Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Apr 20, 2015 9:14:01 GMT -5
PANDORA AND KYLIE SILVERSTAR
TRINITY AND CHRISTOPHER BLACK
PREAKNESS CHAMPION STAKES ~ COTILLION STAKES
A silent truce had sprung up between these two human beings - the truce to not speak of what was to come, only to silently understand. Christopher Black looked up from the book he was clutching half desperately in his hands. Kylie Silverstar had been sitting on her tack box staring at the wall for the past ten minutes. The young woman was too strong to visibly cry, but she was not strong enough to avoid the feelings of intense nervousness that plagued her. And why shouldn't she be nervous? This was Kylie's second year as a jockey and she carried the weight of Stride Of Perfection's ancient dream on her shoulders. Right now she stood on the precipice and looked down. Hope kindled in her heart, but she was uncertain of letting that vulnerability find its way to her heart. If she failed in the Preakness Champion, she failed not only her filly but the stable. Amber's dream had become her dream just like Amber's horse had become hers. Should she let the hope filter into her heart, only to have it crushed? Should she take the risk?
The hand on her shoulder distracted her. Kylie looked up. Christopher Black stood in front of her, his eyes gentle and understanding. Kylie sighed, nodded. The hand removed itself and its owner waited patiently for a reaction from Kylie. The woman stood up, shook her hair behind her and put it up in a ponytail and departed from the room, shadowed closely by her friend of fate. It was show time.
Fifteen minutes was all it took for Christopher to have his mount ready. Trinity danced as he mounted up. She was energetic today and unusually outgoing, even with him. The normally shy filly was filled with some sort of energy that he just could not explain. Perhaps it was just good luck. After all, the field they faced in the Cotillion was larger than the field in the Debutante. Nine furlongs was somewhat of a specialty for his filly though, as well as her ability to avoid the pace yet tune it to her advantage. Trin was special in her ability to go with the flow yet shine like a star by race's end. A harder-trying horse in the stretch was impossible to find. Trin was all heart and a rough diamond of talent. Riding her was no easy task, but his own motivation could spur this filly on in the stretch to victory. She had put in a strong performance in the Debutante and would only get better as the races got longer. Christopher looked forward to shocking the world on race day. His Trin would prove she was worth first place and more.
It was with shaky legs that Kylie led her behemoth of a filly to the mounting block. She was accompanied by her silent supporter, Henna Turath. The woman had been with her from the start since Pandora had displayed her liking for a rider that was not even close to Amber Black, in Kylie's eyes. Pandora quietly followed her jockey, bright eyes inquisitive, innate grace on full display. There seemed to be no horse who moved with Pandora's graceful power. No horse to match the looks she received of quiet awe. Kylie knew she was riding one of those horses - one of the ones that shook the world's foundation with every powerful stride. She was in awe of this filly. Her legs shook as she mounted the block, but the minute she sat in the saddle she knew her place. This was Pandora, and they were the world together.
Both Pandora and Trinity had come out of their Crown and Tiara races in fantastic shape. The win had only boosted Pandora's form; Trin had had a great race experience and demonstrated unmistakable sharpness in her recent gallops. The bay and the black came together now over the track. Accustomed to galloping together at this point, both horses shifted into comfortable position. Pan assumed the lead as Trin tracked back, not having any part of it. Amber Black arrived on the scene just as her horses set out to warm up. Graceful strides, they loped around the track at the canter and Amber could be no happier with what she saw. Turf Triple Crown dreams floated at the back of her mind. She tried to dismiss them lest her hopes be dashed. But she, too, was at the precipice of hope, looking down and wondering if she would climb into the sky or fall into the abyss.
They broke into the gallop as their head trainer watched, blinking as their legs blurred and they joined with the wind. Kylie let her filly run, blinking in shock as she always did. Pan just floated over the ground. There was so much power, so much class embodied in every stride. It was in her attitude, too. Pan loved to race, loved to win. Trinity had not quite discovered the hunger Pan felt, yet. She was on her way and won because she loved running. And because her jockey asked her to. No horse gave more of themselves in order to please her rider. She shadowed the tall filly on the inside fearlessly, Christopher maintaining light contact on the reigns as they rolled into the backstretch.
Pandora was strong and had speed you might not get to see until the final turn. With a changeable style such as hers, anything became possible. Kylie knew this, had learned it through nearly two years of riding the mare (as she had been the one to train her as a yearling as well). She just let Pan pick her way over the track - this horse required no direction. Trinity might not look like much from the start, lagging in the back, but Kylie knew better. She knew of Trin's heart. She just wanted to see how it would measure to Pan's. Their little shadow hugged them down the entirety of the stretch, not giving an inch even as Pan continued to turn up the speed. Pandora didn't even blink as Trin surged up on the final turn. She had been going faster with almost too much ease. Now a challenger presented herself, and Pan did what she did best - she went even faster, blowing minds in the process.
Kylie hung on as they streaked into the stretch. Pan had a kick that continuously surprised her. Luckily, she was nothing if not adaptable. She rode through the speed, checked for the position of their competitor, blinked as Trin came up with more speed on their outside. The filly was a game competitor to the end, nearly stride for stride under the wire. Amber Black eyed her horses and shook her head, a slow smile curving around her face. If this wasn't a sharp workout and a strong statement, she didn't know what was. And in that moment, both Kylie and Amber made a choice, and it was the same - to take the plunge at the precipice and let themselves hope, not only for Trinity's big coming-out party but for the Turf Triple Crown to be theirs at last.
