Foremost

[Deleted]

TERROR SMILE && AIDEN SMITH
WORKOUT FOR THE BREEDER'S CUP FILLY & MARE TURF
- - x - x - -

<sup>This would be Terror Smile's final workout for the Breeder's Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Smiles would have to give it her all if she was going to regain her title. Her lost at the Invitational was something that Aiden took the blame for. He had allowed her to be pushed by Executioner's Apprentice but that would not happen in this race because Aiden wouldn't allow it. They had gotten so far with Smiles to not be able to win the Breeder's Cup. Everything they hoped for her was the win in the Cup. Aiden wouldn't know what to believe if she didn't win and he rode her perfectly. Maybe that Smiles wasn't grade one material after all? But no, he would not believe it. He could not.

The Filly & Mare Turf held the largest field with eight horses running which would make it harder for any horse to win, even Smiles. Especially since she was the only front runner in the whole field just like in the Tropical Rainforest Invitational. Aiden would attempt to get her behind the preceders this time just like he tried to do last time but couldn't get her back quickly enough. It wasn't a matter of her being able to be competitive enough behind the leaders but instead getting her there since she breaks so fast. Aiden had no doubts that her competitiveness wasn't affected. He actually even thought that she grew more aggressive behind other horses. His theory would be tested today with Meester Surprise and Iron Man in front of her.

The defending champion, Sillenia would be breaking from gate five and of course close with the other five closers in the field. Beating Smiles would be hard especially since Smiles came in last right behind her in the Invitational. Smiles holds grudges. We first found this out in her first win for us where she annihilated Brave Angel, a horse that had beaten her in the Stable Face Off by a length. Ever since then she hasn't lost to the same horse twice, always coming back to defeat them when they run against each other again. Another example of this was in the Exhilaration Stakes where she was beaten by Naturally Charismatic and then came back to beat her in the AUTUMN CUP. It would be only natural if Sillenia would just be another one of these horses.

What Hailey and Aiden believe will happen in the race, if all goes as planned and Smiles runs with the preceders, is that Smiles will move away from the pack on the stretch to fight for the win alonside Sillenia who would be closing fast. All they can think is that it will be murder between those two horses. They believe that Smiles could beat the rest of the horses easily enough so that it's just Sillenia and Smiles battling for the win. Especially if none of the other horses can beat Sillenia. Smiles will want revenge and won't back down if her life depends on it.

Aiden rode her to the track with Hailey walking alongside them. It was the first time that Hailey had been seen by anyone besides Aiden and as expected, as soon as the press saw the trio they flooded the area. They started shooting questions quickly at Hailey but she only heard one thing; Terror Smile's hooves hitting the ground as she danced towards the track. She snorted and pinned back her ears as her path was blocked by reporters. Aiden felt the mare tense beneath him and knew that today she was very anxious to get to the track. Before he could stop her, Smiles lashed out at the crowd with her fore leg. None of them had gotten struck by the blow but they were now moving to clear a path for the angered mare. In truth, Smiles was never like this unless she was in the crossties. Aiden was surprised by her sudden increase in temper as of late and he figured that Hailey was too.

Smiles literally pranced towards the track with her ears pinned forward in determindness. Aiden, who was too busy with making sure Smiles wouldn't take off, hadn't noticed Meester Surprise and Iron Man were waiting for them, with their riders mounted. He didn't pay much attention to them when he stopped Smiles next to horses because the mare was itching for flight. She was striking the ground and snorting, her ears pinned back at the sudden stop. Aiden rubbed her neck and whispered to her, "Easy. Not yet." Aiden smiled when Smiles stopped pawing and was now just looking out at the track with longing in her eyes. It was amazing how she listened to him so willingly. Very rarely she would not listen to Aiden. It was then that he looked up at the other horse's jockeys; his heart dropped to his stomach.

"Becky! What the hell do you think your doing?" His eyes were wide with fear, disbelief, and a bit of anger. Becky, who was mounted on Meester Surprise shook her head, "I offered to ride." Aiden shook his head, "I don't care if you offered... You aren't supposed to! You are still recovering." Becky narrowed her eyes at him "You don't know that-" Hailey interrupted, "I don't need you guys to fight... We have to get back to the task at hand-" Aiden snapped back, "You are allowing her to ride?" Hailey tilted her head at his words, "Aiden, I believe she is fit enough to ride Meester." She straightened up and inhaled, "Alright, so you guys are going to breeze Iron and Meester up in front of Smiles. Make sure she doesn't get in front of them, keep her like a length behind them if you can. Gallop around the track in the same order first and at the 1/2 pole move into a breeze. Start a sprint for the wire at the 1/4 pole and we'll test Aiden's theory then." Aiden bit his lip through her instructions. He was terrorified for Becky's safety. The only good thing was that she was riding Meester Surprise, a nearly bombproof horse, which is some say for a racehorse. He hadn't noticed that the others had moved onto the track until Smiles tried to bolt forward with anxiety of being left behind and not worked.

He jerked on her reins and spoke firmly, "Easy. We are right behind them." He asked her to pick up a trot to catch up to the other horses. Aiden let her pick up her own gallop because Iron and Meester were starting a gallop on the rail. Aiden moved her to the rail and kept a snug hold on her mouth. They were about two lengths back from Meester and Iron who were side-by-side and Smiles wasn't happy about it. She started to pick up speed and Aiden got a tighter hold on her mouth. Her head turned a little to the inside but she was still increasing speed, "Slow." Smiles kept charging down the backstretch though, opening her jaw with every stride to escape his hold. Aiden eyes widened as they were coming up on Iron and Meester, fast. Aiden tried to slow her now more than ever and surprisingly she did once she caught up to the two leaders.

Aiden had been expecting her to try and run through the horses instead of slow down. Now it was time to pick out the competition as they were nearing the 1/2 pole. Iron Man would be the one to beat in this small workout but in the real thing, the closers would be dangerous. Aiden could only think of asking Smiles to make her move late, but not loose the leader. When the closers come, Smiles would still have energy and fight to the finish. At least that's what he and Hailey were hoping for when he had told her of his strategy. Usually, Smiles moved early and completely destroyed any challenger but now she was going to have to make her move late and hopefully hold off anyone who tries to come up her tail with that preserved energy. He would do the same today.

They had passed the 1/2 pole and the leaders had picked up the pace. Smiles was not far behind however and picked up her speed right after they did without Aiden asking for it. He had no doubts that she wouldn't loose the leader in the race. He let her breeze as she liked, her long and smooth strides coming easily. Iron and Meester were still neck and neck and no one seemed to want to move forward. Aiden glanced at Becky for the first time in the workout. He had been trying to just focus on Smiles instead of Becky but he was finding it quite hard. They were nearing the end of turn and with that the 1/4 pole. Aiden spotted Mike and Becky both starting to urge their horses on a bit more. Smiles picked up on this and started increasing speed when the horses in front of her were not. Aiden leaned back in the saddle, prepared to hold her back if he needed to. He glanced at the 1/4 pole as it swept past. Suddenly, Iron and Meester had launched away from Smiles. The mare pinned her ears back and dug in to the ground, ready to run down any in her path.

She flattened out now that they were on the straight homestretch and chased after the leaders. Her nostrils flared at the competition and she wasn't slowing down one bit as she came up on their tails at high speeds. Aiden's eyes widened and the jerked back on her as she nearly slammed into the chestnut sabino colt. With a snort the grey mare was jerked to the outside of the horses and adjusted her body. She took a short and tense stride in the process of adjusting herself again and then Aiden let her do the rest. Smiles sped away from the colts with so much speed it was almost unreal. Almost, besides the fact that it was and Smiles had put about ten lengths in between the colts in only hundred yards of track. Then she was flying effortlessly down stretch as she passed the wire and knew that she had won with ease. Aiden patted her neck and stood in the irons. He let her gallop out and around the turn, not a layer of sweat on her skin.

By the time Aiden had turned Smiles around and had headed back to Hailey at a trot, Meester and Iron were already back at the stable crosstied and Mike was off somewhere else working, like always. Becky was leaning on the rail however, waiting for Aiden and Smiles to arrive. "Good girl," Aiden patted Smiles neck before swinging his leg over and hopped off. Hailey grinned, "Nice... I like that late close on your part. Do that in the race and it's as good as ours. Now you have to go get some rest... Big day tomorrow, Aiden." Becky was standing behind her, watching Smiles. Aiden sighed, "I.. I am sorry, I doubted your health Becky." Becky shook her head, "No, it's my fault. You were just looking out for me, I get it." Becky sighed. Aiden spoke, "Don't say that... Do you want to go and get something to eat after I cool her out?" Becky nodded, "Yeah, I think that would be nice." Aiden smiled and started leading Smiles away.

A nice dinner would get a lot of stress off his back and perhaps even relax him.




words; 1937
distance; 4 furlong gallop + 2 furlong breeze + 2 furlong sprint


notes; that took me over four hours to complete -yawns and crawls back in bed-</sup>