Post by Cruisey on Feb 5, 2015 9:20:18 GMT -5
ARLEQUINN && DEVON BLACKTHORN
REFUTE && JOHNNY GARNER
The second round of turf horses were tacked up and making their way to the track. Carter had a feeling this season that the horses were growing stronger with more exposure. Out of the two that were working today, he had a feeling the three year old colt Refute would be a huge threat come time for the Turf Triple Crown. Many people thought he had his Breeder’s Cup race in the bag, but his disappointing fourth in the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf left Carter questioning. Ralph’s recent training proved otherwise; the horse had filled out quite nicely and wasn’t a lanky two year old anymore. His partner today was five year old Arlequinn. Carter had debated retiring the bay stallion as a grade three, but if things didn’t go as planned this season he would retire then. For now, he had plans to race the horse and that’s what he was going to do. His first race was the Brilliant Finish Stakes against the likes of Bowen Arrow, Prima Donna, Majestic Hero, Divided Notion and Lookin’ Back Lucky.
On the turf track the two horses galloped side by side. The horses were just keeping their normal pace as the workout wasn't a hard one for them. Carter had decided to go without gates, as both were recently run in December and didn’t need the practice. Devon let Airy move underneath him, opening his stride and then collecting him, making sure the horse was listening. Johnny rode Ralph; his swift long strides carried them forwards with no hesitation. They were running 7 furlongs in prep for their longer races in the coming week. Both horses were running easily, not bothering too much about being so close to each another. They were both level-minded horses which made for easier handling.
Before they knew it, four furlongs had gone passed and the jockeys decided to loosen the horses more. Allowing the horses their heads, both of them began to increase their pace instantly. Each stride Ralph took was quick and long, and he had a slight edge over the older horse. Ralph began to show his competitive streak as he surged forwards, pulling away from Airy.
The stallion wasn't fazed by this; it was a common thing to see from a younger horse. Airy started to challenge the colt, quickly increasing his speed so that he was at the colt's withers. Sweat coated Ralph’s neck as he made a stronger run for the finish wire. Airy wasn’t giving up, and he instantly accelerated and was now stride for stride with the younger horse. Pushing on, the horses gave one last burst of energy and crossed the wire. It was hard to tell which bay had the edge, but all that mattered was how they felt. Devon was able to pull up Airy with no problems, but Johnny was having a harder time with Ralph. The younger horse was fighting, not wanting to stop running, which could be good when it came to race day. Both of the horses were fit and ready to race, and hopefully their first run would be in the money.
