Post by Cruisey on Aug 14, 2015 11:19:44 GMT -5
Like A Lady && Sammie Pickett
Mission: The Turf Challenge
The Turf Challenge. Not quite as well known as the Triple Crown or the Triple Tiara, but still a major series nonetheless. The difference? It was made for juveniles only and Firestone Racing had their eye on the title. They had tried the previous year, with the DW Flamekissed son, Refute, but had failed, but this year was different. They had a star that shone even brighter in her own ways. Like A Lady could almost pass as a colt with her fiery attitude and mean spirit, and that’s what made her a perfect contender for this year’s Turf Challenge. Their first stop; the Golden Slipper Stakes.
A series like the Turf Challenge could only be tackled once. There were no re-runs, no second chances. Either you performed to expectations, or you fell at the edge and failed. It was one way or another, there was no middle ground. Though there was always next year, but each attempt would be with a different horse, and you had to pick which horse you wanted to run wisely.
The preparation and the road to the Golden Slipper Stakes wouldn’t be a long process for the daughter of Sweeto Cheeto and Ebony Gold Lady. Lady was a very straightforward horse to train; as long as you have her attention and don’t fuss with her head too much, you’re bound to have a winning ride. Lady had an incredible race record. In her whole career so far, which consisted of only fifteen races, she had only placed outside of the top two twice and had a consistency of 87 percent. She had style, and no one could deny that she was a force on the track.
As the filly reached the turf, her jockey was not far behind her. Sammie Pickett walked behind the small horse, watching her closely. Sammie was thrilled she had the opportunity to race such a fine animal, knowing that this horse would continue on to do great things in her later years. Lady looked at her; a scowl permanently resided on her face…if horses could even scowl. The fierceness in her eyes radiated through her body, her ears slightly pinned against her head but held a softer disposition when Sammie approached her. Quietly mounting the filly, she shook her head at the handler. She was not going to gate today. Today, they were just going to run, with Carter’s approval of course. The filly tossed her head as the handler released his grip on the rein, pawing at the ground as she waited for instruction from the jockey. Pushing the filly into a walk, they moved further on to the track then turned her to face up the track.
They moved swiftly from walk into a canter. Sammie wanted the juvenile to get a nice warm up before she really asked her to run. It wasn’t good for juveniles to just blow out without proper adjustment as they could risk an injury they did not want Lady to get. Lady responded well to the instructions from her jockey and maintained an average pace as they cantered along the outside of the track, her focus clearly set out before her. Her muscles contracted and relaxed in time with each powerful stride and she was pushing onwards consistently. About a minute after, Lady was relaxed and didn’t feel as much like a bomb ready to explode.
The turf shifted beneath her hooves as they moved onwards and Sammie took the time to enjoy the run, feeling ready for the filly to jump forwards into a gallop. Taking a quick look around to make sure no other horses were sneaking up on them, Sammie asked Lady to run and got a response within seconds. Lady’s stride began to extend and shift over the turf as Sammie held on tight. Using her inside rein, the pair made their way to the inside of the track, where Lady instantly hugged the rail as they ran forwards.
Three furlongs in, and they were still running strong. Sammie pushed the filly onwards, letting her stride open up so that she was practically parallel to the ground. Lady responded, practically flying forwards. The constraint of her jockey holding her back was removed; she was able to allow herself to just run. It was like being free as she powered down the turf, accelerating as she did. She was no closer, in fact she loved to stalk the front runners, but with the space she had she had more than enough time to gather speed. Lady wasn't the tallest filly, but that counted on her side at times like this. Her legs were able to unfurl more easily, and she was making a real impact on the turf.
They were flying as the wind hit Sammie’s face, hard. She felt herself bursting into a smile as Lady ran and ran and ran down the length of the turf track. It felt amazing, and the bay filly seemed to be really enjoying herself. Their acceleration had stopped, but they still maintained a good speed. With a few tugs on the reins, they had hit home and it was time for Lady to relax and slow down. Lady pinned her ears and pulled Sammie downwards, refusing to slow down, but eventually settled after cooling out half a mile in the canter. Soon enough, they were at walk once more. The filly was lathered in sweat, but she seemed happy, and Sammie was excited for the future ahead of them.
