it's time

[S u N f r O s t ~]

LIMITED EDITION AND VALENCIA ANDREWS
SILENT SNAP AND AMBER BLACK

ED'S WORKOUT FOR THE BLUE GRASS STAKES

All right Ed. No more of this wishy-washy stuff. No more of this second place finishing unless you're going to pull an Impressario. I know that we've got this and we've always got this, but you've just been missing. That can end now. Win the Blue Grass Stakes please, okay boy? Valencia was talking to her horse, the partner of her heart whom she had purchased with her own money, Limited Edition. The son of Gold Edition and Trust Limits had been born from unremarkable stock and matured into a fantastic colt. He was the top dirt colt in the division in Valencia's eyes, and their rival Supernatural had gotten lucky the last two times they'd faced off. They had been close losses. Valencia knew there was hope. After all, Impressario hadn't won any Triple Crown preps until the Blue Grass, and he had taken the Triple Crown. Ed could be the same way. She looked deeply into the eyes of the chestnut before her, who gazed just as thoughtfully back. It's like you know what I'm thinking Ed. And if that's the case, let's go work out. Take out Supernatural, put down Dreaming of Glory. The works. You know? She nodded, finally mounting up and heading out to the dirt track.

Ed's chestnut coat gleamed with muscle and good health. He was the vision of ready power and class. He was just so ready to go and Valencia had given up trying to figure out why they lost. It was through no fault of their own - it was just the way races played out. They would just keep trying and not let their three second place finishes bog them down. If anything, Ed had faced off against an older horse in a race and lost narrowly. He had that experience which others in his age division did not and it would boost him. Valencia's eyes blazed as she took in the competition that they were facing. Silent Snap, son of With A Snap and Silent Wings, was one heck of a bully colt. He was just as masculine as Ed and the male energies sizzled in the air between these two. Snapper ruled the juveniles, Ed the three year olds of the barn. And now the division leaders faced each other, sized each other up as stablemates would and engaged in a stern glaring match.

So. I heard you giving a pep talk to Ed in the barn commented Amber casually, eyes glinting. Valencia glared. Shut it Amber. What's the workout? Amber smirked and shrugged. You'll have to pay attention in order to find out. Valencia frowned. Is this some kind of exercise in my alertness as a jockey or something? Amber's smirk grew. That's precisely it. Come along now. Snapper accelerated before Valencia could snap a retort. Snapper took the lead heading into the turn, opening up to lead by two. Ed tracked from the back, a seasoned professional who did not lose focus. He was all intensity, drifting in to scrape the paint and making up maybe a quarter length for his move. He was sleek as a predator, and he was patient as he waited for Snapper to move. Valencia was especially tuned to Snapper's movements. They needed to be ready to go at a moment's notice or they would never catch the fleet juvenile. Snapper's speed had been on full display in the Akita Rose Stakes and it was only growing with time. He was going to be one tough juvenile.

Snapper was beautiful in motion, like a sculpture given legs and graceful speed. He was determined and Amber was hard pressed to keep him under wraps. The furlongs disappeared behind them, and she checked under her arm. Snapper had accelerated slightly but Valencia and Ed were still two lengths behind. They were keeping tabs on the speed. Amber turned, smirking. Time to test the closing drive. She released the Kracken and off went Snapper like a bullet from a gun. He blurred away, all muscularly driven speed as he scraped the paint and barreled into the stretch. Valencia saw the chestnut colt go up and away and cursed. Ed was on it immediately, lengthening and quickening his stride. Valencia hunkered down and released her own horse. Ed swept forward, accelerating like a sprinter as he hunted down the chestnut who had been in front from the start.

One and a half, one, a half length. There was no denying hungry Ed. The three year old gobbled up the distance, dragged himself up eye to eye with Snapper, remained there teasingly and then bolted off just as the wire closed down on them. Snapper snapped. The chestnut colt was a storm of fury as he blew past Ed, not slowing down until he hit the turn. Amber felt like her arms were being pulled from her sockets, but was still grinning widely as she held in the horse. Boy would he be hungry for a win after this workout. Her eyes found Limited Edition, saw the hunger glistening in both his and Valencia's eyes and knew that it was finally time for them to win. Finally time for them to climb back into the echelons of thoroughbred racing and secure a place in the Triple Crown with a win.