Fall Workouts WIP
I Will Never Let You Know
All That Jazz and Alex Shade
Rough Diamond and Andrew Martin
Rough Diamond and Andrew Martin
I Will hold my head up high
You Will never see me cry
I'll smile and say Im Good
But i Would fall apart if i could
You Will never see me cry
I'll smile and say Im Good
But i Would fall apart if i could
Alex was greeted by his dark brooding mass of a mount with a harsh snap at his shoulder, which he narrowly avoided getting bitten.
"Still no progress then?" Andrew chuckled, walking the lovely and sleek Rough Diamond from her stall. The bay daughter of With A Snap played with Andrew's fingers and nibbled on his knuckles. She was twitching wildly with excitement, Alex had never met a horse like this, a horse that wanted to run so badly that she'd work herself up to the point that she would shake in place.
"Nothing," Alex grunted back and slowly opened her stall door, half expecting to be charged.
Jazzy had a determination and liking for the track that could possibly equal Dia's love for the track, but she didn't quite show it like Dia did. If there was anything on the planet that Jazzy hated with such a fire passion, it was losing. She hated it, and Alex knew he'd let the filly down many times now. She opened up her season strong, and he thought he would have had a top contender in the daughter of Jazzman and Dark Sunrise, that wasn't the case. She hadn't won since February, three months winless had taken its toll on Jazzy. She'd lost faith, she'd lost confidence, and the whole team was doing their best to get it back. She was better than how she was currently running, and the whole world knew it.
Alex snuck into her stall and clipped her halter and lead rope on as quickly as he possibly could and walked her out of her stall. Tying a quick release knot on one of the stall bars and walking off to get her things. She nickered after him and took care to coldly glare at everyone in the barn at the time. She eyed Dia, who was busy playing with her own lead rope, not trying to untie it more like she was just tossing the end of it back and forth looking over and nuzzling Andrew every time he came back to her side after getting something. He was quickly running a brush over her coat, which she didn't really need. Dia was rather popular with the grooms around the barn so she rarely had so much as a speck of dust on her coat unless it was race-day, given she spent the majority of her time at the back of the pack and always came home a whole different shade of brown.
Alex followed suit, getting some dust off of Jazzy and she reluctantly let him check and pick out her feet. They were begging to have something of a meeting of minds, she was beginning to accept him. Then again, no one expected Alex would truly get through to this filly by her four year old season, yes she was that cold.
Dia and Jazzy were soon tacked up and ready to go. Alex gave Andrew a leg up on Dia and Alex hopped up on Jazzy from a hay bail. Which may not have been the smartest thing given Jazzy moved while you were mounting her, but nonetheless Alex made it work.
Jazzy had less of a sparkle in her eye today, beaten down from many losses Alex was beginning to think that the fillies crazy amount of determination was fading. Something he didn't even think was possible, she had always put forth her best effort, but when she was so beaten down and out run by every horse, she lost her confidence. Yes she still barreled through every workout, but she didn't get jacked up to see the track, she acted like she was just going through the motions. She was becoming the very horse Alex feared she would be, Jazzy was a headcase. She didn't think she was good enough, but Alex knew better, and he wanted to put a stop to this before she turned into Passion Heart. She held her head high, but he knew she was dragging her feet and bowing in defeat right now. Her inner demons were eating her alive, he was just hoping that she'd put two and two together soon.
Dia on the other hand was on a huge high, she was one short win from grade four status and starting to make a serious name for herself. She was figuring out her job and how the game worked, she pretty much had how to win nailed down. She seemed to preoccupy herself with batting her eyes at the crowds and swishing her tail extravagantly. She loved cameras too. But she knew once she was in those gates it was her race to win and it was game time.
They warmed up quickly and soon they had both of them in the gates. Dia was supposed to break earlier, and get a head start. Steve wanted to see if he couldn't spark Jazzy's interests a bit more by having something to run at. Alex nodded to Andrew who nodded to Steve and Dia was let loose form her gate, springing off of her hind legs and digging her heels into the dirt leaving it in her wake as she fully out sprinted down the track. She wasn't too far before Jazzy was let loose and Alex smacked her a few times on her shoulder with the whip to get her attention and get her to focus. He rushed her hard and it didn't take her long before she got it through her head that today she was going to be running a heck of a lot faster than she would by herself. That was when she caught sight of the sleek bay filly about fifteen lengths ahead of her and she pressed harder, running at Dia. A smile came over Alex's face, this may just work out in his favor. He let Jazzy lose after Dia.
Andrew sat in bliss, enjoying his filly's smooth gallop with nothing but Dia's breathing and pounding of her feet into the dirt to keep him company and he was perfectly content with this. That was until he started to hear another set behind him. "Already? Man she's crazier than she lets on!"Andrew hollered back at Alex, clicking to Dia to picks things up a little, hoping that the sprint that Jazzy had to do to catch up to Dia winded her enough that they could still make it around the track and win. But she was right there, right next to him in an instant, a dark brooding cloud of determination and fury. He'd rarely seen a horse like this, her eyes burned holes straight through Dia and she stuck her nose in front. Andrew could hardly believe Alex was letting her do this so early, but she must've had something in the tank, so against what his ego told him to do, Andrew let the daughter of Jazzman lead.
Jazzy's tank of a body lead them into the final furlong and Andrew kissed and clicked to Dia, pressing her faster and she hit the ground full out sprinting with her incredible closing kick. He took the lead by a nose, now a head, a neck! It was nearly over he was going to take this, but he kept Dia going, yelling words of encouragement to her. He didn't anticipate the dark mass hitting another gear and charging back at him. Desperately he pushed Dia faster but it was too late Jazzy was there and she wasn't going anywhere, she fought hard down the stretch straight to the wire. It was impossible to tell who won without a photo but that wasn't what was important. Jazzy's confidence was coming back and Dia could outlast a dogfight if needed. They were both ready to take on their competition and god help those who got to face their wrath.
"Still no progress then?" Andrew chuckled, walking the lovely and sleek Rough Diamond from her stall. The bay daughter of With A Snap played with Andrew's fingers and nibbled on his knuckles. She was twitching wildly with excitement, Alex had never met a horse like this, a horse that wanted to run so badly that she'd work herself up to the point that she would shake in place.
"Nothing," Alex grunted back and slowly opened her stall door, half expecting to be charged.
Jazzy had a determination and liking for the track that could possibly equal Dia's love for the track, but she didn't quite show it like Dia did. If there was anything on the planet that Jazzy hated with such a fire passion, it was losing. She hated it, and Alex knew he'd let the filly down many times now. She opened up her season strong, and he thought he would have had a top contender in the daughter of Jazzman and Dark Sunrise, that wasn't the case. She hadn't won since February, three months winless had taken its toll on Jazzy. She'd lost faith, she'd lost confidence, and the whole team was doing their best to get it back. She was better than how she was currently running, and the whole world knew it.
Alex snuck into her stall and clipped her halter and lead rope on as quickly as he possibly could and walked her out of her stall. Tying a quick release knot on one of the stall bars and walking off to get her things. She nickered after him and took care to coldly glare at everyone in the barn at the time. She eyed Dia, who was busy playing with her own lead rope, not trying to untie it more like she was just tossing the end of it back and forth looking over and nuzzling Andrew every time he came back to her side after getting something. He was quickly running a brush over her coat, which she didn't really need. Dia was rather popular with the grooms around the barn so she rarely had so much as a speck of dust on her coat unless it was race-day, given she spent the majority of her time at the back of the pack and always came home a whole different shade of brown.
Alex followed suit, getting some dust off of Jazzy and she reluctantly let him check and pick out her feet. They were begging to have something of a meeting of minds, she was beginning to accept him. Then again, no one expected Alex would truly get through to this filly by her four year old season, yes she was that cold.
Dia and Jazzy were soon tacked up and ready to go. Alex gave Andrew a leg up on Dia and Alex hopped up on Jazzy from a hay bail. Which may not have been the smartest thing given Jazzy moved while you were mounting her, but nonetheless Alex made it work.
Jazzy had less of a sparkle in her eye today, beaten down from many losses Alex was beginning to think that the fillies crazy amount of determination was fading. Something he didn't even think was possible, she had always put forth her best effort, but when she was so beaten down and out run by every horse, she lost her confidence. Yes she still barreled through every workout, but she didn't get jacked up to see the track, she acted like she was just going through the motions. She was becoming the very horse Alex feared she would be, Jazzy was a headcase. She didn't think she was good enough, but Alex knew better, and he wanted to put a stop to this before she turned into Passion Heart. She held her head high, but he knew she was dragging her feet and bowing in defeat right now. Her inner demons were eating her alive, he was just hoping that she'd put two and two together soon.
Dia on the other hand was on a huge high, she was one short win from grade four status and starting to make a serious name for herself. She was figuring out her job and how the game worked, she pretty much had how to win nailed down. She seemed to preoccupy herself with batting her eyes at the crowds and swishing her tail extravagantly. She loved cameras too. But she knew once she was in those gates it was her race to win and it was game time.
They warmed up quickly and soon they had both of them in the gates. Dia was supposed to break earlier, and get a head start. Steve wanted to see if he couldn't spark Jazzy's interests a bit more by having something to run at. Alex nodded to Andrew who nodded to Steve and Dia was let loose form her gate, springing off of her hind legs and digging her heels into the dirt leaving it in her wake as she fully out sprinted down the track. She wasn't too far before Jazzy was let loose and Alex smacked her a few times on her shoulder with the whip to get her attention and get her to focus. He rushed her hard and it didn't take her long before she got it through her head that today she was going to be running a heck of a lot faster than she would by herself. That was when she caught sight of the sleek bay filly about fifteen lengths ahead of her and she pressed harder, running at Dia. A smile came over Alex's face, this may just work out in his favor. He let Jazzy lose after Dia.
Andrew sat in bliss, enjoying his filly's smooth gallop with nothing but Dia's breathing and pounding of her feet into the dirt to keep him company and he was perfectly content with this. That was until he started to hear another set behind him. "Already? Man she's crazier than she lets on!"Andrew hollered back at Alex, clicking to Dia to picks things up a little, hoping that the sprint that Jazzy had to do to catch up to Dia winded her enough that they could still make it around the track and win. But she was right there, right next to him in an instant, a dark brooding cloud of determination and fury. He'd rarely seen a horse like this, her eyes burned holes straight through Dia and she stuck her nose in front. Andrew could hardly believe Alex was letting her do this so early, but she must've had something in the tank, so against what his ego told him to do, Andrew let the daughter of Jazzman lead.
Jazzy's tank of a body lead them into the final furlong and Andrew kissed and clicked to Dia, pressing her faster and she hit the ground full out sprinting with her incredible closing kick. He took the lead by a nose, now a head, a neck! It was nearly over he was going to take this, but he kept Dia going, yelling words of encouragement to her. He didn't anticipate the dark mass hitting another gear and charging back at him. Desperately he pushed Dia faster but it was too late Jazzy was there and she wasn't going anywhere, she fought hard down the stretch straight to the wire. It was impossible to tell who won without a photo but that wasn't what was important. Jazzy's confidence was coming back and Dia could outlast a dogfight if needed. They were both ready to take on their competition and god help those who got to face their wrath.
I Believe In The Underdog
SmashDashing and Jessie Coppermen
My Kingdom Come and Hadley Grayson
My Kingdom Come and Hadley Grayson
When Grayson Meadows purchased SmashDashing, they had no idea he would be the first to hit grade four amoungst his fellow juveniles, actually it was expected that Rough Diamond or First Class would be the first. Of course racing was full of surprises, and this was just one of many that would come along the way. He was something of racing royalty, but no one in their right mind would have thought that he'd be as successful as he was with his parents, even if he was the son of Flight Of Fancy. Out of an unraced sire with racing royalty, Grayson Meadows really had no idea what they were getting, but when he crossed that finish line in first in the Bull Dog Stakes Aaron knew she had something special.
My Kingdom Come had always been a bit of a struggle horse, but she was a regal sight to behold. When she ran her feet barley touched the turf. When she let loose that closing kick of hers it was like no one could catch her. On a good day, she could run with the best, on a bad day, she could keep up with them but not likely win. That was something that needed to be worked on, but she was lightly raced, but for good reason. She had taken a bit more time to develop than others, and it was giving Grayson Meadows results. She wasn't breakout amazing like Call Me Crooked, but she definitely was in consideration for the Sprinter Triple Tiara.
The similarities between these two were striking, but the one that stood out the most was that nothing had ever been handed to them on a silver platter. There was always something to be said about hard work, and well, watching them fight their way to every win, that was it.
So on an early morning Jessie yawned as he began to tack up SmashDashing, who was asleep tied in a quick release knot by his stall door. The early morning workouts had always been grueling, but nonetheless it was what it was. Jessie also had happened to arrive around ten minutes late, which he got his butt chewed by none other than 17 year old Hadley, which didn't have much of an affect on him because he was still blinking the sleep form his eyes at the moment. Currently he couldn't remember the conversation, the only thing that he could remember was that she'd yelled at him a lot.
Bey was enjoying a head rub between her ears, extending her head out and stretching her neck to its full length as Hadley continued to graze over that sweet spot. Her lips twitched with pleasure and she blinked several times, pressing her head against Hadley's fingers to put more pressure on that spot between her ears that Hadley was apparently not scratching enough.
Once finished Hadley was already up on My Kingdom Come and was holding SmashDashing's reins for Jessie who followed suit and mounted him with no issues. "Easy four furlongs over the turf were Aaron's instructions." Jessie said, yawning yet again.
"You think I don't know that?" Hadley growled back and clucked Bey forward and they were soon out on the track.
The gates gleamed in the afternoon sun as the two loaded into them with ease. Both had little racing experience really, but it didn't hamper either of their running abilities. Any trainer could take a look at either of them and tell you how talented they really were. It seemed to be one of Grayson Meadows' specialties, they seemed to take lightly raced horses and turn them into something great However, they had bought both of these greys before their careers even started. The gates opened and Bey shot out of them first, Dash followed her quickly and the work was soon underway. Bey rallied against the colt and fought valiantly on the inside while he ran at her from the outside. She surged forward with powerful strides, challenging Dash to keep up with her every step of the way, and he did his best to. Being the older and more developed of the two, Bey was doing a bit of teaching today. However, she would be gaining some experience of her own along the way. They flew over the turf in impressive time and the final furlong of the work was approaching. Jessie sent Dash and Hadley kissed to Bey, it was a drive to the finish but Bey overtook the colt by half a length on the wire. She may have won today, but no one could deny how good both of them looked, more so how Dash looked. He had already improved so much in just a few months, there was no telling what he could do by the end of the season.
My Kingdom Come had always been a bit of a struggle horse, but she was a regal sight to behold. When she ran her feet barley touched the turf. When she let loose that closing kick of hers it was like no one could catch her. On a good day, she could run with the best, on a bad day, she could keep up with them but not likely win. That was something that needed to be worked on, but she was lightly raced, but for good reason. She had taken a bit more time to develop than others, and it was giving Grayson Meadows results. She wasn't breakout amazing like Call Me Crooked, but she definitely was in consideration for the Sprinter Triple Tiara.
The similarities between these two were striking, but the one that stood out the most was that nothing had ever been handed to them on a silver platter. There was always something to be said about hard work, and well, watching them fight their way to every win, that was it.
So on an early morning Jessie yawned as he began to tack up SmashDashing, who was asleep tied in a quick release knot by his stall door. The early morning workouts had always been grueling, but nonetheless it was what it was. Jessie also had happened to arrive around ten minutes late, which he got his butt chewed by none other than 17 year old Hadley, which didn't have much of an affect on him because he was still blinking the sleep form his eyes at the moment. Currently he couldn't remember the conversation, the only thing that he could remember was that she'd yelled at him a lot.
Bey was enjoying a head rub between her ears, extending her head out and stretching her neck to its full length as Hadley continued to graze over that sweet spot. Her lips twitched with pleasure and she blinked several times, pressing her head against Hadley's fingers to put more pressure on that spot between her ears that Hadley was apparently not scratching enough.
Once finished Hadley was already up on My Kingdom Come and was holding SmashDashing's reins for Jessie who followed suit and mounted him with no issues. "Easy four furlongs over the turf were Aaron's instructions." Jessie said, yawning yet again.
"You think I don't know that?" Hadley growled back and clucked Bey forward and they were soon out on the track.
The gates gleamed in the afternoon sun as the two loaded into them with ease. Both had little racing experience really, but it didn't hamper either of their running abilities. Any trainer could take a look at either of them and tell you how talented they really were. It seemed to be one of Grayson Meadows' specialties, they seemed to take lightly raced horses and turn them into something great However, they had bought both of these greys before their careers even started. The gates opened and Bey shot out of them first, Dash followed her quickly and the work was soon underway. Bey rallied against the colt and fought valiantly on the inside while he ran at her from the outside. She surged forward with powerful strides, challenging Dash to keep up with her every step of the way, and he did his best to. Being the older and more developed of the two, Bey was doing a bit of teaching today. However, she would be gaining some experience of her own along the way. They flew over the turf in impressive time and the final furlong of the work was approaching. Jessie sent Dash and Hadley kissed to Bey, it was a drive to the finish but Bey overtook the colt by half a length on the wire. She may have won today, but no one could deny how good both of them looked, more so how Dash looked. He had already improved so much in just a few months, there was no telling what he could do by the end of the season.
Worn
First Class and Alex Shade
Take Flight and Andrew Martin
Take Flight and Andrew Martin
Let me see redemption win
Let me know the struggle ends That you can mend a heart That’s frail and torn |
I wanna know a song can rise
From the ashes of a broken life And all that’s dead inside can be reborn Cause I’m worn |
"Where do we go from here?"
The one sentence that was on everyone's mind these past few weeks. Least to say Grayson Meadows had only been slightly humiliated throughout the entire Turf Triple Crown, races that easily could have been Fly's but he'd been outrun in every single leg of them by nothing but a nose. In every leg. Humiliation didn't quite describe Steve's feelings whenever he was questioned about the colt. Nonetheless, he was still a great horse, one that needed his confidence back after being beaten down three races in a row by a VERY small margin. As a matter of fact, it was best people didn't forget that had Pandora not been in the Turf Triple Crown Fly would have won it handily. No one could touch this colt all season, no one but Pandora of course. So where were they going with their beaten down and under confident horse next? Well, one may think it was best to throw him in a under card to get that thirteenth win; but Steve wanted to be daring with his colt he wanted to see the older horses try and deal with him and his ruthless closing kick. So with that, he was headed to the Ascot Gold Cup*, then off to the Breeders' Stakes, where he would hopefully win at least one major three year old race where he wouldn't be bothered by the likes of his niece, Pandora. There was one thing for sure about this horse though, he was pissed, and he was out for blood.
Chester seemed to finally get into the swing of racing in the last month, managing to hold off Night Visions for his second win ever. Grayson Meadows' Juvenile string wasn't nearly as good as it was last year to say the least, but no one was complaining. Steve was smiling like a fool when the colt crossed the wire in first, he knew something about this horse was special. That he could be the next Fly, and looking at his two year old season so far, he was already pretty similar. His route to his classic season was very similar as well, hit as many under cards as he's comfortable with and throw in a horse of the year race here and there. So while Fly was in his stall brooding over ways to slaughter his next opponent, Chester was just beside himself, flipping his head this way and that and nickering to everyone who walked by.
Alex scratched his chestnut colt between his ears. In the end, he'd been very glad that he had convinced Tanner and Steve to take on the colt as a yearling when Durango Racing went out of business. He was small, leggy, scrawny, he practically had late bloomer written on his forehead and with his pedigree there was a lot expected of him. Perhaps a little too much, but whatever huge expectations the staff had had for him were pretty much crushed after it took him five tries just to break his maiden then two forth places in a row. Something was wrong with this picture, so pulling him from huge horse of the year races they tried some undercards, in which he failed habitually to win. He wasn't a breakout five wins in the first three months of racing horse. But he'd raced against those horses, and he had done decent. The struggle with this horse had been real, but once Steve and Alex started to figure out just how he ticked, they decided to toss those expectations and just let him run and create his own path. They'd recently started breezing the colt over shorter distances and decided maybe the miles would suit him better. They were exploring just what he could do and finding that his versatility was quite large.
Fly pinned his ears and impatiently struck the ground with his hoof as Andrew finished up tacking him. His deep brown orbs landed on Chester and they were filled with nothing but pure animosity, he was going to run himself into the ground if that meant getting that victory. If the Turf Triple Crown had done anything to this horse, it was waking up his competitive streak. Steve had said after they let him out to pasture for a week he saw him racing squirrels and birds around the pastures. Fly wasn't insane or anything, he just loved the game a little too much and decided to treat every workout like it was the Olympics.
Why would he do that though? Well, that was because he wanted something. Every race from now on meant one thing to him and one thing only, redemption. Rather than being crushed by the weight of the world or his many, many failures, he was doing the thing that few horses in position would do. Fly was fighting back.
The pair trotted their way out onto the turf track. The day was just getting to its end and a bright pink and orange sunset danced across the sky, turning everything a yellow-orange tint. It was a lovely day for pictures, that was for sure.
Chester would get up to Fly's shoulder and the older stallion would pin his ears and speed up, eventually making them both canter. Chester seemed rather amused with this game and as their pilots attempted to slow them down he got right up next to the son of Merry Bay King and payed dearly for it. Fly lunged at Chester with his teeth bared and the two jockeys exchanged some rather colorful language not only directed at their mounts but at each other. All in a days work at Grayson Meadows.
Neither of the colts had issues with the starting gates so they simply worked their way up to a canter once fully warmed up and then allowed their mounts go gallop. What was supposed to be an easy four furlongs quickly turned into a one-on-one match race. Alex and Chester would apply pressure to Fly and Andrew and Fly would demand to go faster and Andrew didn't see a reason why they couldn't have a little game of cat and mouse today so they were already full out sprinting by the time the first three furlongs of the work were over.
They flew around the final turn and Alex let Chester have his head and the two shot past Fly, but it didn't last long. As soon as Andrew let Fly go he flew past Chester, each stride longer than the last. Digging in deeper and deeper to find his next gear as Chester chased him towards the wire. Fly's ears pricked with delight and the thundering of his hooves was music to Andrew's ears. He knew the horse was going fast, but just how fast was he going? Chester pushed back but he was too far behind by the time Fly passed the wire four lengths ahead of him and still gaining.
He wasn't over, he was not finished, he was back and better than ever. He wasn't playing bridesmaid anymore, this horse was furious, competitive, and the next horse that got in his way by a nose was going to have to run the race of their life to beat him.
The one sentence that was on everyone's mind these past few weeks. Least to say Grayson Meadows had only been slightly humiliated throughout the entire Turf Triple Crown, races that easily could have been Fly's but he'd been outrun in every single leg of them by nothing but a nose. In every leg. Humiliation didn't quite describe Steve's feelings whenever he was questioned about the colt. Nonetheless, he was still a great horse, one that needed his confidence back after being beaten down three races in a row by a VERY small margin. As a matter of fact, it was best people didn't forget that had Pandora not been in the Turf Triple Crown Fly would have won it handily. No one could touch this colt all season, no one but Pandora of course. So where were they going with their beaten down and under confident horse next? Well, one may think it was best to throw him in a under card to get that thirteenth win; but Steve wanted to be daring with his colt he wanted to see the older horses try and deal with him and his ruthless closing kick. So with that, he was headed to the Ascot Gold Cup*, then off to the Breeders' Stakes, where he would hopefully win at least one major three year old race where he wouldn't be bothered by the likes of his niece, Pandora. There was one thing for sure about this horse though, he was pissed, and he was out for blood.
Chester seemed to finally get into the swing of racing in the last month, managing to hold off Night Visions for his second win ever. Grayson Meadows' Juvenile string wasn't nearly as good as it was last year to say the least, but no one was complaining. Steve was smiling like a fool when the colt crossed the wire in first, he knew something about this horse was special. That he could be the next Fly, and looking at his two year old season so far, he was already pretty similar. His route to his classic season was very similar as well, hit as many under cards as he's comfortable with and throw in a horse of the year race here and there. So while Fly was in his stall brooding over ways to slaughter his next opponent, Chester was just beside himself, flipping his head this way and that and nickering to everyone who walked by.
Alex scratched his chestnut colt between his ears. In the end, he'd been very glad that he had convinced Tanner and Steve to take on the colt as a yearling when Durango Racing went out of business. He was small, leggy, scrawny, he practically had late bloomer written on his forehead and with his pedigree there was a lot expected of him. Perhaps a little too much, but whatever huge expectations the staff had had for him were pretty much crushed after it took him five tries just to break his maiden then two forth places in a row. Something was wrong with this picture, so pulling him from huge horse of the year races they tried some undercards, in which he failed habitually to win. He wasn't a breakout five wins in the first three months of racing horse. But he'd raced against those horses, and he had done decent. The struggle with this horse had been real, but once Steve and Alex started to figure out just how he ticked, they decided to toss those expectations and just let him run and create his own path. They'd recently started breezing the colt over shorter distances and decided maybe the miles would suit him better. They were exploring just what he could do and finding that his versatility was quite large.
Fly pinned his ears and impatiently struck the ground with his hoof as Andrew finished up tacking him. His deep brown orbs landed on Chester and they were filled with nothing but pure animosity, he was going to run himself into the ground if that meant getting that victory. If the Turf Triple Crown had done anything to this horse, it was waking up his competitive streak. Steve had said after they let him out to pasture for a week he saw him racing squirrels and birds around the pastures. Fly wasn't insane or anything, he just loved the game a little too much and decided to treat every workout like it was the Olympics.
Why would he do that though? Well, that was because he wanted something. Every race from now on meant one thing to him and one thing only, redemption. Rather than being crushed by the weight of the world or his many, many failures, he was doing the thing that few horses in position would do. Fly was fighting back.
The pair trotted their way out onto the turf track. The day was just getting to its end and a bright pink and orange sunset danced across the sky, turning everything a yellow-orange tint. It was a lovely day for pictures, that was for sure.
Chester would get up to Fly's shoulder and the older stallion would pin his ears and speed up, eventually making them both canter. Chester seemed rather amused with this game and as their pilots attempted to slow them down he got right up next to the son of Merry Bay King and payed dearly for it. Fly lunged at Chester with his teeth bared and the two jockeys exchanged some rather colorful language not only directed at their mounts but at each other. All in a days work at Grayson Meadows.
Neither of the colts had issues with the starting gates so they simply worked their way up to a canter once fully warmed up and then allowed their mounts go gallop. What was supposed to be an easy four furlongs quickly turned into a one-on-one match race. Alex and Chester would apply pressure to Fly and Andrew and Fly would demand to go faster and Andrew didn't see a reason why they couldn't have a little game of cat and mouse today so they were already full out sprinting by the time the first three furlongs of the work were over.
They flew around the final turn and Alex let Chester have his head and the two shot past Fly, but it didn't last long. As soon as Andrew let Fly go he flew past Chester, each stride longer than the last. Digging in deeper and deeper to find his next gear as Chester chased him towards the wire. Fly's ears pricked with delight and the thundering of his hooves was music to Andrew's ears. He knew the horse was going fast, but just how fast was he going? Chester pushed back but he was too far behind by the time Fly passed the wire four lengths ahead of him and still gaining.
He wasn't over, he was not finished, he was back and better than ever. He wasn't playing bridesmaid anymore, this horse was furious, competitive, and the next horse that got in his way by a nose was going to have to run the race of their life to beat him.
Good Life
Call Me Crooked and Alex Shade
Daddy's Overdraft and Aaron Evertt
Daddy's Overdraft and Aaron Evertt
Crook flicked her ears this way and that while clamping her teeth down on her bit. She watched as Bey and Dash worked together, sizing them up with a cool but calculating mind, as if she was trying to figure out just when she would move, or what she would do in each situation as it arise. It was a unique feature about this filly, when she wasn't acting psychotic on the track, she was watching and sizing up everyone else running. It was like she judged everyone, and at times many of the staff wondered if she was judging her jockey or other jockeys. Everyone knew Crook could run and win a race without her jockey even touching her and her last two races she'd been hand ridden all the way down the stretch, her last race resulting in a four length domination.
Not only had she left the crowd in awe, but she'd baffled Aaron and Alex. Truth was, even with 33 career starts, 11 this season, they didn't know how good Crook really was. She'd won nearly every Turf Sprinter Triple Crown prep they'd put her in and never came back from any of them winded. Crook was quite simply on fire, and there was no telling what she could accomplish in the coming months. With the sprinter triple crowns approaching fast, Crook had to be on fire. They contemplated much about where to send their prized filly who could run the legs off of just about anyone between the distance of 5 to 8 furlongs. To the turf crown or tiara was the question and well, they still didn't have an answer. Either place she chose to go she was going to be in tough company, but if she went to the crown My Kingdom Come would take her place in the tiara. Either way after a rough Turf Triple Crown Grayson Meadows wanted redemption and Crook was just the horse to do it. Crook was more than good enough to be the first crown or tiara winner of any kind in the sprinting division, and she would do it if handled properly.
Alex looked longingly over at Cobweb with Aaron on her back. She pranced around striking the turf with her large hooves. He'd never payed much mind to Cobweb's big feet but for her size it was a wonder she didn't trip over herself often. She was quite simply built to be a turf horse. He admired her as her muscles and hide twitched courtesy of the flies and her over-excitement. Three years on the track and Cobweb never seemed to get sick of it. Her love for the track was really some thing special, thus why she was still slated to run next season.
He wasn't going to lie to himself, looking over at Cobweb it looked straight up odd to see anyone else on her back. The very horse he had spotted and pushed Grayson Meadows to buy had another rider, and it wasn't him. Steve, being the rather curious man he was decided that a match-up between Cobweb and Crook would be something worth watching, and give both of them something to learn from. Cobweb was rounding into better form and Crook was on a roll and she just kept getting better.
Aaron nodded over to Alex as she finally got Cobweb to stand still for a solid five seconds and they began to warm the two of them up. Cobweb seemed to have more ants in her pants than normal and offered a playful buck and a very short lived attempt to take off which Aaron got right after her for. Alex smirked at watching Cobweb nibble on her bit and stop instantly and turn her head over to look at Aaron as if she was apologizing. Alex liked to call it 'self flexing' when she did that. Crook flung her hind end into the air before throwing something of a mini meltdown that consisted mostly of her making as much noise as humanly possible and tossing her head like the drama queen she could be.
"Focus Alex," he muttered to himself and brought Crook back to reality. They marched towards the gate and Crook seemed to have other ideas about going into the large metal contraption. However, after some gentle encouragement from one of the gate helpers she went right in followed by a calm and focused Cobweb.
Crook glanced over at her small competition. Cobweb was little, and scrawny, but she could run the legs off of some of the best routers and milers in the business without a second thought. She loved the thrill of the competition, her drive to win was incredible. Crook had her work cut out for herself.
The gates burst and the two broke cleanly like the well seasoned pro's they really were. Cobweb hurled her sleek white body in front, flashing her incredible easy speed and Aaron allowed her to break away ahead, knowing that if given an easy start Crook was more than capable of running all over Cobweb.
Crook was breathing down Cobweb's neck, Alex could feel her mind formulating a diabolical plan, he just had to keep her out of trouble. He focused on that spot between her ears and then over at Cobweb, who was going along easily, which Crook seemed to have sensed and applied some more pressure to the white mare. Which ended up with Crook in the lead.
Aaron knew Crook almost as well as Alex did, and she knew Cobweb was more than smart enough to get caught in a speed dual this early. Alex had to hand it to Aaron, if she wasn't a trainer she'd make a hell of a jockey.
They flew through the first three furlongs of the work and as they came into the open final stretch Crook pricked her ears and eyed Cobweb once more before starting her move, it was a slow acceleration, Crook wasn't in any hurry to get around Cobweb. She knew better so she edged further and further forward.
Aaron clicked to Cobweb and let the mare have her head and that was when Crook took off. She hit her quick closing gear and was more than willing to leave her older foe in her wake. Alex looked over his shoulder only to find a quick closing Cobweb at his side quickly. Crook kept going but Cobweb pushed back, her heart and determination showing through as she began to gain ground on Crook again. She was soon ahead by a head, but not to be outdone Crook pressed herself faster, Alex just along for the ride as she countered Cobweb's assault. Crook wasn't done yet and she was more than ready to prove it.
They passed the wire with Crook the victor by a nose, but then again had there been another two furlongs the chance that Cobweb would take this one was very high. Either way, both were ready for the future races to come.
Not only had she left the crowd in awe, but she'd baffled Aaron and Alex. Truth was, even with 33 career starts, 11 this season, they didn't know how good Crook really was. She'd won nearly every Turf Sprinter Triple Crown prep they'd put her in and never came back from any of them winded. Crook was quite simply on fire, and there was no telling what she could accomplish in the coming months. With the sprinter triple crowns approaching fast, Crook had to be on fire. They contemplated much about where to send their prized filly who could run the legs off of just about anyone between the distance of 5 to 8 furlongs. To the turf crown or tiara was the question and well, they still didn't have an answer. Either place she chose to go she was going to be in tough company, but if she went to the crown My Kingdom Come would take her place in the tiara. Either way after a rough Turf Triple Crown Grayson Meadows wanted redemption and Crook was just the horse to do it. Crook was more than good enough to be the first crown or tiara winner of any kind in the sprinting division, and she would do it if handled properly.
Alex looked longingly over at Cobweb with Aaron on her back. She pranced around striking the turf with her large hooves. He'd never payed much mind to Cobweb's big feet but for her size it was a wonder she didn't trip over herself often. She was quite simply built to be a turf horse. He admired her as her muscles and hide twitched courtesy of the flies and her over-excitement. Three years on the track and Cobweb never seemed to get sick of it. Her love for the track was really some thing special, thus why she was still slated to run next season.
He wasn't going to lie to himself, looking over at Cobweb it looked straight up odd to see anyone else on her back. The very horse he had spotted and pushed Grayson Meadows to buy had another rider, and it wasn't him. Steve, being the rather curious man he was decided that a match-up between Cobweb and Crook would be something worth watching, and give both of them something to learn from. Cobweb was rounding into better form and Crook was on a roll and she just kept getting better.
Aaron nodded over to Alex as she finally got Cobweb to stand still for a solid five seconds and they began to warm the two of them up. Cobweb seemed to have more ants in her pants than normal and offered a playful buck and a very short lived attempt to take off which Aaron got right after her for. Alex smirked at watching Cobweb nibble on her bit and stop instantly and turn her head over to look at Aaron as if she was apologizing. Alex liked to call it 'self flexing' when she did that. Crook flung her hind end into the air before throwing something of a mini meltdown that consisted mostly of her making as much noise as humanly possible and tossing her head like the drama queen she could be.
"Focus Alex," he muttered to himself and brought Crook back to reality. They marched towards the gate and Crook seemed to have other ideas about going into the large metal contraption. However, after some gentle encouragement from one of the gate helpers she went right in followed by a calm and focused Cobweb.
Crook glanced over at her small competition. Cobweb was little, and scrawny, but she could run the legs off of some of the best routers and milers in the business without a second thought. She loved the thrill of the competition, her drive to win was incredible. Crook had her work cut out for herself.
The gates burst and the two broke cleanly like the well seasoned pro's they really were. Cobweb hurled her sleek white body in front, flashing her incredible easy speed and Aaron allowed her to break away ahead, knowing that if given an easy start Crook was more than capable of running all over Cobweb.
Crook was breathing down Cobweb's neck, Alex could feel her mind formulating a diabolical plan, he just had to keep her out of trouble. He focused on that spot between her ears and then over at Cobweb, who was going along easily, which Crook seemed to have sensed and applied some more pressure to the white mare. Which ended up with Crook in the lead.
Aaron knew Crook almost as well as Alex did, and she knew Cobweb was more than smart enough to get caught in a speed dual this early. Alex had to hand it to Aaron, if she wasn't a trainer she'd make a hell of a jockey.
They flew through the first three furlongs of the work and as they came into the open final stretch Crook pricked her ears and eyed Cobweb once more before starting her move, it was a slow acceleration, Crook wasn't in any hurry to get around Cobweb. She knew better so she edged further and further forward.
Aaron clicked to Cobweb and let the mare have her head and that was when Crook took off. She hit her quick closing gear and was more than willing to leave her older foe in her wake. Alex looked over his shoulder only to find a quick closing Cobweb at his side quickly. Crook kept going but Cobweb pushed back, her heart and determination showing through as she began to gain ground on Crook again. She was soon ahead by a head, but not to be outdone Crook pressed herself faster, Alex just along for the ride as she countered Cobweb's assault. Crook wasn't done yet and she was more than ready to prove it.
They passed the wire with Crook the victor by a nose, but then again had there been another two furlongs the chance that Cobweb would take this one was very high. Either way, both were ready for the future races to come.
Usper
Chatoyant and Andrew Martin
Allouette Divine and Jessie Coppermen
Speed Rush and Alex Shade
Allouette Divine and Jessie Coppermen
Speed Rush and Alex Shade
Grayson Meadows had shared its time in the underdog swing of things for quite awhile, but at the end of year fourteen they were a force to be reckoned with. A stable full of surprises from spoiling in the Breeders' Cup to stealing a leg of the sprinter triple crown and out running Sun King twice. They had more than earned the most improved stable title from Y14 but this year, well it was different. For two horses in particular. Chatoyant and Allouette Divine.
Divie had gone from hero to zero in about a month, after killing it in the Sprinter Triple Crown and taking down a leg and beating Optimus Unstoppable twice she faded into nothing but second place finishes. 20 second place finishes to be exact. Divie had finished second twice as many times as she had finished first and to call it infuriating was an understatement. 3 short wins from grade one that seemed like they would never happen. Horse Of The Year race, second, undercard, second, it was a never ending pattern. Was she going to retire? Was the Sprinter Triple Crown wounder over after just a single month and a half of brilliance? The answer wasn't an easy one. Perhaps. It wasn't that she lacked the confidence, or that she lacked the stamina or speed, she just wasn't winning like she should have been and it really put a damper on her whole record, her whole image to the public. She was nothing, and at this time last year she was the horse to beat. It made no sense, but if Aaron Evertt was good at anything, it was making sense of the things that really didn't make any sense at all.
Tayo was the underdog that simply stayed the underdog. He wasn't good enough. Well he had been once but never again had he risen from the ashes to steal so much as a horse of the year race. Had he been a filly the choice would be simple, do not run him in the Sprinter Triple Crown, but he would have to be thrown to the wolves or not run at all. Everyone knew he was too good to not run at all though. He was so much better than everyone was giving him credit for and unfortunately he wasn't going to get noticed any time soon, thus the decision to not run him in the Sprinter Triple Crown was made, but then unmade. Tayo was going to the first leg, if he flopped he was out. End of story. A nice long break was considered for the underdog colt, and maybe letting him rest throughout the rest of the year and bringing him back stronger as a four year old was the best choice. Either way it could kill his chances at becoming anything or make him better. Horse racing had always been a gamble though sometimes hard decisions had to be made and well, this was one of them.
Speedy was just the rabbit that occasionally showed up for a race. The simple task of getting him to Grade One was a painstakingly slow one and one that Tanner wasn't all too willing to wait for. The horse loved to finish third or first. If he could catch a break and have no other horse messing with him in the front he was golden, most of the time that is. The truth of the matter was that he either was going to make it to grade one or he wasn't and either it was happening by the end of the season or it wasn't happening at all. Not every horse was a champion cut out for thirteen wins, Speedy could very well be one of them.
They were the troubled group this week. All sprinters, all well rounded ones in their own right and for some reason couldn't catch a win. All were getting hopelessly outrun and no one could stop it from happening. They just needed that race, the pick me up race but their times were running out. The clock was ticking on each one of them, either they would be sold or retired. At this point giving up seemed like a good idea because there is only so much you can do before you realize your hurting the horses career more than helping it and maybe they would be better off with someone else running them.
The gates clanked open and all the underdogs sprang free. Speedy was off with his rabbit speed with Tayo just sitting off his shoulder and Jessie hurrying Divie along to get her to catch up a bit behind them. Dirt flung in her face and the two were coated in a nice thin layer of it soon enough. Speedy hussled himself a length ahead of Tayo who was giving him quite a bit of chase, ears perked with interest and his game face on, no one in this group was more fed up with losing than he today. Divie and Jessie bought their time at the back, three lengths between them and Tayo and that margin was widening, but Divie knew something the other two in front of her didn't. She was coiled up tight like steel wool, she was a dam just waiting to burst. Strength was building and her amazing ability to close was just about ready to spring loose. They rounded into the final furlong and Tayo drove right after Speedy, relentlessly bearing down on him, determined to run Speedy into the ground if necessary. Divie came flying on the far outside closing the six length gap in just a matter of strides and passing Speedy and Tayo but they weren't to be outdone. They pressed faster and faster and Tayo was gaining on Divie, a fire of determination lighting up his eyes, he wanted blood and he wasn't about to give up yet. They hit the wire with no separation between them, Speedy came in a nose behind Divie and Tayo. They were ready, and that race had to be coming sometime soon.
Divie had gone from hero to zero in about a month, after killing it in the Sprinter Triple Crown and taking down a leg and beating Optimus Unstoppable twice she faded into nothing but second place finishes. 20 second place finishes to be exact. Divie had finished second twice as many times as she had finished first and to call it infuriating was an understatement. 3 short wins from grade one that seemed like they would never happen. Horse Of The Year race, second, undercard, second, it was a never ending pattern. Was she going to retire? Was the Sprinter Triple Crown wounder over after just a single month and a half of brilliance? The answer wasn't an easy one. Perhaps. It wasn't that she lacked the confidence, or that she lacked the stamina or speed, she just wasn't winning like she should have been and it really put a damper on her whole record, her whole image to the public. She was nothing, and at this time last year she was the horse to beat. It made no sense, but if Aaron Evertt was good at anything, it was making sense of the things that really didn't make any sense at all.
Tayo was the underdog that simply stayed the underdog. He wasn't good enough. Well he had been once but never again had he risen from the ashes to steal so much as a horse of the year race. Had he been a filly the choice would be simple, do not run him in the Sprinter Triple Crown, but he would have to be thrown to the wolves or not run at all. Everyone knew he was too good to not run at all though. He was so much better than everyone was giving him credit for and unfortunately he wasn't going to get noticed any time soon, thus the decision to not run him in the Sprinter Triple Crown was made, but then unmade. Tayo was going to the first leg, if he flopped he was out. End of story. A nice long break was considered for the underdog colt, and maybe letting him rest throughout the rest of the year and bringing him back stronger as a four year old was the best choice. Either way it could kill his chances at becoming anything or make him better. Horse racing had always been a gamble though sometimes hard decisions had to be made and well, this was one of them.
Speedy was just the rabbit that occasionally showed up for a race. The simple task of getting him to Grade One was a painstakingly slow one and one that Tanner wasn't all too willing to wait for. The horse loved to finish third or first. If he could catch a break and have no other horse messing with him in the front he was golden, most of the time that is. The truth of the matter was that he either was going to make it to grade one or he wasn't and either it was happening by the end of the season or it wasn't happening at all. Not every horse was a champion cut out for thirteen wins, Speedy could very well be one of them.
They were the troubled group this week. All sprinters, all well rounded ones in their own right and for some reason couldn't catch a win. All were getting hopelessly outrun and no one could stop it from happening. They just needed that race, the pick me up race but their times were running out. The clock was ticking on each one of them, either they would be sold or retired. At this point giving up seemed like a good idea because there is only so much you can do before you realize your hurting the horses career more than helping it and maybe they would be better off with someone else running them.
The gates clanked open and all the underdogs sprang free. Speedy was off with his rabbit speed with Tayo just sitting off his shoulder and Jessie hurrying Divie along to get her to catch up a bit behind them. Dirt flung in her face and the two were coated in a nice thin layer of it soon enough. Speedy hussled himself a length ahead of Tayo who was giving him quite a bit of chase, ears perked with interest and his game face on, no one in this group was more fed up with losing than he today. Divie and Jessie bought their time at the back, three lengths between them and Tayo and that margin was widening, but Divie knew something the other two in front of her didn't. She was coiled up tight like steel wool, she was a dam just waiting to burst. Strength was building and her amazing ability to close was just about ready to spring loose. They rounded into the final furlong and Tayo drove right after Speedy, relentlessly bearing down on him, determined to run Speedy into the ground if necessary. Divie came flying on the far outside closing the six length gap in just a matter of strides and passing Speedy and Tayo but they weren't to be outdone. They pressed faster and faster and Tayo was gaining on Divie, a fire of determination lighting up his eyes, he wanted blood and he wasn't about to give up yet. They hit the wire with no separation between them, Speedy came in a nose behind Divie and Tayo. They were ready, and that race had to be coming sometime soon.
Deal With The Devil
Dry Your Tears and Hadley Grayson
Tears Of An Angel and Andrew Martin
Honorary and Alex Shade
Tears Of An Angel and Andrew Martin
Honorary and Alex Shade
Honor grumped about, dragging her feet through the barn isles as Alex walked her over to a hay bail to be mounted. A rough bout of races had done their number on this filly and she was beginning to get bored with the game of horse racing. Not something he exactly wanted to see in a horse who looked so promising at the beginning of the year. There was no denying it though, thus far Honorary had flopped in every test she'd been given against the best this season, and there was no way she was going to be ready for a red mile appearance if she didn't pick her game up soon. Of course there was no problem in just being a mediocre undercard horse, which maybe would be the only thing she would be. Only time would tell, however if she didn't pick it up soon Tanner's plans to retire the filly after her 3 year old season would become final and if that was the case, Honor's days at the track were numbered.
Dry Your Tears was doing the exact opposite of her stable mate. Aaron knew the filly had talent, and she was right. Thus far Tia had done no wrong this season she'd aced every test she'd been put to, beating out a huge name mare and one of Grayson Meadows favorite sprinters, Rules Of Passion. There was no mistaking, this filly could be good, she could be great even. She defiantly had the pedigree to go far and she definitely was hitting a dangerous improving streak that may just rival the likes of Passion Heart's. She was a single win from Grade Three Status and two grades away from Grade One, which was the final goal all season. Well hitting Grade One and winning as many HOTY races as humanly possible for her along with perhaps a Breeders' Cup race, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Hadley hopped onto one of her favorite mounts and Tia nibbled on her rubber snaffle.
Lucy on the other hand was doing as good as would be expected, she'd been running great all season only consistently losing to the likes of Ventura and Demonic Desires. Considering the mare was still getting back into form there was no telling of how she would preform once she finally hit her stride. However it didn't matter where this horse was, she was regarded as one of the best in the business and for good reason. "Lets get going guys," Andrew called back to Hadley and Alex, who were loving their horses up.
"Always the one to be a buzz kill," Alex smirked at Hadley who stuck her tongue out at Andrew when he wasn't looking.
Lucy was at the the head of the pack as the group made their way out onto the dirt. Honor had already lost her head and was prancing about, yanking down hard on her bit and throwing her head about wildly. Tia had taken up a light trot and had her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth, just happy to be able to go out to the track to stretch her legs out and to have a little fun with the thrill of the sport. Lucy was still in front of the other two though, keeping an easy trot. She was looking much better this season already. Her rounding back into top form was a great sign, and you could bet that you would see this mare back at the Breeders' Cup to defend her title as the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf champion. Her accomplishment last season was an incredible shock, she'd had such a horrible season due to injury and light racing but she still managed to charge past Innocent Passion to take the prestigious race. She hadn't even been in good form at all that season, so to see her charge down the stretch like that, well it was promising to say the least. At times it seemed the mare wasn't quite given the recognition she deserved, but nonetheless she would prove herself time and time again and eventually someone may take notice.
They were all warmed up quickly and loaded into the gates with little issues. By little issues we mean Honor refused to go into the gate upon first asking, but once she went in she put her game face on. The mighty Nebraska-bred was ready to give the worlds top bred a run for their money.
The gates burst open and Honor and Lucy broke out on top, the two quickly locked themselves into a speed dual with Hadley pushing Tia up on the outside of Honor's hip. She didn't want them to get too far ahead of the improving filly and she responded well to the pushing.
Honor had her ears pinned and pressed harder after Lucy, not letting the older mare get an easy lead. "Easy, easy" Alex called to the filly who began to tug even harder at her bit. She wanted to be blown out, she wanted to full out sprint and it was rather early for something like that. Tia was working her way up to the group and was soon off of Honor's withers, and pressing past the dueling grey and picking her fight with her half sister.
"It's a bit early don't you think?" Andrew called over to Hadley who just keep pushing Tia, knowing full well that she had a lot more horse under her.
They came into the final furlong and Andrew switched Lucy's lead and they exploded down the stretch, leaving the other two in her wake as she just kept running. Each stride was longer than the last and her hooves spent less and less time on the ground as she full out sprinted to the wire leaving the other two five lengths behind her.
Honorary wasn't far behind though and she was soon right next to Tia. Honor's nostrils flared, sucking in as much air as possible as she continued to pump her muscles faster and faster as they approached the final furlong. Tia and Jessie were hot in pursuit and Tia was already gaining ground on the dappled filly, but Honor managed to keep her lead. They were both painfully aware of each other, even though Honor had blinkers on she had what Alex referred to as a 6th sense. She seemed to always know where a horse was around her and even if she couldn't see Tia, she recognized that threat immediately and reserved herself from full out sprinting as they weren't quite done yet. Tia shot off of her back legs with her ears perked in excitement and Honor moved with her, they were head in head, neck in neck. Honor looked like she wanted to reach over and tear Tia's throat out, but she battled on. Alex let out her last notch of rein and Honor relished in her speed, she pushed off hard and it only took a stride for her to hurl her 16.3 hand body to a neck lead. Tia pushed back, and had her nose and then her head ahead of the mighty grey. They hit the finish line and they were still quarreling with each other past the wire, neither particularity willing to stop.
Dry Your Tears was doing the exact opposite of her stable mate. Aaron knew the filly had talent, and she was right. Thus far Tia had done no wrong this season she'd aced every test she'd been put to, beating out a huge name mare and one of Grayson Meadows favorite sprinters, Rules Of Passion. There was no mistaking, this filly could be good, she could be great even. She defiantly had the pedigree to go far and she definitely was hitting a dangerous improving streak that may just rival the likes of Passion Heart's. She was a single win from Grade Three Status and two grades away from Grade One, which was the final goal all season. Well hitting Grade One and winning as many HOTY races as humanly possible for her along with perhaps a Breeders' Cup race, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Hadley hopped onto one of her favorite mounts and Tia nibbled on her rubber snaffle.
Lucy on the other hand was doing as good as would be expected, she'd been running great all season only consistently losing to the likes of Ventura and Demonic Desires. Considering the mare was still getting back into form there was no telling of how she would preform once she finally hit her stride. However it didn't matter where this horse was, she was regarded as one of the best in the business and for good reason. "Lets get going guys," Andrew called back to Hadley and Alex, who were loving their horses up.
"Always the one to be a buzz kill," Alex smirked at Hadley who stuck her tongue out at Andrew when he wasn't looking.
Lucy was at the the head of the pack as the group made their way out onto the dirt. Honor had already lost her head and was prancing about, yanking down hard on her bit and throwing her head about wildly. Tia had taken up a light trot and had her tongue sticking out the side of her mouth, just happy to be able to go out to the track to stretch her legs out and to have a little fun with the thrill of the sport. Lucy was still in front of the other two though, keeping an easy trot. She was looking much better this season already. Her rounding back into top form was a great sign, and you could bet that you would see this mare back at the Breeders' Cup to defend her title as the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf champion. Her accomplishment last season was an incredible shock, she'd had such a horrible season due to injury and light racing but she still managed to charge past Innocent Passion to take the prestigious race. She hadn't even been in good form at all that season, so to see her charge down the stretch like that, well it was promising to say the least. At times it seemed the mare wasn't quite given the recognition she deserved, but nonetheless she would prove herself time and time again and eventually someone may take notice.
They were all warmed up quickly and loaded into the gates with little issues. By little issues we mean Honor refused to go into the gate upon first asking, but once she went in she put her game face on. The mighty Nebraska-bred was ready to give the worlds top bred a run for their money.
The gates burst open and Honor and Lucy broke out on top, the two quickly locked themselves into a speed dual with Hadley pushing Tia up on the outside of Honor's hip. She didn't want them to get too far ahead of the improving filly and she responded well to the pushing.
Honor had her ears pinned and pressed harder after Lucy, not letting the older mare get an easy lead. "Easy, easy" Alex called to the filly who began to tug even harder at her bit. She wanted to be blown out, she wanted to full out sprint and it was rather early for something like that. Tia was working her way up to the group and was soon off of Honor's withers, and pressing past the dueling grey and picking her fight with her half sister.
"It's a bit early don't you think?" Andrew called over to Hadley who just keep pushing Tia, knowing full well that she had a lot more horse under her.
They came into the final furlong and Andrew switched Lucy's lead and they exploded down the stretch, leaving the other two in her wake as she just kept running. Each stride was longer than the last and her hooves spent less and less time on the ground as she full out sprinted to the wire leaving the other two five lengths behind her.
Honorary wasn't far behind though and she was soon right next to Tia. Honor's nostrils flared, sucking in as much air as possible as she continued to pump her muscles faster and faster as they approached the final furlong. Tia and Jessie were hot in pursuit and Tia was already gaining ground on the dappled filly, but Honor managed to keep her lead. They were both painfully aware of each other, even though Honor had blinkers on she had what Alex referred to as a 6th sense. She seemed to always know where a horse was around her and even if she couldn't see Tia, she recognized that threat immediately and reserved herself from full out sprinting as they weren't quite done yet. Tia shot off of her back legs with her ears perked in excitement and Honor moved with her, they were head in head, neck in neck. Honor looked like she wanted to reach over and tear Tia's throat out, but she battled on. Alex let out her last notch of rein and Honor relished in her speed, she pushed off hard and it only took a stride for her to hurl her 16.3 hand body to a neck lead. Tia pushed back, and had her nose and then her head ahead of the mighty grey. They hit the finish line and they were still quarreling with each other past the wire, neither particularity willing to stop.