Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2012 3:25:26 GMT -5
Dark Charmer & Jacob Donovan work for the Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile
It had been an amazing year for the pair, having raised from Grade Five to the very top of Grade Three. With one more win, they would greet Grade Two and, luckily enough for them, they had one more race ahead of them this year in the Breeder's Cup Dirt Mile. It really was Dark's turn to shine, and he had shown himself as excelling at distances of a mile this year when he had won the prestigious Handsome Mile, snatching it from the likes of Sunset Crusade - the Star Thoroughbred's colt who really had taken the track by storm this year. They had competed against the best of their age group in the race, and they had come out on top. Of course, the Mile would put them against not only their own age group but older horses also. It was nothing, however, that Dark could not handle.
The colt was well rested, and had been well worked this year without being over-raced. In seventeen races, he had taken six wins, three seconds and five thirds. It was not an unimpressive record, and it showed the talent that the colt had within him - it just needed to be released. Jacob would release that talent and the following year, with many of the older stars retiring, he would have a shot at becoming one of the biggest names on the dirt track. Jacob knew he could work with Dark to get the best out of him, not only in this upcoming race but in the future also. After all, Dark had a spark and that spark seemed to be burning brighter and brighter.
Of course, you didn't have to know the colt to see that he was maturing. He was changing, both physically and mentally as he grew toward a peak. A peak which he would likely reach in his four-year-old season given that as a three year old he still seemed to be growing. He was no longer some lanky colt, but had broadened some with strong, muscled legs and he had grown a little taller too, not much but it was noticable to those who had worked with him. This was a colt who knew the track, and exactly how he liked to run.
The red-headed jockey was calm, despite the pressure of such a big racing series. He was focussed, and while he had become a little more strained he had generally coped well with it. It was till new to him, the pressure, but he was growing accustomed to it and in a few years the strain would dissipate and he would work even better. But he did well enough, considering his lacking experience in the big races compared to some of the other jockeys on the track. Jockeys such as those from Star Thoroughbeds and Stride Of Perfection Stables who had been around for much longer than Silver Stride Stables.
As Jacob arrived at the track, he saw Matthias inspecting the legs of the colt for heat, standing up and nodding. He was fine, and would be good to run the workout. Which was a good thing, considering how close to the race they actually were. Jacob walked over to Matt, who clapped him on the shoulder with a grin. Matthias was confident that, despite the competition in the race, they had a good shot and he pulled Jacob aside for a moment to discuss the race.
"You're going up against mixed competition, so I thought we could talk about that before the work. You are in gate one, which is pretty good for us all things considered just be careful not to get pinned against the rail. In gate two there is Mr Hats And Clogs - you've gone against him numerous times and have generally come out on top, so I do not suspect he will be too much trouble. Gate three is Biohazard, who is no real threat really. Gate four will hold TDI Live This Lie - he has a mixed record, and could be a threat, so be wary of him. Kacey Hill Racing decided to enter Strictly Royal, and he's in gate five - having only just made it to Grade Four, I do not rate his chances here too highly. It looks like that is it, following the announcement of the Star Thoroughbred entries not including any entries for this race." Jacob grinned at the news. This could be the perfect end to a great year.
Pulling his helmet on the jockey headed over to the colt. "This is it, boy. Let's make this your year." he told the colt as he checked the girth and pulled himself up into the saddle. He adjusted the stirrups, rose in them to check his balance, adjusted again and checked. With the stirrups correct, he urged the colt forwards and Lucas led them toward the gates, which was easy enough as Dark remained calm around them and very quickly he was loaded. The work today was over a three furlong stretch, which would not tire the colt prior to the race.
It was not long before the gates opened and Jacob pushed the colt, who would usually take a slow pace in a race, forwards. He intended to just push throughout the work, clock a good time and hopefully be able to pull off an amazing feat in the race. Dark responded well to his jockey. They had a strong bond, and he trusted him. Even if the colt was a little surprised by the early move, he pushed forwards on powerful limbs and quickened his pace. The four beat was strong, regular, each forward motion powerful and they were surging up the dirt.
As they came to the point where they had ran two furlongs at increasing speed, Jacob cracked the crop and began to drive harder. He was willing the colt forward with all his might in the final furlong and the speed spike was incredible, the colt almost jumping forwards as the crop impacted his withers. The furlong passed quickly, the colt closing fast and as the surged past the post Jacob was confident about their chances.