Post by creativecause on Oct 8, 2014 19:06:14 GMT -5
Take Me On, I DARE You
Dare to Impress and Alex Shade
Alex messed with Imps lips as Sam and Steve started taking her up. He looked a the dark black mare and though silently to himself that she looked quite a bit like her daddy. Really was a shame that she couldn’t pull off the Y14 Turf Triple Crown. Dare To Impress had been something of a laughing stock as of late, saying she peaked in the Kentucky Open and Preakness Champion and that was the end of it. However, Alex knew better, he knew that if this filly’s potential was all let out she would be an absolute monster. The fact was, the public and the racing world couldn’t see that the daughter of Impressisario was something they should be afraid of. Why? Because she seemed to show up when it counted the most. Sure she hadn’t won a big HOTY race since the TTC but she’d placed against tough older competition. She was the daughter of two all time greats, and it only would seem fitting if she could follow in the hoofprints of her parents and become an all time great herself.
Imp had passion and energy to burn, Alex had learned that after they’d taken Andrew off of Imp and placed Alex on her. They seemed to fit together better and Imp started getting better results. Her workouts had become quick, everything was falling back into place and she was looking to be in or close to her TTC forum.
There had always been that odd aura of a winner around Imp, her champion bloodlines were to die for and it was a wonder to why she wasn’t G1 yet. It would hurt her in the breeders’ cup to not be but she’d been running against G1 competition since the TTC, and placing rather well against it. The filly was just sitting on the edge of G2 with 9 wins and was looking to snatch the Rising Fury Memorial Stakes*. The field was a tough one, with the likes of A Royal Legacy, Princetta, Passionate Flyer, and All That Jazz. All horses she’d faced before, and all were beatable. Princetta was a newly G1 horse but it wouldn’t scare Alex away, she hadn’t run the rigorous schedule that Imp had and lacked HOTY experience immensely. Then there was G2 nearly G1 Passionate Flyer, who was coming off of a great win. Passionate Flyer would be taken to the lead, and Imp would have the advantage of letting A Royal Legacy push him. She could quickly sprint past them in the homestretch and hold off Princetta and Livin’ The Jazz. The race was a bit lighter than her last had been, and hopefully it wielded better results.
Once Steve and Sam finished up, Sam gave Alex a leg up and Steve started giving Alex directions for Imp’s final work.
They stepped out onto the turf track at Green Horse Fields and Imp came alive. She flexed her muscles and ducked her head in tight to her chest, squealing with joy. She foamed at the mouth a little, her eyes had a crazed look in them, but not that of a crazy animal, that of a fired up champion. Although she’d been a bit on the downlow as of late, Imp was sitting on a big one, and everyone knew it.
They gated quietly and Imp sprang from the gates like a ferocious animal. She tore up the turf beneath her and strided out nicely. Alex was very pleased with the pace Imp had set for herself and they quickly found themselves onto the back stretch. Imp tugged at the bit and Alex refused to let her go any quicker than she already was, her muscles tensed, ready for her time to shine. Alex held her back until about mid way final turn and Imp exploded like a canon. She dug her hooves into the turf and flew gracefully across the turf looking every part the racehorse that she was. They flew down the stretch and hit the wire in a massive blur of black.