Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2012 12:59:37 GMT -5
Aiden's depressison for Becky, whom was still resting, had turned into sheer determination over the past few days. After telling himself over and over to get serious about riding and stop worrying about Becky who would be fine with a few days rest, he finally just started thinking about all of it in a different perspective; a better perspective. When he entered the barn early Monday morning, his whole demeanor had changed.
His anger and sorrow had molded into one thing; determination. They had to win this thing. They just had to. There was no question about it. Smiles had been rested and was in nearly top form. There would be no fooling around now. This was the big leages. They would be running against older horses... Horses with more experience and more big wins; this of course did not mean a thing. Smiles would prove herself on raceday where, hopefully, if all went well, she would become a grade three and claim the title Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Turf Champion.
He entered the tack room and grabbed a leather halter. Aiden then turned, glancing down at the gold name plate on the side, walking towards Smile's stall. He read the plate over and over, 'Terror Smile' picturing her name flashing across the win board. He smiled, the thought pleasurable. He entered Smile's stall where she was standing at the door, waiting for him. He smiled and patted her neck before slipping the halter over her head and leading her out of the stall. Smiles let out an excited whinny and started trotting at Aiden's side. He stroked her neck, while hitching her up to the cross ties.
Smiles stomped the ground as Aiden started to groom her. The brush moved swiftly across her dappled grey coat. When Aiden finished up picking out her hooves he went back into the tack room to collect all of the racing gear. As he approached the filly with the saddle blanket, she sidestepped, eyeing the pad. She snorted anxiously, wanting to run badly. Aiden smiled reasurringly, "Don't worry. Once we get you saddled we can go for a nice breeze. Sound good?" The filly let out a high pitched whinny and threw her head a couple of times. Aiden took this opprotunity to throw the pad over her back and then quickly, he placed her racing saddle over the pad. Smiles pinned her ears back, upset that she was ambushed but her ears perked forward in a couple of seconds, realizing that she was ready to be ridden. Aiden patted her neck, "See? We can go for a ride much quicker if you don't put up such a fight." He slid her bridle over her head before leading her out to the track.
Smile's eyes lit up at the sight of the track. Aiden scratched right behind her ear and smiled, "Are you ready to run?" He strapped his helmet on and then leaped up onto Smile's back. The filly jumped forward, excitedly as soon as she felt his weight on her back. Aiden shook his head and popped the reins gently. Smiles stopped, her ears pricked forward. "Let's get down to buisness." In response, Smiles let out a loud whinny. As soon as Aiden let up on her mouth, she shot forward swiftly. He smiled, knowing that she was totally ready for some work. The filly loved running and he knew that she had missed it dearly during her month lay off. He nodded, "You're going to have to work very hard on raceday if we are going to win this thing." He let her gallop down the stretch, warming up. She ran freely, her head held high and her legs flying effortlessly. Aiden wasn't encouraging her at all; she was running for the pure enjoyment of running.
Aiden was planning on breezing her a five furlongs from the gate so he slowed her to a trot and steered her towards the barrier. Smiles threw her head a bit, irrated that she was slowed but didn't throw anything huge. They stopped behind the gate, waiting for the present horses to break. While they waited, Aiden got his stopwatch out of his pocket and patted his fillie's neck. She hadn't started sweating at all and she was impaitent to start running again. One of the horses in the gate had reared up. A yearling in training for his two year old season, most likely. Aiden circled Smiles once when the colt reared just making sure that she was focused. She didn't seem to care about the horse's antics. Suddenly, they were off down the stretch.
The starter called for Aiden to move Smiles up into the gates. Aiden kicked her and she trotted forward eagerly into the first post. The gates closed behind them and Aiden thought he heard the starter mutter, "Well that was easy." Aiden started to chuckle and then they were off, just like the horses before them. Smiles charged out of the gates like a blur, her hooves ate up the ground as she shot to the rail. Aiden was catapulted back in his seat at the start. He fumbled to regain his seat and got a better grip on the stopwatch that he was holding with the reins. He pulled and released slightly on her mouth so that she would slow into a nice, easy, breeze. Smiles snorted and slowed into a very quick breeze. "That's it girl."
Her strides came easy and long. She travelled down the backstretch easily, her head held high. They ran past the 1/2 pole in a blur. Aiden pulled and released on her mouth not noticing the suddle, yet very big increase in speed. Smiles snorted ignorantly. "That can wait for the race," Aiden whispered to her when she didn't slow down. Her ears flicked back from their pricked forward position to catch his words. Aiden pulled and released once again. This time, the filly slowed down into a breeze and her ears pricked forward. They started to round the turn and Smiles started to pick up speed, automatically. Aiden decided not to hold her back and instead encourage her to run her hardest. It would be smarter to encourage her to run hard instead of discourage her.
The turn started to straighten out onto the homestretch and Aiden started to urge her forward by kissing to her. Smile's ears flicked back and then she charged forward. Her eyes lit at the urging from her jockey. Aiden glanced at his crop, swinging loosely at his side. It wouldn't hurt to try it just in case, right? Aiden slid the stop watch into his other hand and then started waving the whip at her side; not hitting her, just waving it at her side. Her speed increased dramatically and she swerved even closer to the rail, surprisingly. She had already been travelling on the rail but now she was on the verge of burning her hide on the rail. Aiden changed whipping hand and then flicked the crop on her left side. She moved off the rail, but still close enough so that a horse could not fit through on the inside. Her strides came even faster with each flick of the whip. Aiden could feel her switching gears; a whole new gear that he had never felt her in before.
The finish wire flashed before his eyes ad he clicked the stopwatch, hurriedly. He nudged the reins a bit to slow her down and Smiles went from a full fledged gallop to a trot with one akward stride. She then picked up a real slow canter across the center of the track. Aiden stroked her neck and the nudged her a bit more. The filly stopped and Aiden turned her around and clucked to her. She broke into a slow jog down the center of the track. He stood up completely in the irons holding onto the reins with one hand. When she approached the opening in the rail, he crouched back down on her withers and posted her trot. To his surprise, Hailey was there leaning on the rail, speaking to a reporter by the looks of it. She laughed before turning to see Aiden approaching.
He stopped Smiles and stroked her neck before hopping off. Hailey smiled at him, "That was a really nice work. I thought you were only going to breeze her though..." she said questioningly. Aiden nodded, "Yeah... I didn't want to hold her back so I urged her on." Hailey's eyes looked over Smiles, "Well she responded very well to the whip." Aiden smiled, "I wanted an idea of how she would react to the whip if I had to use it in the race... I hope I don't." Hailey nodded, "Didn't manage to get a time on her... Too bad, really. Could you just gallop her in the morning? I don't want anything intensive the rest of the week. So, no more of that using the whip buisness until raceday." Aiden nodded, "Will do. I got to go hose her off and walk her." Hailey smiled, "Okay. Nice work today." With those words he led his filly back towards the barn.
"You did good today Smiles." Aiden had just hosed her down and now she was crosstied and he was beginning to dry her off. For once in her life, Smiles wasn't trying to terrorize every single thing in sight while being tied up. Instead she was absolutely content. She watched Aiden as he wiped her skin free of water. After she had been dried, Aiden lead her to an open paddock. He removed the halter from her and scratched behind her ear, "We'll continue in the morning... okay?" Smiles turned after he scratched her and took off at a gallop across the rolling pasture. Aiden smiled as she ran along the fence line and then he turned to head back to the stable. Things were looking up.
turf track; 5 furlongs
words; 1662