelerated from their trot to a canter, and then to a gallop. It was long and swinging, beautiful in every way, yet for some reason their long efforts were not being rewarded.

Fire had an interesting life story. As a two year old she had showed average talent. As a three year old she had showed nearly none and then had been injured by Jessie James, Amber's hellion of a stallion. Through Henna's loving care Fire had been nursed back to racing condition and had begun her four year old season. Her rivalry with her sister Moondance was guided and nurtured throughout the year. She had risen through the ranks to grade two and had won a lot of respect in the process. Henna had been over the moon with excitement for the mare's five year old season, her final year on the track. Yet something had happened. Their work had not lessened, yet their performance had. They were no longer respected. They were looked at sadly, as shreds of their former glory. Yet Henna believed that very little had changed with them. So what was the reason for this sudden departure from greatness? What had happened that had caused this?

The gallop of her mare was long strided and smooth. She was a mid pack runner, by Dancing In The Moonlight and out of Dash For Cash. These bloodlines, through her sire, produced typical late bloomers. But Fire's bloom at four was now overshadowed by defeat at five. And Henna couldn't help but think of the other Fire in the stable, Fire Dancer, Krystal's three year old filly by Native Flame and out of On To Dancing. Now those lines were something good, yet that Fire was also having problems. And with what origin? Henna could not find a reason for it. There truly was none. Fire showed rare moments of greatness. Put together, the two Fires would have made one hell of a racehorse. Yet right now they were fragmented and nobody really knew why.

Fire and Henna continued to gallop. And as time passed, they grew faster. They grew needier. They wanted to prove to the world in some way that they weren't done. They wanted to prove that they still held class within them. They needed a proving ground. They needed to show off what they could do. All of this they needed, and more. And all they would do to achieve it would hopefully be rewarded one day. They had one win to go until they reached grade one. One. And they wanted it so badly that Henna wondered how she would ever feel if they did not get it.

[S u N f r O s t ~]

WILD KISS AND AMBER BLACK

So what if they only had the Unicorn Horn Fillies to their name this season and a whole string of seconds? They had won the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last year hadn't they? Didn't that prove that they were made of something? Amber couldn't help but want to snarl with frustration. They had come close too many times to winning and succeeding. They had placed second to Silent Fury too many times, and now Amber was declaring it a rivalry. She didn't care if the other horse was by her own dear stallion Grand Silence. The colt had messed with Kiss one too many times and she wanted vengeance.

By DW Flamekissed and out of Wild Flower, it was almost in Kiss's blood to be the underdog. DW Flamekissed had often played that position, but at least he had garnered some respect from it. Kiss didn't have this respect yet. She ran well and had earned fame from running all three legs of the Turf Triple Crown, yet apparently she wasn't good enough. Though she could be argued as the best middle turf three year old filly right now, Amber wanted more. She knew that Kiss was the next dawning of turf champion at her stable and she wanted Kiss to defend her win in the Breeders Cup with another this season.

They were going to run a mile of relaxed gallop with some added prodding for Kiss's benefit. Amber wanted to feel her speed. She wanted it to block out what she knew most every person thought about her filly. Kiss had been a carefully conceived breeding. Through Wild Flower, she had the blood of a royal turfer and was related to excellent runners. Wildly Natural was one of those, and the other was Worldbreaker. And Tura had been nothing if not great. World was approaching that level. And one year behind World was Kiss, and she had work to do yet if she wanted to be on that level. Amber would know. She had ridden her siblings too.

Their relaxed canter at the moment became a gallop. Kiss was sly and attempted to coax her way to a faster pace, but she wasn't sly enough for Amber. She knew the pretty filly's tricks and combated them, beating them back with a twitch of the reins and a touch of her heels to the three year old's barrel. The wind breezed by, not whipping quite yet, and Amber got tired of their relaxed pace. She wanted to feel more, and asked for it. And Kiss decidedly gave her more. Though generally not the most competitive filly around, Kiss never gave up and always gave what she was given her all.

Time was meaningless now. Amber let her thoughts focus on Kiss and on her future path to greatness. She couldn't wait to let it all become reality. They couldn't be counted out yet. They had so much more left to do and a lot left to prove, not to mention that they had the capability to do great things.

[S u N f r O s t ~]

AXIS MUNDAE AND AMBER BLACK

The best way to describe the black filly was as headstrong and powerful. She was more like a colt, and built like one too, but she was sexually a filly. And a filly she was currently proud of. The three year old daughter of Warlock and Hall Of Fame mare Little Miss Innocent had just reached grade three with a win last week. Amber had been proud. She was young, Axia, and she had demonstrated some degree of talent. Which was not surprising, given her bloodlines. And Amber knew that next year, the filly would be able to give them more.

They had time, plenty of time. The filly danced underneath her as though understanding this, and Amber couldn't keep the smile from her face as they began their warm up. They would sprint today, sprint, and set some lightning fast fractions. She wanted the world to notice them and see them. She had marked down the filly Seraphim as their rival. Being the same age as Axia, it only made sense for them to do so. Yet in Amber's opinion, Sera had been more successful than them so far, and the racing world would likely agree. So they would seek to make the opposite true. They would rise above the level of their rival.

They couldn't get to the gallop soon enough. The mood of this workout was half joyful and half determined as Amber gave the cue and hung on for dear life. They blew into a determined gallop, and Amber felt as though the world was disappearing around them. They sprinted, and she could feel Axia's joy. She could feel Axia's desire to continue at this speed for however long she could just because she liked it. And Amber wanted to keep going, too. She liked this as well. Yet if they continued, she might ruin everything they had worked for thus far into Axia's just dawning career.

She was young. They had plenty of time. Though they hadn't shown it yet, it wasn't worth counting them out of becoming champions. If not the personality, Axia had the blood, and as their four year old season dawned she would prove it.

[S u N f r O s t ~]

FIRE DANCER AND KRYSTAL YHATE

Just looking at the tall three year old filly who had gone through a season of ups and downs just made Krystal want to cry. Fire Dancer hadn't been a star during her two year old season. Her lone win was overshadowed by places out of the top three and desperate failures in the races that counted. This season, she had won a grand total of two times and had been a competitor in the filly-only races. But in all honesty, she was fading into the background. Getting beaten by two year olds with half her experience did that, and now those two year olds were surpassing her. Nothing infuriated Krystal more than repeatedly placing third as they had in the Triple Tiara to Afterglow and Silverianna and now to Paradise Island and Instant Success. It was just too much, and she was furious.

It was the crack of dawn. Actually, it wasn't even dawn. The sun did not shine, and the blackness of night lay over the track like a blanket. Krystal had gotten up extra early this morning for one reason and for one reason alone; to make Fire better. She had recently been struck by the inspiration to work with Fire as she never had before. Perhaps it been because of Henna Turath, who had worked so hard all year with her Fire for little to no results. Henna had practically gone on a crusade to make her Fire better, and Krystal wanted to mirror the effort. It wasn't as though Fire didn't have the talent to make it. Aside from her bloodlines, Native Flame being her sire and On To Dancing being her dam, she had the necessary attitude to make it big. She was intimidating and a natural strategist who also possessed the capacity to listen to her jockey during a race. She was competitive and always strove for the win. But they just kept missing. Unlike many horses, she was a rare mid packer. Perhaps they needed to refine their strategy?

Krystal had already mounted the beautiful filly and was guiding her down the dirt track at a light canter. She wondered if they would run into the ARS crew with Midnight Thriller and immediately dismissed the thought. What were the odds of running into them twice? Besides, she and Fire had a lot of things to do and couldn't be interrupted by human interaction right now. That just wouldn't work. Thus, they were alone, and alone they would stay until Krystal saw fit otherwise or Amber or Henna suggested a workout plan that she liked. Fire's canter was enough to make Krystal feel as though she was floating. Unlike many fillies, Fire's strides were full of power and lacked femininity. It came with Fire's seventeen hands of height, this intimidating masculinity. It wasn't even her fault. It was just the fact that height gave her advantages on the track, and she was having trouble using those advantages, obviously.

Krystal soon tired of their cantering. She wanted to gallop, and she knew that Fire did, too. She cued the filly, and suddenly they were off. Fire's gallop started off slow, of course. She wasn't the type to go to the lead, but she also wasn't the type to trail. Thus, her gallop was neutral and contained, a melody of waiting for the right moment. Krystal was of the belief that despite the fact that Fire ran better when with others, she needed some individual work in order to succeed. And that individual work would come now. They were going to gallop and gallop well until Krystal tired of it or they met their goal. Krystal wasn't certain of exactly what goal that would be, but she still wanted to meet it. Working as they were, it would surely soon be upon them.

They had galloped for half a mile, than a mile. Fire never wavered in her stride. Instead, she gradually started to push for more the farther they went. Fire was naturally suited for the longer distances. She was just starting to hit her gears now. Krystal made no move to encourage nor restrain her as they sought greater speed. They coasted forward in an ever faster gallop, lapping the track now, still moving at this wonderful pace. The backstretch opened up in front of them for the second time, and Fire seemed to see it as a stretch run. She made to sprint, and Krystal did not contain her. The bay filly tore down the stretch, eating up the ground, but Krystal vaguely wondered if they would be hanging around in third again, with this speed. Perhaps the problem lay with her, and not with her horse. Perhaps she just needed to refine her tactics, and Fire was running fine.

The breathing of the filly gradually became more labored as they rounded the turn. They had been galloping for over twelve furlongs now. Yet Krystal didn't ease the filly up, and she certainly did not stop running, until they had coasted under the wire. Krystal's face was a mask of deep concentration as they went into a canter, and then a trot. Fire was moving well and appeared limber. But how would they do for the rest of this season, and next year? Was it possible to come back from the brink of complete failure, as they were trying to do? But even as she had these dark thoughts, Krystal realized that they were in with a chance. Don't count us out!