Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Jun 27, 2012 12:12:57 GMT -5
WILDLY NATURAL AND AMBER BLACK
BREEDERS CUP TURF WORKOUT
Don't let the tears fall. Don't let them fall. There are other people here. You have to remain strong.
But how else could Amber express the pride coursing through her veins? How else to say just how happy she was that Wildly Natural was the horse that she was? She was a champion. She had soared over thirty wins in style. And at five years old, she was preparing for her final race. The Breeders Cup Turf had beckoned to them since Tura was four years old. She had faced Lawliet's Girl and Foolish Lad, both of which had been retiring. Foolish Lad had come out on top, with Lawliet's Girl following, and they had placed third. The two seasons before that, they had won the Juvenile Fillies Turf and then the Filly And Mare Turf. They had left sex restricted competition and entered the realm of the real turf racing world. It had taken Tura all of her racing seasons to have the season she was having now. They had won no less than eleven times this season. Of those wins, nine were Horse of the Year Selection races. The actuality of it was that Tura had not been defeated for at least two months now. She had won her last couple of races in style. The Full Moon Derby, the Pegasus Stakes, the Cox Plate, the Tropical Rainforest Invitational...all had fallen to what Amber would now term as Tura's greatness.
The black mare was a beauty to behold. She was sixteen and a half hands high and made of muscle. She moved with a feminine grace, but you just knew she was a champion based on the look in her eyes. It was a look of power and beauty, with a flirtatious edge. Tura had always been a flirty mare. Despite that, she had had an extremely successful racing career. She had won about fifty percent of her races and while she had placed out of the top three plenty of times this season she had only lost six races, and none of those losses had been recent ones. She was in prime form off a win in the Tropical Rainforest and was glowing. She was just too pretty, too freaking talented, and she was retiring. It was the end of an era for Amber Black. She had trained this horse for five full seasons, running her through a prospect season and then through several award winning seasons. She was the best on the turf, and she would let none of the horses in the Breeders Cup Turf say otherwise. They had won too much to be stopped here.
Their competition was tough. Worldbreaker, her stablemate, had raced lightly but very successfully. He would close from behind. Then there was Born To Soar, Triple Tiara champion and reigning Horse of the Year. The Star Thoroughbreds mare had defeated them a couple of times this year - three times, to be exact, and Tura had placed second to her each time. Tura had defeated her three times with a win, four times if you included the time she placed fourth and Tura placed second. So the times they had faced, they had been evenly matched. However, Tura was a turf specialist. The other mare may have won the Universal Cup, but Tura was ineligible due to her age, and Tura had also won that race when she had been eligible. Tura had done many more things on the turf this year than Born To Soar, and she was freaking talented. She seemed to be a preceder. Silent Fury was the three year old front runner who had won two legs of the Turf Triple Crown - interestingly enough, so had Tura when she was three - and boasted of three wins against her. It appeared he had never faced Tura before, but Amber was confident in their chances of beating the colt. He had some talent, but Tura's accomplishments this year dwarfed his. And yes, Amber realized she was being very critical of the other horses in the race, but she couldn't help it. She was just too proud of Tura and too desiring of this win in the final race of her career.
The final race...don't cry don't cry don't cry.
Amber sniffled once before settling her face into a mask of strict control. She clucked gently to Tura and the mare responded immediately. Tura moved happily into a trot, and then a canter as Amber let her go a bit more. They swept up the track in powerful strides, and as they did so the black mare focused. Her eyes looked ahead, and her ears were perked and ready to hear any commands Amber might have for her. She was completely ready to go, a tuned instrument ready to play. She had no idea this would be the final time she raced. The Breeders Cup Turf...the crowning jewel in Tura's crown. Amber felt relaxed in the saddle, calm and happy. She just couldn't believe that after so many seasons Tura was going to be broodmare and Amber would no longer ride her in the races. The turf track at Green Horse Fields would not be graced with her racing presence. They would disappear from memory, to be replaced with the next turf stars. It made Amber sad to think of it. But what if she could immortalize Tura's name?
Amber considered it as they warmed up. Tura felt the absent mindedness and lingering sorrow of her rider but acted regularly. She warmed up and then asked for some more rein. Amber absent mindedly relinquished her hold, and Tura drew forward in a sudden gallop. Amber went into her crouch, giving Tura all the rein she desired. It was the final time, after all. Her eyes focused in the wind, and she tried to tell herself that the tears threatening to spill over were from the wind and not from her own sadness. This glorious horse, going out for the final time...it was like poetry. A story of success always had to end, Amber reminded herself. She had gotten through Ario's retirement. She could do this! She let the tears fall even as she focused strictly on the workout and checking Tura over. She felt regular and smooth, and there was a swiftness to her motion and a sureness that the younger racehorses who had not achieved as much could not match.
They came off a four furlong gallop smoothly and in control. Amber made herself slow the mare down even as she longed to keep running. The Turf was long, at a mile and a half. It was the distance that had defeated Tura when they placed second in the Belmont Turf Classic, just missing the chance to declare themselves as winners of the Turf Triple Crown. They had been close then. They would not miss this opportunity to win one last time. Amber sat up straight in the saddle and slowed Tura completely. They went to a standstill. They surveyed the turf track that was undoubtedly Tura's kingdom. Amber felt her soul's sadness eased as she considered the truth. Their time was coming to an end, but not yet. They would have one last moment of glory.
