It's a Mad World

[Brave]

Firefall's workout for GHF’s next top racehorse prospect
Predators Workout for the Ile-Du-Prince Derby

Rosaline Myers watched curiously at Descartes side as several groomsmen unloaded Blue Cross Estate’s two newest additions from the trailer and out towards the track. The two came from the same stable, but couldn’t have been more different if they tried. Firefall, a feisty, high spirited young colt was just a yearling, and completely green to the track, where as Predator was a seasoned racer with a bite to his bark. In the beginning, Rosaline had been uncertain that the two would help to benefit the estate in any way, both had vicious tempers that they already dealt with in Agorion, but her father had fought for them, so here they now stood, beautifully magnificent and completely unpredictable.

The grooms struggled for a good part of five minutes with Firefall, struggling to calm the animal down enough to relax to the point where he could be saddled. Descartes simply chuckled to the side of her, gesturing rather helplessly at the hyperactive young colt, “ A bit like his father, I’d reckon,” Descartes said rather warmly, and Rosaline turned to him in surprise. “Really? What do you know about his sire?” She had questioned, immediately curious as to the fact that he knew of the yearling’s pedigree. “Oh, I watched Catching Fire beat out my favorite to win in the Tahoe Flat, and then again at the Crystal Cup,” He had mentioned rather casually, his eyes fixated on the unruly colt. Rosaline pursed her lips, “So it’s a good thing then?” She had questioned immediately, her eyes appraising him hopefully until he turned with a softer smile and nodded at the younger girl, “Oh yes, I’d say it’s a very good thing indeed, Ms. Myers,” And then he was off to evaluate Predator, who stood still as stone as a nervous groom saddled him, wary of the massive animals temperamental history.

Eventually they managed to calm Firefall down to the point where they could fasten a saddle to him, but he’s still jerky and overeager to the point where he won’t stop shifting as his exercise rider tries to mount him, and Rosaline’s starting to lose hope in the colt when he finally stands still long enough for the rider to haul themselves up into position. It’s not the first time the yearling has been to the track, but it is the first time he’s gone with another horse, and the idea of it all must excite him. He’s been dressed up in the blue and white silks of the estate, fully fitted as if he were off to the Kentucky Derby. Rosaline thought it was silly at first, until Descartes explained with the utmost patience that it was a test to see how tolerant he was of the equipment, and to get him use to running with it. The bay yearling takes well to the gear, opting to ignore it completely as he quivers, trembling at the sight of the track. He’s the youngest he’ll ever be, and his body is in such perfect condition that he has to run or the energy will build up and he’ll just explode.

Descartes sends Predator off by himself to run along the outskirts at a light pace to warm up while the grooms wheel out a starting gate box and position it on the track. It’s the first time the colt will experience one, and Rosaline settles in at the fence line to observe. The colt frisks his way out onto the dirt track with merry strides, his head bobbing at the excitement of it all, and he almost runs down one of the grooms when they try to get a hold of him, because he is so ready to go and they won’t let him. He allows them to lead him though, all the way up to the gate, where he finally rebels. It’s almost comical how fast the switch happens, and Rosalie would be amused if it wasn’t the future of her stables on the line. One moment Firefall is dancing along up towards the gate, and then suddenly the giant ugly blue thing is much too close for comfort and he’s putting on the brakes in an aggressive manner, and suddenly, without speaking a word, everyone’s worried.

It takes seven tries to get Firefall into the gate, and he finally slams his way in their unsteadily, shifting and thrashing about in the utmost confusion as the gates slam shut in front and behind him. His panic is evident as he lunges back and forth and up, anything to get out, and it’s pitiful when the gates finally do break open and he breaks like a broken thing, staggering off to the side in complete confusion and taking off in the opposite direction until his rider manages to slow him and turn him back around. All the excitement is gone from him though, replaced with uneasiness and fear. Descartes just tells them to keep loading him until he tells them to stop and heads over to the fence line to stand with Rosaline to watch, suddenly subdued.

They both watch as he loads and fails to break over and over again, and on his fourth attempt Rosaline finally voices her fears, “What happens if he doesn’t get it?” She questions, hesitant and unwilling to receive the answer. “He will,” Descartes responds right away, and suddenly as if the colt can hear them, he loads and the gates spring open and he springs with them and takes off like a shot before anyone can say a word more against him, and Rosaline and Descartes both share a laugh of relief. Then Descartes calls Predator back over and gives instructions on how Predator should take the lead and let Firefall stalk him around the track and get the feel of racing against another horse, and both jockeys just nod and Descartes directs them back to the starting gate, because the more practice Firefall gets before his first prospect race the better. Then he wanders back to his spot on the wall with his watch and he and Rosaline both watch the horses load, noting the sudden aggression that Predator decides to display when Firefall gets just a tad too close.

Predator stands dead still in his box and only makes Firefall look more foolish as he shifts about nervously, and Rosaline feels uncertainty building up inside of her, “You really think he’s ready for his first prospect?” She asks, and Descartes doesn’t even bother answering her, just nods and watches he antsy colt eventually settle. The gates spring open and Predator immediately springs forward, and while Firefall is significantly slower, the sight of another horse leaving him behind is enough to spur him on into position as the pair fly down the track.

Rosaline comes to understand how they would name Predator so as she watches him push Firefall faster and faster until she’s sure the colt will burn out, but the yearling just seems to pump out more and more and they fall into a speed duel as they battle their way down the stretch, Predator fighting to break away from Firefall and Firefall fighting to keep his position at Predator’s side. The yearling moves beautifully, with a long stride and a firm grip on the ground that propels him forward as though he were a flame himself, and suddenly Rosaline has never felt prouder to be an owner of such a fine pair. Of course, when the time comes, Predator crosses the line first, but that’s expected because he has been racing for five years as a Grade 3 and Firefall has never raced another horse before and he’s kept up so well. Descartes just gives her a look that says everything it needs to say and then they’re both laughing again, because she just watched a yearling war after a five year old G3 that ran the workout of his life, and she knows that she’ll never question her father again, because he’s picked two more winners that will help pick up the Estate, and after such a long period of losing and not knowing what to do, winning sounds like a pretty darn good thing to try.