A Fine Day for Romance

[Cruisey]

ARLEQUINN && DEVON BLACKTHORN  

SILVER SERENDIPITY && JOHNNY GARNER

Seasons were going by fast in the world of Thoroughbred racing and the Breeders’ Cup was approaching fast. With Firestone’s only gelding out of the turf sprint, they had one less horse to prepare. Carter had hired a new employee specifically for Inferno’s rehabilitation so he would not have short staff for the rest of the season. Today’s group of workouts consisted of Carter’s new stallion Arlequinn, who was also the son of new broodmare Precocious, Silver Serendipity, Devil’s Blessing, Lost in Memories, Ghost Rider and Whispering Melody. The six of them would be split into pairs according to surface and distance preferences. 

The first pair was Airy and Demi. It would be an interesting run, as Airy had the complete opposite running style as Demi and he had been off for so long. This would be his first major workout in a while, and Carter had no doubt that he was out of shape. He sat by the track as he watched Devon and Johnny walk towards the turf track. Johnny was taking over Devon’s ride on Demi for today since he couldn’t ride both. Demi’s dappled coat stood out against Airy’s sleek, bay one that was already starting to shine with sweat. He was very calm though as they proceeded to the track. Demi sent out a shrill whinny, calling for her buddies in the paddocks.


Both guys tipped their head towards Carter. He had given them instructions before they got on; a four furlong breeze was all that they needed before their races. As soon as Airy stepped onto the turf he was on high alert. Devon could sense that he had missed the track and was eager to start working again. They didn’t really know much about his past, and that’s what would make it a fun ride for Devon. He would have to find out the stallion’s quirks and gears to ride him effectively. The same would go for Johnny, having not ridden the filly before. The pair had made their way around to the gates in a warm up canter and slowed down for the handlers to grab their bridles.


“Careful Johnny, she breaks like a rocket.” Devon winked to the older man, who just shook his head. Johnny grabbed a fist full of mane in both hands as the starter led them into the narrow chute, the shutters closing behind them. There was a moment of silence before the bell rang and the doors open. Devon was right, the filly had broken like a maniac and Johnny almost had slipped off her rear end. He knew she was a front runner so he let her find her pace as she settled a few lengths in front of Airy.

Airy had broken clean but he was slow to pick up his feet. Devon urged him on early, letting him catch his feet so he wouldn’t trip himself up. He was in no hurry to get to the front just yet. Two furlongs had passed and still Airy showed no effort to sneak up to the gray filly who was powering in front, the turf flying up into the trailing Airy. Johnny sat quietly and started to actually pull back on the filly, asking her to save her final spurt for the nearing finish pole. Her gray ears flicked back in confusion but she listened to the experienced jockey. Airy’s breathing was getting laboured behind them, an obvious sign of his lack of exercise. Devon showed him the whip and tapped him on the shoulder and Airy suddenly woke up, as if a fire was lit under his belly. He surged forwards as the finish line loomed in the near distance. Airy had taken matters into his own hands as he swung wide and bore down on the gray filly. Johnny looked back and saw the bay colt quickly coming up on the outside, so he let Demi have the last of the reins. Her little stride quickened as they passed the post in a flash. Airy had moved up to challenge her and finished just a little behind the younger filly.

[Cruisey]

DEVIL’S BLESSING && TALIA SMITH   

LOST IN MEMORIES && SAMMIE PICKETT  

The second pair was Devil’s Blessing and Lost in Memories. It was the first rides for both Sammie and Talia this morning, and later on they would be on the lesser experienced ones. On their way to the barn, Talia automatically knew it was Cian who was making the noise; she could hear it from a mile away. Beside him was the sabino filly, who was standing as still as a statue. She shied away from Cian as he threatened to kick out at her. Sammie walked over to Emma and stroked her muzzle softly, reassuring the filly that it was alright. Talia on the other hand, scolded the bay colt for misbehaving. Cian pointed his ears forward at the petit girl, recognizing her instantly and put on his best behaviour.  

They mounted and made their way to the turf, Cian out in front. Talia was trying to tame him but it wasn’t working, so she just let the colt prance his way onto the track. Emma stepped onto the turf quietly, snorting as her dainty hooves hit the grass. Carter gave them the nod to start warming up, so they both urged their horses into a light trot. Cian didn’t need any urging though as he was already trotting up a storm. Talia rose in her stirrups, forgetting about posting, as the colt was trotting hyper speed. Sammie posted in tune with the filly’s steps and then eased her into a canter, Cian following suit, as they cantered over to the gates. The horses both loaded without a problem as the jockeys put on their goggles. Soon the gates buzzed open and they were off. Cian didn’t hesitate about heading straight to the front and Talia allowed him to. Emma broke slower but still kept on the pace a little behind the fiery bay colt – just the way they liked it. They were going six furlongs today, so Sammie was in absolutely no rush to make their move straight away. 

Furlong after furlong passed and the rankings hadn’t changed the slightest. Cian still powered in front with Emma hot on his tail a couple of strides behind. The finish line was in the distance and neither horse showed signs of slowing down. They were breathing in sync, Cian was snorting with every stride and Emma was still quiet. Soon, Sammie started asking the filly for more and there was an instant connection. Emma grabbed at the bit and pulled Sammie forwards, charging after Cian who also seemed to be pulling ahead. The two horses were neck and neck as they crossed the finish line, their strides in sync, like poetry in motion.  

[Cruisey]

GHOST RIDER && SAMMIE PICKETT  

WHISPERING MELODY && TALIA SMITH  

The jockeys at Firestone were almost done for the day and on their third batch of workouts. Two girls, Ghost Rider and Whispering Melody, were scheduled for the workout now. Sammie and Talia had traded off their first horses for these girls and were ready to take on another challenge. Gia was almost like Emma who broke slow, the difference was that Gia sprints to the middle of the field and settles herself there. Talia had the opposite problem. Where Cian was a front runner, Wendy was a strong closer, meaning she had to keep the filly in last place until they hit the last turn.

They warmed up the same as before, trotting and cantering a lap before heading over to the gates. Sammie had a few problems getting Gia into the gates, even with the help of the handlers, but they made it in. Wendy had no problems going in and she was the younger one. Both horses were loaded with anticipation of the buzzer. After a while it finally went and the gates crashed open, the horses breaking in frenzy. Gia took the lead and rushed ahead while Wendy was extremely slow. She was almost slow to the point where Talia thought there was something wrong with her, but the dark bay filly finally found her stride and her gaits were no longer choppy and disjointed. Talia tapped her shoulder just for balance and attentiveness to get the filly listening to her once again.  

The chestnut filly’s strides were long and powerful underneath Sammie, but her mind seemed somewhere else. Her head kept turning in different directions and the airheaded filly was distracted. Sammie was fighting with the filly for her attention and it was obvious. She grumbled under her breath and smacked her on the shoulder. 

“Ay, Gia. Not now.” She muttered. Gia’s ears flicked backwards and after a few strides her head settled down in its proper position. Behind them, Wendy was galloping steadily and Talia stayed relaxed on the filly’s back.  In a snap, Wendy’s eyes spotted the red and white finish line and started making her move without the help of Talia. Surprised, Talia was almost unseated as the bay filly powered on around the turn. Sammie looked behind her and saw that the other pair was gaining ground on them – and fast. She focused her attention back on the filly, and Gia knew they were coming. Her ears were now flat against her head as her strides got longer and her muscles coiled up underneath her coat, saving all of that power until the bay got closer. As soon as Wendy’s head was near Gia’s belly, the tension that was in the chestnut filly was released and she found another gear. Sammie grabbed a fistful of mane and hung on for dear life as Gia powered across the finish line a length and a half in front of Wendy, who tried her hardest to keep up with the older horse.

[Cruisey]

SPEAK EASY && JOHNNY GARNER 

FLASHING THE DECLARATION && TALIA SMITH 

The last and final group was making their way to the track. The sun was starting to set behind the barns of Firestone Racing and Carter was exhausted after a day of work, he couldn’t imagine what the jockeys were feeling like, especially poor Talia who had 3 horses back to back. She was one of his best jockeys and he was proud to have her on the Firestone team.  

The two black colts stepped onto the soft dirt, their coats blending in with each other. From a distance, you couldn’t tell the two apart. Flashing the Declaration was the most recent arrival to Firestone, having come to us from Nature Blue Stables the week before. Flasher had minimal track experience and that would surely be a challenge for him in his upcoming races as a maiden and up against seasoned Grade Five, Speak Easy. Sonny was one race away from upgrading his status to grade four and he was making tremendous progress.  

Talia and Johnny warmed up their colts quickly and didn’t waste any time heading to the gates. Sonny was playing his lazy game again and the gate starters had to haul him in. Both Talia and Carter didn’t know how Flasher was in the gates, but soon they found out it didn’t bother him one bit. The two black horses were loaded and ready to go. Sonny wasn’t lazy anymore as his ears were perked and his eyes had a devilish glint to them. Flasher pawed at the dirt, impatient. In a flash, the buzzers went off and the gates clanged open. Surprisingly, Flasher charged forward and took the lead. Talia was still trying to figure out the colt as he took charge and steadied himself at the front. Sonny broke a little slower, but Johnny wasn’t surprised. He let him find his own pace because he didn’t want to get into a fight with the small black colt.  

They were only going 5 furlongs which was enough for both horses to get in a good run before their next race. Sonny was hot on Flasher’s neck as the colts powered on around the turn. At this point you couldn’t tell who was who because both had white faces and black bodies; it was just a tangle of black everywhere. Both jockeys were steady in their irons as they rounded the final turn. Flasher was starting to get tired, his breathing started getting heavier and his head dropped in Talia’s hands. She tapped him with the whip and he shook his head, pressing forward despite his fatigue. Sonny was nowhere near tired as his gaze landed on the finish line, his small body surging forwards. Johnny let him power on as he overtook the maiden colt, crossing the finish line a few lengths in front of the tiring Flasher. It was a good race prep for Flasher for his fourth maiden debut, and it was a good refresher for Sonny’s big race with the talented group of 2 year olds.