Post by S u N f r O s t ~ on Sept 1, 2015 20:56:24 GMT -5
CYCLONARIA & VALENCIA ANDREWS - AJC SIRES PRODUCE
MELUSINE & KRYSTAL YHATE - AJC SIRES PRODUCE
IN THE SPOTLIGHT & MEREDITH MAHON - MELBOURNE CUP
The turf track was returning to SOPS dominion. With the Turf Triple Crown finally having been won, the stable looked to the future with two promising turf filly stars and the surprise Breeders Cup Turf winner of last year in the ranks. To her credit, Meredith Mahon was getting the ride on In The Spotlight for this workout in order to let Valencia take the reins on Cyclonaria. Innie was, as per usual, vibrating with energy, but the distaff turf mare carried a sense of real class within her. Here was a horse looking to go out with a bang. She was well respected and had nothing to prove among the turf ranks; she was just a really great racehorse, and the world had been seeing that ever since the Breeders Cup last year. The Melbourne Cup awaited, then the Tropical Rainforest Invitational, and then Innie would seek another Breeders Cup win the Filly and Mare Turf.
The nimble chestnut would be accompanied by Melusine and Cyclonaria, her rising replacements among the juvenile ranks. Melusine had fallen into Krystal's heart as soon as the season began. The filly was so much like her mother; headstrong, tomboyish, the works. And Cyclonaria was just a surprise; she had a fierce temperament and endless amounts of talent that had really begun to show within the last half of the season. But while Cy would hit her own gender, Sina would be going after the boys for the season finale; being the daughter of a mare who had won the Juvenile Turf herself made her uniquely suited for the task.
Cy had already marked Sina as her foe for this workout. It was an unnecessary distinction given that Innie had no interest in the two younger horses she was working with, and that the workout was not going to be difficult. There was no need to push horses that were in top form. Amber eyed her stopwatch as the trio began the first leg of the workout, reaching out into gallops that flowed beautifully over the turf. Innie grabbed the lead, Sina followed her and Cy stayed glued to her side. They made a steady line across the track, bounding easily through four furlongs in forty eight flat. But it was for the last quarter that tensions flared.
Cy made her bid for the lead upon asking. She squashed Sina on the inside and went up to challenge Innie. Sina snorted and reacted, resurging into prominence and swinging to the outside to contend. Innie flicked her ears and drew slightly ahead now with ease. Cy snorted and came back up, Sina rebounded at the outside and then the workout ended and all three jockeys needed to pull their horses up. Cy's temper flared dangerously as she was pulled up to a stop; Sina coolly examined her competitors and took her own measure as she jogged; and Innie merely neighed loudly, attracting attention in that way she always did. Amber Black smiled and watched her horses, glancing at her stopwatch again and holding a lot of hope in her heart for what the future would bring.
