Summer Workouts
Workout Report Written For April
Workout Report Written For May
Workout Report Written For June
Workout Report Written For May
Workout Report Written For June
Step Off
The Apathy and Hadley Grayson
Tell Me A Fable and Jessie Coppermen
Tell Me A Fable and Jessie Coppermen
You sure look real pretty in your glass house
You probably think you’re too good to take the trash out Well, are you dumb or are you blind? Cause it’s a real fine line Between telling a joke and turning a knife Don’t wreck my reputation Let me wreck my own Step off, step off |
Yeah you’re getting too close to me
With all your negativity Just get lost Just tryna to make a little difference here So, why you gotta interfere? Just keep climbing that mountain of dirty tricks When you finally get to the top Step off, yeah |
One of Steve's number one rules had always been never give up on a horse until you absolutely know they aren't benefiting from anything you are doing with them. He had always said every horse was a puzzle that just needed to be solved, one that when all the pieces came into place and everything finally came together that they would truly shine. They'd done it before with the likes of Passion Heart, and The Apathy and Tell Me A Fable would be no exception.
Still a maiden, there wasn't much fixing needed with Abe, given time he would become a formidable horse to be around on the track. With only two starts, Abe was improving rapidly. But putting everything into consideration, Steve had decided with the crew that once Abe broke his maiden he wouldn't be running much, the colt needed some more time to grow and was likely to be a late bloomer.
On the other hand, The Apathy was a horse that needed some work. She was beautifully bred and could run the legs off of any horse around her if she could find her right stride. Comet was a challenge, so inconsistent and streaky that figuring exactly what to do with her was a bit.... well difficult. So recently they'd taken to trying her over the dirt instead of the turf, and much to their surprise, Comet rather liked the dirt. When she was out on the track running over it she looked like a little kid just out having fun. Her whole disposition shifted, she shone as bright as Sirius out on the track, she demanded the eyes of others around her and it was no secret that she was sitting on something big. It felt like they had had a large part of that puzzle finally solved.
Comet cantered down the track with Hadley wrestling with her for control, Comet had an awful habit of trying to take off if you weren't careful. As a matter of fact it was thought that Comet only had two gates, the walk and a full out gallop. Anything in between was impossible for her to keep a constant pace at, you say trot, she says canter. She was jumpy, and very hard mouthed. However, she didn't much like anyone else except for Hadley on her back.
So while Hadley battled with Comet, Abe and Jessie calmly followed behind. Abe had his moments, don't get me wrong, but he did a much better job of containing himself unlike Comet. Most of his energy was released during a workout or when he was turned out. He flicked his ears back and forth, taking everything about Grayson Meadows' training track in. Content with his surroundings, Abe began to get his game face on. Short and scrawny, Abe could keep pace with some of the swiftest older horses. His growing muscles rippled under his chestnut coat as Jessie pushed him into a controlled trot to start the warm up. He reminded Jessie so much of Tia and her rubble snaffle. Abe was kind hearted, and all in all gentle, you could probably put a kid on this horse and he would babysit them all day. After all he was the yearling that took the littlest amount to be broken, he didn't put up a single fuss. As a matter of fact, Abe never complained about anything; Comet on the other-hand, that was a story for another day.
So Comet continued her war with Comet, although she nearly had her totally under control. Comet was one of the horses that you could put someone on and you would receive the truth about how good their horsemanship was.
It was almost ridiculous how easily she ran though, how everything she did was so effortless. Poetry in motion. She was a fun horse to watch that was for sure, but when in a race situation she seemed to forget exactly what she was supposed to do. She'd get frazzled so Steve had put blinkers on her in hopes of improvement, and after a few trial runs, they were there to stay.
So the two continued their decent down the track, they wouldn't be using the gates today as neither really had an issue with them. They would be sprinting them for a nice four furlongs and breezing them for another two, after that a nice jog to build endurance was to take place. It was a rather intriguing plan, but it worked out nicely for their other runners.
Jessie pushed Abe into a easy jog and came up alongside Hadley and Comet. Comet tugged on the reins and Hadley held her back, they galloped along until the bright green and white pole came into view and as soon as they passed it all heck broke loose. Hadley kissed to Comet and she took off, well like a Comet. Abe sprinted after her, ears sticking straight up with his head held high, he looked like a kid playing tag.
The early morning summer sun danced on their coats with each powerful stride they made, Abe had caught up with Comet and snuck his nose out ahead of her, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that easily. She pushed, she poked at him, seeing just how much pressure she could apply before he would finally snap. However, Abe wasn't your typical front runner, he was a rather cool headed horse which irked Comet. Hadley quickly got Comet's attention away from Abe and back on her running, which she was doing nearly effortlessly. The ground she flew over a few seconds ago was forgotten, something of the past.
Abe led the charge into the final furlong of their work and both horses were going all out, Abe battled against Comet gamely, showing the true heart that he really did have. Comet's eyes were a furious fire, burning deeply inside of her and if she could, she'd burn a hole right through Abe. Her blue blinkers with two diagonal black stripes made her blaze pop that much more. Hopefully many would come to recognize that blaze in the near future.
Abe dug in next to Comet who shoved her way to the front, keeping her small elegant head ahead of Abe. Both of their powerful strides ate up the ground and they both battled each other well past the wire.
Still a maiden, there wasn't much fixing needed with Abe, given time he would become a formidable horse to be around on the track. With only two starts, Abe was improving rapidly. But putting everything into consideration, Steve had decided with the crew that once Abe broke his maiden he wouldn't be running much, the colt needed some more time to grow and was likely to be a late bloomer.
On the other hand, The Apathy was a horse that needed some work. She was beautifully bred and could run the legs off of any horse around her if she could find her right stride. Comet was a challenge, so inconsistent and streaky that figuring exactly what to do with her was a bit.... well difficult. So recently they'd taken to trying her over the dirt instead of the turf, and much to their surprise, Comet rather liked the dirt. When she was out on the track running over it she looked like a little kid just out having fun. Her whole disposition shifted, she shone as bright as Sirius out on the track, she demanded the eyes of others around her and it was no secret that she was sitting on something big. It felt like they had had a large part of that puzzle finally solved.
Comet cantered down the track with Hadley wrestling with her for control, Comet had an awful habit of trying to take off if you weren't careful. As a matter of fact it was thought that Comet only had two gates, the walk and a full out gallop. Anything in between was impossible for her to keep a constant pace at, you say trot, she says canter. She was jumpy, and very hard mouthed. However, she didn't much like anyone else except for Hadley on her back.
So while Hadley battled with Comet, Abe and Jessie calmly followed behind. Abe had his moments, don't get me wrong, but he did a much better job of containing himself unlike Comet. Most of his energy was released during a workout or when he was turned out. He flicked his ears back and forth, taking everything about Grayson Meadows' training track in. Content with his surroundings, Abe began to get his game face on. Short and scrawny, Abe could keep pace with some of the swiftest older horses. His growing muscles rippled under his chestnut coat as Jessie pushed him into a controlled trot to start the warm up. He reminded Jessie so much of Tia and her rubble snaffle. Abe was kind hearted, and all in all gentle, you could probably put a kid on this horse and he would babysit them all day. After all he was the yearling that took the littlest amount to be broken, he didn't put up a single fuss. As a matter of fact, Abe never complained about anything; Comet on the other-hand, that was a story for another day.
So Comet continued her war with Comet, although she nearly had her totally under control. Comet was one of the horses that you could put someone on and you would receive the truth about how good their horsemanship was.
It was almost ridiculous how easily she ran though, how everything she did was so effortless. Poetry in motion. She was a fun horse to watch that was for sure, but when in a race situation she seemed to forget exactly what she was supposed to do. She'd get frazzled so Steve had put blinkers on her in hopes of improvement, and after a few trial runs, they were there to stay.
So the two continued their decent down the track, they wouldn't be using the gates today as neither really had an issue with them. They would be sprinting them for a nice four furlongs and breezing them for another two, after that a nice jog to build endurance was to take place. It was a rather intriguing plan, but it worked out nicely for their other runners.
Jessie pushed Abe into a easy jog and came up alongside Hadley and Comet. Comet tugged on the reins and Hadley held her back, they galloped along until the bright green and white pole came into view and as soon as they passed it all heck broke loose. Hadley kissed to Comet and she took off, well like a Comet. Abe sprinted after her, ears sticking straight up with his head held high, he looked like a kid playing tag.
The early morning summer sun danced on their coats with each powerful stride they made, Abe had caught up with Comet and snuck his nose out ahead of her, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that easily. She pushed, she poked at him, seeing just how much pressure she could apply before he would finally snap. However, Abe wasn't your typical front runner, he was a rather cool headed horse which irked Comet. Hadley quickly got Comet's attention away from Abe and back on her running, which she was doing nearly effortlessly. The ground she flew over a few seconds ago was forgotten, something of the past.
Abe led the charge into the final furlong of their work and both horses were going all out, Abe battled against Comet gamely, showing the true heart that he really did have. Comet's eyes were a furious fire, burning deeply inside of her and if she could, she'd burn a hole right through Abe. Her blue blinkers with two diagonal black stripes made her blaze pop that much more. Hopefully many would come to recognize that blaze in the near future.
Abe dug in next to Comet who shoved her way to the front, keeping her small elegant head ahead of Abe. Both of their powerful strides ate up the ground and they both battled each other well past the wire.
Undermine
Dare To Impress and Alex Shade
Take Flight and Andrew Martin
Take Flight and Andrew Martin
Sam glared up at Imp. If Imp had toes, he would have been stepping on them, just to give you an idea of how close he was to her. Imp stood with her neck arched and her forehead just millimeters away from brushing his, and on the floor next to them was a blue bucket that had obviously been spilled and by the look in Sam's eyes, it wasn't him who spilled it.
Imp, as a lot of horses around the barn had an inability to stand still, so when she'd finally gotten bored enough with pacing she'd stuck her leg out of her stall into a nearby water bucket and spilled it all over the floor. Yes, even the most successful and well-known horses make mistakes. That was the story of Imp's life essentially, she'd just missed winning the Turf Triple Crown then she fell out of favor, running constant thirds against the top older horses of the turf routing division. She than won the Dubai Fillies Cup in a dazzling display of heart and followed that up with another gritty victory against stable-mate Passion Heart in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Imp appeared to be on top of the world again, but again she seemed to slip. And everyone was talking like she was done, that her final win would be the last race of her life. She was the inconsistent daughter of a Triple Crown Winner who couldn't finish off a triple crown of her own and flopped when she finally looked to be gaining some ground. That was exactly what everyone else had been saying, and if they weren't saying it, they were certainly thinking it. Except they couldn't have been more wrong about the passionate mare. Sure her career was littered with dead last finishes and disappointments, but if anyone thought that a race record was actually the most important thing about a horse they couldn't be more wrong. What was the most important about a horse was their attitude, their will to run, their will to cross that finish line weather it be in first or last. That's how it was, and that's how it would always be.
So even if Imp had just ran some of the worst races of her life in the last month, it didn't mean she was over. It didn't mean that she'd continue to be belittled by horses that she shouldn't be losing to for the rest of her life. It was a mild slump and they were going to get her out of it just as they had before. Although selling the mare had been thought of, but that would be giving up, giving in. Letting what everyone else wanted or wished they would do, but they weren't doing that. It was far too easy to do that, and with the way this mare demanded the spotlight to be on her, she still had plenty of run left in her. Imp was a horse of many faults but no single horse is perfect. Giving up would be letting others undermine her, and it was a great deal harder to allow her to fully shine but they would get her there again and she would come back in the Breeders' Cup just as strong as she had the previous year and she would defend her title in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. That was what was going to happen, and no one was going to talk them into selling or retiring her. It wasn't fair to Imp if they kept listening to what everyone else was saying, it only made things worse and slowed everything down. So, any comment about the mare was to be dismissed.
A few stalls down, Fly stood while being tacked with Steve's hat in his mouth. He was in that same deliemma, not currently, but he did have a similar problem a few weeks ago. He was rounding into phenomenal form and looked to be the best classic turf router of his division at the moment. His record was littered with dead last disappointing finishes that at the time made little sense, but he more than made up for them in his last few races. He was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner for a reason and he was going to prove that again, he was the cream of his crop. The best of the best. Not to jinx him, but he did rather like longer distances and was very proven over them. Of course he was bred to be a champion, he just needed a guiding hand to get him through those rough races. He normally didn't preform as well in the 9 furlong races but recently he'd proved himself a gutsy horse and got his nose down on that wire in first over a distance just a few short months before that team GM had been told he didn't preform his best over. Which, looking at his results, it was true. Fly had the pedigree and the heart of a champion and that was what won him the West Virginia Derby and it was what was going to win him a Turf Triple Crown jewel if he kept it up.
He'd been a challenging puzzle to solve, but they had him almost completely solved and it showed, he was faster, stronger. As a matter of fact, Fly was two wins shy from being Grade One, he was far ahead of all of his foes going into the Turf Triple Crown and it scared a lot of the staff members at GM but it excited them all at the same time. He was something special, really special and he was on top of the world but it would take only a single race to stop that and put him back down in a slump. Of course it was their job to keep him up on top of the world and thats exactly what they all intended to do. Of course it was a whole lot harder to shine than to undermine a horse.
The two were quickly tacked and soon were out on the track. Imp was flexing her shoulder and butt muscles as if to intimidate Fly, however the younger colt wasn't phased. As a matter of fact, he walked with his head held high kicking his hind end this way and that to show off for those watching that morning. The track reeked of champions, they practically had auras with bright neon signs saying 'champion' on them. They just had that look about them and whenever they were on the track together you knew you were going to see something good. These two would take your breath away.
They quickly finished warming up and they lined the two up together, Imp on the inside, Fly on the outside. They broke off at an easy canter and before they knew it they were sprinting the turf track. Imp pressed hard from the inside to keep Fly going in hopes to tire the colt out, but he had fitness circled in a big fat red marker and there was no way he was going to break. So they pressed on at breakneck speed, Imp stuck her nose out ahead of Fly and he battled right back at her. They fought like a the real rivals that they really where. They never met on the track in an actual race; but when they were workmates, well, all bets where off. It was an absolute war zone. They looked like they wanted to burn holes through each other, like they wanted to rip each others throats out. It looked like they hated each other, their intense concentration on beating each other was insane. They where quite the dynamic duo.
They flew past the wire in a quick fashion with Imp winning by a head bob. Fly obviously wasn't satisfied and Imp wanted to make her point that she was indeed the better horse so she kept running at him even in their run down.
Imp, as a lot of horses around the barn had an inability to stand still, so when she'd finally gotten bored enough with pacing she'd stuck her leg out of her stall into a nearby water bucket and spilled it all over the floor. Yes, even the most successful and well-known horses make mistakes. That was the story of Imp's life essentially, she'd just missed winning the Turf Triple Crown then she fell out of favor, running constant thirds against the top older horses of the turf routing division. She than won the Dubai Fillies Cup in a dazzling display of heart and followed that up with another gritty victory against stable-mate Passion Heart in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. Imp appeared to be on top of the world again, but again she seemed to slip. And everyone was talking like she was done, that her final win would be the last race of her life. She was the inconsistent daughter of a Triple Crown Winner who couldn't finish off a triple crown of her own and flopped when she finally looked to be gaining some ground. That was exactly what everyone else had been saying, and if they weren't saying it, they were certainly thinking it. Except they couldn't have been more wrong about the passionate mare. Sure her career was littered with dead last finishes and disappointments, but if anyone thought that a race record was actually the most important thing about a horse they couldn't be more wrong. What was the most important about a horse was their attitude, their will to run, their will to cross that finish line weather it be in first or last. That's how it was, and that's how it would always be.
So even if Imp had just ran some of the worst races of her life in the last month, it didn't mean she was over. It didn't mean that she'd continue to be belittled by horses that she shouldn't be losing to for the rest of her life. It was a mild slump and they were going to get her out of it just as they had before. Although selling the mare had been thought of, but that would be giving up, giving in. Letting what everyone else wanted or wished they would do, but they weren't doing that. It was far too easy to do that, and with the way this mare demanded the spotlight to be on her, she still had plenty of run left in her. Imp was a horse of many faults but no single horse is perfect. Giving up would be letting others undermine her, and it was a great deal harder to allow her to fully shine but they would get her there again and she would come back in the Breeders' Cup just as strong as she had the previous year and she would defend her title in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. That was what was going to happen, and no one was going to talk them into selling or retiring her. It wasn't fair to Imp if they kept listening to what everyone else was saying, it only made things worse and slowed everything down. So, any comment about the mare was to be dismissed.
A few stalls down, Fly stood while being tacked with Steve's hat in his mouth. He was in that same deliemma, not currently, but he did have a similar problem a few weeks ago. He was rounding into phenomenal form and looked to be the best classic turf router of his division at the moment. His record was littered with dead last disappointing finishes that at the time made little sense, but he more than made up for them in his last few races. He was the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf winner for a reason and he was going to prove that again, he was the cream of his crop. The best of the best. Not to jinx him, but he did rather like longer distances and was very proven over them. Of course he was bred to be a champion, he just needed a guiding hand to get him through those rough races. He normally didn't preform as well in the 9 furlong races but recently he'd proved himself a gutsy horse and got his nose down on that wire in first over a distance just a few short months before that team GM had been told he didn't preform his best over. Which, looking at his results, it was true. Fly had the pedigree and the heart of a champion and that was what won him the West Virginia Derby and it was what was going to win him a Turf Triple Crown jewel if he kept it up.
He'd been a challenging puzzle to solve, but they had him almost completely solved and it showed, he was faster, stronger. As a matter of fact, Fly was two wins shy from being Grade One, he was far ahead of all of his foes going into the Turf Triple Crown and it scared a lot of the staff members at GM but it excited them all at the same time. He was something special, really special and he was on top of the world but it would take only a single race to stop that and put him back down in a slump. Of course it was their job to keep him up on top of the world and thats exactly what they all intended to do. Of course it was a whole lot harder to shine than to undermine a horse.
The two were quickly tacked and soon were out on the track. Imp was flexing her shoulder and butt muscles as if to intimidate Fly, however the younger colt wasn't phased. As a matter of fact, he walked with his head held high kicking his hind end this way and that to show off for those watching that morning. The track reeked of champions, they practically had auras with bright neon signs saying 'champion' on them. They just had that look about them and whenever they were on the track together you knew you were going to see something good. These two would take your breath away.
They quickly finished warming up and they lined the two up together, Imp on the inside, Fly on the outside. They broke off at an easy canter and before they knew it they were sprinting the turf track. Imp pressed hard from the inside to keep Fly going in hopes to tire the colt out, but he had fitness circled in a big fat red marker and there was no way he was going to break. So they pressed on at breakneck speed, Imp stuck her nose out ahead of Fly and he battled right back at her. They fought like a the real rivals that they really where. They never met on the track in an actual race; but when they were workmates, well, all bets where off. It was an absolute war zone. They looked like they wanted to burn holes through each other, like they wanted to rip each others throats out. It looked like they hated each other, their intense concentration on beating each other was insane. They where quite the dynamic duo.
They flew past the wire in a quick fashion with Imp winning by a head bob. Fly obviously wasn't satisfied and Imp wanted to make her point that she was indeed the better horse so she kept running at him even in their run down.
Not Alone
Passion Heart and Andrew Martin
Your heart is full of broken dreams
Just a fading memory And everything's gone but the pain carries on Lost in the rain again When will it ever end? The arms of relief seem so out of reach |
But I, I am here
I am with you I will carry you through it all I won't leave you, I will catch you When you feel like letting go 'Cause you're not, you're not alone |
Her nick name was something totally innocent, something kind, Ally. She came to Grayson Meadows with it and when they pulled her off of the van to be brought into the barn for her first look around and she shot Steve and Andrew those hateful glares with her dark eyes and began rearing and kicking her hind legs out in the air, we had just assumed she was having a hard time adjusting. Well, weeks turned into months and her attitude didn't change. Really her nick name should have been The Demon Horse, which is what she'd been dubbed by Hadley and Jessie.
Ally wasn't one of those horses that was loving nor caring. She didn't care for a lot of human contact and she hated the world, or at least it seemed like that. Which, at the time was perfectly fine as she was purchased as a broodmare prospect that we'd decided could have a final year on the track. She was G5 with 9 out of money finishes and her workouts were.... well, not good. Ally was a horse with so much pent up anger towards the people around her and herself that she wasn't focused. Ally hated going out to the track and after a few nearly disastrous problems with the gates during workouts the question to retire her was poised. Then she ran in the Summer Cup Grade Five Turf, the race that changed Ally's life for the better. Everything clicked into place and she followed that up with win after win after win. She became obsessed, perhaps not exactly the healthy kind of obsession either. She hated losing, she hated being undermined, beaten. It wasn't acceptable to Ally and her transformation form last year to this year was.... well it was incredible. Although she was still a rough animal to handle and her ability to get irritated hadn't changed at all, she was different. Ally had more energy, she definitely had a larger will to run. Ally was a transformed horse, although somewhat muscled when she came to Grayson Meadows, she now looked like a body builder.
Ally's transformation from last April was one for the ages, and her story certainly wouldn't be forgotten soon either. Now eleven out of money finishes and she was still the battle tested horse that refused to give up. She had an undying passion for the track that couldn't be missed when she ran. It was hard to imagine that just a year ago she was a terrified, angry animal that wanted nothing more than to torment her handlers. Although she still lived for that, she found herself a life long friend in a man by the name of Andrew Martin.
Seeing their bond wasn't always the easiest thing, considering he got launched from her about once or twice a week and she still acted rather cold towards him, but it was her way of showing love perhaps. However, Andrew was much like the mare he didn't have a great start on the tracks, but out of the blue, suddenly he did. He won races right and left and then came to Green Horse Fields from Fonner park and was exposed to a whole new level of horse racing, his first few months had been rough, but it didn't take long before he was back to his winning ways. Andrew had a passion for the sport of horse racing that outdid most horses, but it matched Passion Heart's perfectly. He wanted to win just as much as she did and he always did his best to get her to that wire in first place uninjured.
Ally was a rather independent spirit and rarely relied on anyone for help or looked to anyone for guidance, and her first few months were rough because of that. She was a pain to work, and it wasn't uncommon for her to rear up or throw her hind legs out mid-way through a work because she would have rather done everything by herself. So when Andrew took a hold of her and started to pilot or hold her back she retaliated in the only way she knew how, she dumped him or threw a huge fit mid-way through her work. She was that disaster horse that everyone who had looked at her while she was working said it was best she was retired and bred, but Steve didn't listen and looking at her now, that was the right choice. It had taken time to gain Ally's trust, and the bound between Ally and Andrew may not have been something that was actually visible on the outside, but it could be seen when they went out on the track and ran their morning work.You could see how the mare trusted Andrew to do his best and guide her to the best of his ability, she learned to rely and trust him. Their bond wasn't spoken through physical affection, it was through silence. Andrew had turned this mare into something incredible and all he did was put up with being dumped every time he was on her, her tantrums, and her fatal flaws. He taught her that she was never alone when he was around, when he was around it was okay to lean on someone, trust someone, depend on them. He taught her what hope was, and maybe she taught him a little too.She taught him that it's never too late to do something incredible, and she taught him the true meaning of heart and grit. Although if Ally could talk, she would likely never admit it, but she tried to win for Andrew not just herself.
Ally had changed, and for the better. No one could deny how quickly she was gaining class and becoming a larger threat with every race she ran. Ally was one of those horses that would make a huge dent in her division in the short time she had left on the track. Andrew had said several times over that he truly believed this mare believed that when she was running her problems, all of her anger, it couldn't catch her. He also swore up and down that Ally knew that her days on the track were numbered, so she always put forth her best effort and tried that much harder to prove herself. In all reality she'd made Andrew the happiest jockey in the world just because of who she was, and how much progress she'd made in a short amount of time. He would do it all over again if he had the chance, really he looked back at their time together and he didn't regret any of it.
She stepped onto the turf track in the early morning, the sun was illuminating the track with a pink-orange glow. It had frozen the night before, given it was Nebraska so the likelihood of it freezing was much higher than if you were in say California. Wisps of vapor came from Ally and Andrew's noses, they breathed together. Ally occasionally decided she wasn't moving quick enough and pinned her ears when Andrew told her her pace was quick enough. What they had in store for the underdog mare was a nice and easy five furlong work over the turf with a five furlong run-down. Of course knowing Ally she was going to try and make it a ten furlong work with a ten furlong rundown, but of course, Andrew wouldn't it to go that far.
Ally may have needed major gate work but Andrew dismissed using the gates that early because no one was there to operate them. So they broke off at a nice jog and when the green and white pole came into view he gave Ally her head and she went straight for it. Ally was alive beneath him, her endless energy carried her legs faster and faster. Anyone who said she was slowly declining obviously hadn't seen her work. She propelled her sleek black body across the turf with such power and grace that she demanded the eyes of anyone who could see her. She looked menacing, like the true champion she was meant to be. She was a short two wins away from grabbing that G1 title and with how she currently was working, a few starts in the undercards and she'd have that title in the bag in no time.
They continued their decent through the final turn and onto the homestretch where Ally found another gear and kicked it up a notch. She flew with such a purpose and looked to be sprouting invisible wings. Andrew pressed her on and she responded, she didn't need any extra encouragement, which is why Andrew didn't even bring a whip with him, he just hand rode her all the way down to the wire. He didn't need a watch to know that it was solid and fast work. He patted Ally on the neck and they continued into their rundown.
Ally wasn't one of those horses that was loving nor caring. She didn't care for a lot of human contact and she hated the world, or at least it seemed like that. Which, at the time was perfectly fine as she was purchased as a broodmare prospect that we'd decided could have a final year on the track. She was G5 with 9 out of money finishes and her workouts were.... well, not good. Ally was a horse with so much pent up anger towards the people around her and herself that she wasn't focused. Ally hated going out to the track and after a few nearly disastrous problems with the gates during workouts the question to retire her was poised. Then she ran in the Summer Cup Grade Five Turf, the race that changed Ally's life for the better. Everything clicked into place and she followed that up with win after win after win. She became obsessed, perhaps not exactly the healthy kind of obsession either. She hated losing, she hated being undermined, beaten. It wasn't acceptable to Ally and her transformation form last year to this year was.... well it was incredible. Although she was still a rough animal to handle and her ability to get irritated hadn't changed at all, she was different. Ally had more energy, she definitely had a larger will to run. Ally was a transformed horse, although somewhat muscled when she came to Grayson Meadows, she now looked like a body builder.
Ally's transformation from last April was one for the ages, and her story certainly wouldn't be forgotten soon either. Now eleven out of money finishes and she was still the battle tested horse that refused to give up. She had an undying passion for the track that couldn't be missed when she ran. It was hard to imagine that just a year ago she was a terrified, angry animal that wanted nothing more than to torment her handlers. Although she still lived for that, she found herself a life long friend in a man by the name of Andrew Martin.
Seeing their bond wasn't always the easiest thing, considering he got launched from her about once or twice a week and she still acted rather cold towards him, but it was her way of showing love perhaps. However, Andrew was much like the mare he didn't have a great start on the tracks, but out of the blue, suddenly he did. He won races right and left and then came to Green Horse Fields from Fonner park and was exposed to a whole new level of horse racing, his first few months had been rough, but it didn't take long before he was back to his winning ways. Andrew had a passion for the sport of horse racing that outdid most horses, but it matched Passion Heart's perfectly. He wanted to win just as much as she did and he always did his best to get her to that wire in first place uninjured.
Ally was a rather independent spirit and rarely relied on anyone for help or looked to anyone for guidance, and her first few months were rough because of that. She was a pain to work, and it wasn't uncommon for her to rear up or throw her hind legs out mid-way through a work because she would have rather done everything by herself. So when Andrew took a hold of her and started to pilot or hold her back she retaliated in the only way she knew how, she dumped him or threw a huge fit mid-way through her work. She was that disaster horse that everyone who had looked at her while she was working said it was best she was retired and bred, but Steve didn't listen and looking at her now, that was the right choice. It had taken time to gain Ally's trust, and the bound between Ally and Andrew may not have been something that was actually visible on the outside, but it could be seen when they went out on the track and ran their morning work.You could see how the mare trusted Andrew to do his best and guide her to the best of his ability, she learned to rely and trust him. Their bond wasn't spoken through physical affection, it was through silence. Andrew had turned this mare into something incredible and all he did was put up with being dumped every time he was on her, her tantrums, and her fatal flaws. He taught her that she was never alone when he was around, when he was around it was okay to lean on someone, trust someone, depend on them. He taught her what hope was, and maybe she taught him a little too.She taught him that it's never too late to do something incredible, and she taught him the true meaning of heart and grit. Although if Ally could talk, she would likely never admit it, but she tried to win for Andrew not just herself.
Ally had changed, and for the better. No one could deny how quickly she was gaining class and becoming a larger threat with every race she ran. Ally was one of those horses that would make a huge dent in her division in the short time she had left on the track. Andrew had said several times over that he truly believed this mare believed that when she was running her problems, all of her anger, it couldn't catch her. He also swore up and down that Ally knew that her days on the track were numbered, so she always put forth her best effort and tried that much harder to prove herself. In all reality she'd made Andrew the happiest jockey in the world just because of who she was, and how much progress she'd made in a short amount of time. He would do it all over again if he had the chance, really he looked back at their time together and he didn't regret any of it.
She stepped onto the turf track in the early morning, the sun was illuminating the track with a pink-orange glow. It had frozen the night before, given it was Nebraska so the likelihood of it freezing was much higher than if you were in say California. Wisps of vapor came from Ally and Andrew's noses, they breathed together. Ally occasionally decided she wasn't moving quick enough and pinned her ears when Andrew told her her pace was quick enough. What they had in store for the underdog mare was a nice and easy five furlong work over the turf with a five furlong run-down. Of course knowing Ally she was going to try and make it a ten furlong work with a ten furlong rundown, but of course, Andrew wouldn't it to go that far.
Ally may have needed major gate work but Andrew dismissed using the gates that early because no one was there to operate them. So they broke off at a nice jog and when the green and white pole came into view he gave Ally her head and she went straight for it. Ally was alive beneath him, her endless energy carried her legs faster and faster. Anyone who said she was slowly declining obviously hadn't seen her work. She propelled her sleek black body across the turf with such power and grace that she demanded the eyes of anyone who could see her. She looked menacing, like the true champion she was meant to be. She was a short two wins away from grabbing that G1 title and with how she currently was working, a few starts in the undercards and she'd have that title in the bag in no time.
They continued their decent through the final turn and onto the homestretch where Ally found another gear and kicked it up a notch. She flew with such a purpose and looked to be sprouting invisible wings. Andrew pressed her on and she responded, she didn't need any extra encouragement, which is why Andrew didn't even bring a whip with him, he just hand rode her all the way down to the wire. He didn't need a watch to know that it was solid and fast work. He patted Ally on the neck and they continued into their rundown.
I'm Not Over
Call Me Crooked and Alex Shade
Tears Of An Angel and Andrew Martin
Tears Of An Angel and Andrew Martin
I'm not over
I'm not over you just yet
Cannot hide it
You're not that easy to forget
I'm not over
I'm not over you just yet
Cannot hide it
You're not that easy to forget
I'm not over
Crook squealed with delight as Alex finished tightening her cinch for the final time. Lucy was attempting to rub her nylon bridle on wall but she couldn't quite reach it with the cross ties she was in. Doing works at home did have many perks.
This would be one of the first times Crook and Lucy were going to work together and least to say it was highly anticipated. Lucy was a classy mare and no matter how gloomy her season looked on paper, she always was there to pull through with an upset, her win in the Breeders' Cup proved that. Crook on the other had was just as classy, she narrowly missed a Breeders' Cup win and she'd already lost to Athena's Desires once this season. However, it was going to be different now. Crook was still improving, she was incredibly fast and their next match up wouldn't be met with Crook getting nosed out again. Crook already rattled off two wins this season and she was approaching G1 status very quickly. Aaron had yet to decide exactly where Crook was going to be pointed to, either the Turf Triple Sprinter Crown or the Tiara. She wasn't in a hurry to decide though, Crook would tell her were to send her.
Lucy had one goal this season: make up for last season. Which meant hitting as many Horse Of The Year races as possible. She'd done just that but only managed to snag one horse of the year race. Her 4th place finish in the Test Stakes* was very disappointing but it was a small blunder, not something she couldn't recover from. After all, she was still getting back into her peak form, and when she finally hit her stride Lucy would be a serious force to be reckoned with.
Both horses had a little ground to make up, but both were perfectly capable of making it there. They weren't both the best of their crop for no reason.
Crook impatiently pawed at the floor and took steps forwards and backwards to see how far she could push the cross ties. Her hoof struck the ground repeatedly and she was shocked by a brush that came flying through the air and past her. Alex smirked as Crook hopped to the side and looked down at the curry comb behind her with a look of wonderment on her face. Obviously she hadn't had much thrown at her in her lifetime and was rather shocked that Alex had the guts to throw something at her.
"Alex quit dinking around," Andrew growled hopping up on Lucy's short back. She was a rather small horse, but she had the short back and well muscled shoulders that marked a sprinter. Bulging muscles rippled under her chestnut coat as she made her way out onto the track.
Both horses had something to prove this season, the expectations were high and the pressure to make this season their best was even higher, but Aaron Evertt was more than positive that these horses were more than capable of making that a reality. They weren't perfect by any means, but they were always striving for perfection, which is what made both of them such a pleasure to work with.
Alex hopped onto Crook's back while she walked forwards and bobbed her white blaze up and down, making it far more exaggerated than was necessary. She nipped at Lucy's hide and was met with a sharp smack to the neck. Leave it to Crook to be the juvenile delinquent. She was a horse possessed, her eyes budged with excitement and her hide twitched with every little brush or movement she made. Crook craved the track, she longed for it. Alex could tell by the way she moved beneath him she was about to blow this workout out of the water. While not level headed and professional looking Crook was a horse that wasn't to be ignored. She demanded attention of those around her.
Lucy had always been a well known horse right from the first day she stepped onto the track. She had a very solid two year old season, as a matter of fact she'd made it to G2 in her two year old season. In terms of record similarity, she was nearly identical to Crook in her two year old season. But she didn't stop there, Lucy followed that up with a dominant three year old season. Last season had been something of a let down, Lucy was sold off several times before settling in at Grayson Meadows, and a injury early in the season seemed to hamper her for the rest of the year. It was considered basically unrecoverable by many, but then she did something that shocked everyone. Lucy beat out Innocent Passion to win the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Sprint and her not-so-great four year old season turned into a what could have been? Thus, the mare hadn't been retired. She wasn't a Breeders' Cup champion for no reason, and this season she was going to prove exactly what she could do.
They quickly warmed the two up and were soon off to an easy jog. They'd been scheduled for a five furlong work over the turf at Grayson Meadows' new training track. Aaron expected a bullet work from these two as they got far to competitive with each other in the stretch.
The green and white pole marking the start of the work passed and the two took off, Lucy kept her head ahead of Crook and they went at each other intensely. Crook was going straight for the jugular, she wasn't letting Lucy get away with an easy lead. Lucy excepted the challenge gladly, it was as if she knew the bay filly next to her was a very classy horse worthy of her company. Their legs covered massive amounts of ground and threw up turf behind them as they continued their head-in-head battle. Ears pricked, nostrils flared, neither was willing to yield to the other and they were absolutely relentless. Crook would bombard Lucy, sprinting at her for a moment and then backing off before sprinting at her again. It was like she wanted to see just how far she could push Lucy before she broke. It was that drive the two of them had that made them stand out so much and it was what proved that the two of them were not over, and were more than ready to smash anyone who decided to run at them. Lucy handled Crook's assaults like the veteran that she was and kept her small lead as they came into the stretch, but she didn't count on Crook having the energy to outrun her.
Crook fired on her own terms though, and Alex's encouragement only made her that much more determined to outrun Lucy. They hooked up before Crook finally got the edge, first it was a nose, then half a head, then a head. They hit the wire and with Crook the winner. It was a shock to many, but one thing was for sure, both of them were ready for whatever was thrown at them, and they weren't over yet.
This would be one of the first times Crook and Lucy were going to work together and least to say it was highly anticipated. Lucy was a classy mare and no matter how gloomy her season looked on paper, she always was there to pull through with an upset, her win in the Breeders' Cup proved that. Crook on the other had was just as classy, she narrowly missed a Breeders' Cup win and she'd already lost to Athena's Desires once this season. However, it was going to be different now. Crook was still improving, she was incredibly fast and their next match up wouldn't be met with Crook getting nosed out again. Crook already rattled off two wins this season and she was approaching G1 status very quickly. Aaron had yet to decide exactly where Crook was going to be pointed to, either the Turf Triple Sprinter Crown or the Tiara. She wasn't in a hurry to decide though, Crook would tell her were to send her.
Lucy had one goal this season: make up for last season. Which meant hitting as many Horse Of The Year races as possible. She'd done just that but only managed to snag one horse of the year race. Her 4th place finish in the Test Stakes* was very disappointing but it was a small blunder, not something she couldn't recover from. After all, she was still getting back into her peak form, and when she finally hit her stride Lucy would be a serious force to be reckoned with.
Both horses had a little ground to make up, but both were perfectly capable of making it there. They weren't both the best of their crop for no reason.
Crook impatiently pawed at the floor and took steps forwards and backwards to see how far she could push the cross ties. Her hoof struck the ground repeatedly and she was shocked by a brush that came flying through the air and past her. Alex smirked as Crook hopped to the side and looked down at the curry comb behind her with a look of wonderment on her face. Obviously she hadn't had much thrown at her in her lifetime and was rather shocked that Alex had the guts to throw something at her.
"Alex quit dinking around," Andrew growled hopping up on Lucy's short back. She was a rather small horse, but she had the short back and well muscled shoulders that marked a sprinter. Bulging muscles rippled under her chestnut coat as she made her way out onto the track.
Both horses had something to prove this season, the expectations were high and the pressure to make this season their best was even higher, but Aaron Evertt was more than positive that these horses were more than capable of making that a reality. They weren't perfect by any means, but they were always striving for perfection, which is what made both of them such a pleasure to work with.
Alex hopped onto Crook's back while she walked forwards and bobbed her white blaze up and down, making it far more exaggerated than was necessary. She nipped at Lucy's hide and was met with a sharp smack to the neck. Leave it to Crook to be the juvenile delinquent. She was a horse possessed, her eyes budged with excitement and her hide twitched with every little brush or movement she made. Crook craved the track, she longed for it. Alex could tell by the way she moved beneath him she was about to blow this workout out of the water. While not level headed and professional looking Crook was a horse that wasn't to be ignored. She demanded attention of those around her.
Lucy had always been a well known horse right from the first day she stepped onto the track. She had a very solid two year old season, as a matter of fact she'd made it to G2 in her two year old season. In terms of record similarity, she was nearly identical to Crook in her two year old season. But she didn't stop there, Lucy followed that up with a dominant three year old season. Last season had been something of a let down, Lucy was sold off several times before settling in at Grayson Meadows, and a injury early in the season seemed to hamper her for the rest of the year. It was considered basically unrecoverable by many, but then she did something that shocked everyone. Lucy beat out Innocent Passion to win the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf Sprint and her not-so-great four year old season turned into a what could have been? Thus, the mare hadn't been retired. She wasn't a Breeders' Cup champion for no reason, and this season she was going to prove exactly what she could do.
They quickly warmed the two up and were soon off to an easy jog. They'd been scheduled for a five furlong work over the turf at Grayson Meadows' new training track. Aaron expected a bullet work from these two as they got far to competitive with each other in the stretch.
The green and white pole marking the start of the work passed and the two took off, Lucy kept her head ahead of Crook and they went at each other intensely. Crook was going straight for the jugular, she wasn't letting Lucy get away with an easy lead. Lucy excepted the challenge gladly, it was as if she knew the bay filly next to her was a very classy horse worthy of her company. Their legs covered massive amounts of ground and threw up turf behind them as they continued their head-in-head battle. Ears pricked, nostrils flared, neither was willing to yield to the other and they were absolutely relentless. Crook would bombard Lucy, sprinting at her for a moment and then backing off before sprinting at her again. It was like she wanted to see just how far she could push Lucy before she broke. It was that drive the two of them had that made them stand out so much and it was what proved that the two of them were not over, and were more than ready to smash anyone who decided to run at them. Lucy handled Crook's assaults like the veteran that she was and kept her small lead as they came into the stretch, but she didn't count on Crook having the energy to outrun her.
Crook fired on her own terms though, and Alex's encouragement only made her that much more determined to outrun Lucy. They hooked up before Crook finally got the edge, first it was a nose, then half a head, then a head. They hit the wire and with Crook the winner. It was a shock to many, but one thing was for sure, both of them were ready for whatever was thrown at them, and they weren't over yet.
Superheros
Honorary and Alex Shade
Dry Your Tears and Jessie Coppermen
Dry Your Tears and Jessie Coppermen
Now she's stronger than you know
A heart of steel starts to grow
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
A heart of steel starts to grow
When you've been fighting for it all your life
You've been struggling to make things right
That's how a superhero learns to fly
(Every day, every hour
Turn the pain into power)
There were several reasons as to why Tia and Honor were put in work together, however the one that topped the list was the twos incredible talent and desire to run. Tia was the daughter of Cryin' Out Loud and twin to an already successful brother in Tears No More. She had talent to burn and an attitude that was a rare find amongst Grayson Meadows' racing stock. Although high-strung as most thoroughbreds were, she had a sweet manner about her that everyone couldn't help but love. She was the Daddy's Overdraft of the sprinters, not too laid back like Sweetness Unlimited, but lovable and jumpy. She chewed happily on her new apple-flavored rubber snaffle. Yes, rubber snaffle. Tia had a rather soft mouth and she was a rather responsive horse for what little experience she had on the track. As a matter of fact, it was a joke around the stable that you could probably ride her with a halter and a lead rope attached to both sides and still get her to get her little pink and black nose on the wire in first. She did indeed have talent to burn and given time, her experience would take her a long ways in the next few years, she may have been behind her brother, but she possessed as much talent as every other Cryin' Out Loud foal did.
Honor was frothing at the mouth and tugging hard on her snaffle, alternatives were offered but Tanner refused. Honor worked just as well as the next horse in a snaffle and rarely did any of Grayson Meadows' runners have something other than a simple snaffle in their mouth. Most of them were well conditioned enough that they didn't need it but there were a select certain few that did. Honorary wasn't one of them. She arched her neck and lifted her tail elegantly, she was indeed a stunning horse to look at. If she could find her stride, she'd be that much more noticeable, not that she already wasn't; after all, she had been rattling off bullet works for the past month. The addition of blinkers had been rather helpful to her as well, she found herself in a more focused state with them, although many didn't think she really needed them as she'd done fine without them previously.
Honor threw her head and tugged hard on the reins, she was ready to go and was getting more irritated with Alex as the seconds ticked by that she wasn't full out sprinting. She belonged on the track, it was her true calling but looking at her record one may not think so, especially with her previous efforts. Those were indeed something that should have been brushed off, the equipment change seemed like it could boost her performance, but they really wouldn't know until her next race was run. Which was a rather heavy HOTY race that the chestnut mare next to her also happened to be entered in. Perhaps it wasn't the most ideal place for them to be testing her with the new equipment switch, but Honor had run with blinkers since week three of January and was very much use to them by now. Her heart and grit hadn't been affected at all by the switch and she still put in just as gutsy runs against her stablemates as she had before. That was what defined her though, she had quite the reputation for being a stubborn and determined animal, and that is what earned her the best grade five award for Y14 and it was what was going to lead her to many victories down the road.
Tia flicked her ears back and forth, exulted. Her eyes caught the gate and she seemed to step up the pace a bit, pressing Honor to move quicker, which only annoyed the grey filly, causing her to lash out by giving Tia a threatening kick. Normally Honor didn't pay much mind to others unless she felt like she needed to; however, since she was something of a sore loser she didn't enjoy Tia pushing her buttons. Jessie pulled the mare a solid seven feet away from Honor and they continued their warm ups and loaded with no problems into the gate.
Honor's feet danced and she was up on her toes when they sprang open, Alex had to hold onto her mane to keep her from taking off with out him on her back. She extended her powerful body over the dirt and sprung quickly to a length lead over the slower breaking Tia. With her irritable attitude at times she seemed like she could be a front runner, but Honor was indeed a pace presser, she loved pushing other horses to their limits and then flying past them in a grey blur as if to say 'ha! Tricked you!'. Today, she would be leading the charge onto the backstretch and she wasn't holding much back. Tia and Jessie gave chase, following a safe distance behind Honor and Alex. Jessie had learned quite a bit in his last year of being a jockey and one of those was that you don't chase a irritable Honor during a workout unless you want to run the legs off of your mount, so there he and his chestnut diamond jogged along. Tia had her tongue stuck out and her head held high, ears perked taking the track in. They both seemed to fall into a beat together, as a matter of fact, they could probably make a song simply from the pounding of each hoof into the dirt.
Tia took kindly to the surface change, she relished in it as a matter of fact. As many Cryin' Out Loud babies were, she was highly versatile. Over more than just one distance and over the turf and the dirt. Honor seemed to favor the dirt more, and really she had no background to back her up, but they'd purchased her at a auction at Fonner Park before they officially opened Grayson Meadows. With that in mind it suggested that she was perhaps a Nebraska bred, she wasn't like other thoroughbreds, she was scrawny in the legs but nothing like most you saw out in the big leagues today. She simply just looked different, but she could run the legs off of her competition and then some.
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 middle of the final turn. 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 they were still quarreling with each other past the wire, neither particularity willing to stop.
Honor was frothing at the mouth and tugging hard on her snaffle, alternatives were offered but Tanner refused. Honor worked just as well as the next horse in a snaffle and rarely did any of Grayson Meadows' runners have something other than a simple snaffle in their mouth. Most of them were well conditioned enough that they didn't need it but there were a select certain few that did. Honorary wasn't one of them. She arched her neck and lifted her tail elegantly, she was indeed a stunning horse to look at. If she could find her stride, she'd be that much more noticeable, not that she already wasn't; after all, she had been rattling off bullet works for the past month. The addition of blinkers had been rather helpful to her as well, she found herself in a more focused state with them, although many didn't think she really needed them as she'd done fine without them previously.
Honor threw her head and tugged hard on the reins, she was ready to go and was getting more irritated with Alex as the seconds ticked by that she wasn't full out sprinting. She belonged on the track, it was her true calling but looking at her record one may not think so, especially with her previous efforts. Those were indeed something that should have been brushed off, the equipment change seemed like it could boost her performance, but they really wouldn't know until her next race was run. Which was a rather heavy HOTY race that the chestnut mare next to her also happened to be entered in. Perhaps it wasn't the most ideal place for them to be testing her with the new equipment switch, but Honor had run with blinkers since week three of January and was very much use to them by now. Her heart and grit hadn't been affected at all by the switch and she still put in just as gutsy runs against her stablemates as she had before. That was what defined her though, she had quite the reputation for being a stubborn and determined animal, and that is what earned her the best grade five award for Y14 and it was what was going to lead her to many victories down the road.
Tia flicked her ears back and forth, exulted. Her eyes caught the gate and she seemed to step up the pace a bit, pressing Honor to move quicker, which only annoyed the grey filly, causing her to lash out by giving Tia a threatening kick. Normally Honor didn't pay much mind to others unless she felt like she needed to; however, since she was something of a sore loser she didn't enjoy Tia pushing her buttons. Jessie pulled the mare a solid seven feet away from Honor and they continued their warm ups and loaded with no problems into the gate.
Honor's feet danced and she was up on her toes when they sprang open, Alex had to hold onto her mane to keep her from taking off with out him on her back. She extended her powerful body over the dirt and sprung quickly to a length lead over the slower breaking Tia. With her irritable attitude at times she seemed like she could be a front runner, but Honor was indeed a pace presser, she loved pushing other horses to their limits and then flying past them in a grey blur as if to say 'ha! Tricked you!'. Today, she would be leading the charge onto the backstretch and she wasn't holding much back. Tia and Jessie gave chase, following a safe distance behind Honor and Alex. Jessie had learned quite a bit in his last year of being a jockey and one of those was that you don't chase a irritable Honor during a workout unless you want to run the legs off of your mount, so there he and his chestnut diamond jogged along. Tia had her tongue stuck out and her head held high, ears perked taking the track in. They both seemed to fall into a beat together, as a matter of fact, they could probably make a song simply from the pounding of each hoof into the dirt.
Tia took kindly to the surface change, she relished in it as a matter of fact. As many Cryin' Out Loud babies were, she was highly versatile. Over more than just one distance and over the turf and the dirt. Honor seemed to favor the dirt more, and really she had no background to back her up, but they'd purchased her at a auction at Fonner Park before they officially opened Grayson Meadows. With that in mind it suggested that she was perhaps a Nebraska bred, she wasn't like other thoroughbreds, she was scrawny in the legs but nothing like most you saw out in the big leagues today. She simply just looked different, but she could run the legs off of her competition and then some.
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 middle of the final turn. 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 they were still quarreling with each other past the wire, neither particularity willing to stop.
The Calm Before The Storm
My Kingdom Come and Hadley Grayson
SmashDashing and Jessie Coppermen
SmashDashing and Jessie Coppermen
Grayson Meadows had always harbored a few horses that flew under the radar for awhile, Bey and Dash were no exception. While Bey came from unknown lines, she was just as stunning of a runner as she was to look at. Beautiful and kind, Bey was a rarity amoungst most of Grayson Meadows' horses. Which consisted of crazy, foolish, and downright despicable horses with major attitude problems. It was nice to have a horse that was a quite mount and put up no fuss what so ever. Well Dash and Bey were those horses.
The choice to buy Dash was a quick one, and it was a somewhat superficial one... Dash's dam was incredibly proven over distances and taking a chance on her being bred with a unproven sprinting stud, well least to say we didn't know what to expect. However, Dash had turned into something rather special to everyone. He was kind, laid back, and easy to get along with. And, most recently he'd won a HOTY race for a 6.5 furlong sprint at The Wire, Dash was off to a great start and it looked like Flight Of Fancy was indeed as versatile of a mare for distance as she was for surface. Dash was a perfect match for Bey, hence why the two had been paired together for the work today.
They stepped out onto the turf track, neither putting up much of a fuss, maybe a few playful chews on their bits, but nothing crazy. Sure kicked the heck out of working with horses like Passion Heart.
There was something about their calming presences that no one could really put a finger on. Bey had these eyes that sweeped over the earth and claimed it as her own. Although she was never a cocky horse, she just had a dominant presence about her with out showing aggression. Small, and innocent looking, no one would expect that the beautiful light grey filly was actually a serious threat to everyone on the track. She could knock out five furlong bullets every day for a month and not even blink. She was a fast sucker, and when let loose, she would do something incredible.
Dash didn't quite have that sort of feel to him, he had more of that intelligent look, he knew exactly what he liked and didn't and if he didn't like something, well, it was best you try another day. He wasn't as easy going, but he was a very trainable horse. Definitely one of the easiest to break. He sometimes made a fool of himself, being that he was a stallion he would get into one of those frames of mind and try and flirt his way into things, but other than that he really was a easy horse to be around.
Bey wasn't much interested in his flirting today as he held his head high and marched his way to the gates in the late spring afternoon. Nebraska had slowly become warmer and everything about it was coming alive. Summer was well on its way and it wasn't just because of the weather that team Grayson Meadows could tell. The sheer amount of hair coming off of these fluffy horses was enough.
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. 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 at least two lengths 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.
The choice to buy Dash was a quick one, and it was a somewhat superficial one... Dash's dam was incredibly proven over distances and taking a chance on her being bred with a unproven sprinting stud, well least to say we didn't know what to expect. However, Dash had turned into something rather special to everyone. He was kind, laid back, and easy to get along with. And, most recently he'd won a HOTY race for a 6.5 furlong sprint at The Wire, Dash was off to a great start and it looked like Flight Of Fancy was indeed as versatile of a mare for distance as she was for surface. Dash was a perfect match for Bey, hence why the two had been paired together for the work today.
They stepped out onto the turf track, neither putting up much of a fuss, maybe a few playful chews on their bits, but nothing crazy. Sure kicked the heck out of working with horses like Passion Heart.
There was something about their calming presences that no one could really put a finger on. Bey had these eyes that sweeped over the earth and claimed it as her own. Although she was never a cocky horse, she just had a dominant presence about her with out showing aggression. Small, and innocent looking, no one would expect that the beautiful light grey filly was actually a serious threat to everyone on the track. She could knock out five furlong bullets every day for a month and not even blink. She was a fast sucker, and when let loose, she would do something incredible.
Dash didn't quite have that sort of feel to him, he had more of that intelligent look, he knew exactly what he liked and didn't and if he didn't like something, well, it was best you try another day. He wasn't as easy going, but he was a very trainable horse. Definitely one of the easiest to break. He sometimes made a fool of himself, being that he was a stallion he would get into one of those frames of mind and try and flirt his way into things, but other than that he really was a easy horse to be around.
Bey wasn't much interested in his flirting today as he held his head high and marched his way to the gates in the late spring afternoon. Nebraska had slowly become warmer and everything about it was coming alive. Summer was well on its way and it wasn't just because of the weather that team Grayson Meadows could tell. The sheer amount of hair coming off of these fluffy horses was enough.
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. 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 at least two lengths 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.
Stronger
A True Hero and Hadley Grayson
All That Jazz and Alex Shade
All That Jazz and Alex Shade
Na-na-na that that don't kill me
Can only make me stronger
I need you to hurry up now
'Cause I can't wait much longer
I know I got to be right now
'Cause I can't get much wronger
Man I've been waitin' all night now
Can only make me stronger
I need you to hurry up now
'Cause I can't wait much longer
I know I got to be right now
'Cause I can't get much wronger
Man I've been waitin' all night now
The dark bay-black filly lunged at Alex as he passed by her, an assault which he expertly dodged. Although the filly had become more tolerable of having him around the more he rode her, it didn't stop her from trying to take a chunk out of him now and then. Which it only took once before Alex learned how to effectively get out of her way before she clamped her mouth down on his shoulder. A couple smacks to the face didn't teach Jazz her lesson though, it was as if she didn't care what happened. She was an different animal, that was for sure.
Hero looked like he was ready to have a heart attack, his eyes were lulling and his ears were constantly flicking back and forth. He nuzzled Hadley's shoulder and stuck his nose by her pocket as if to hide behind her.
"He thinks the imaginary space aliens are going to chase him again," Hadley pushed him back so he wasn't crowding her and he looked like a child who'd just been scolded for snuggling with his mom. "Your fine." Hadley scratched him between his ears to try and calm him down.
"Well, that's Hero for ya," Alex nodded, finishing up on Jazz's wraps. Hero leaped sideways as the sun came out from behind some clouds and yellow light danced across the barn floor by the opening to the training track.
Hadley laid a hand on his neck and walked him in circles a few times to try and sooth him, it was almost ridiculous how much stuff he spooked at. And his way of spooking was so odd that anyone who had worked with horses before would tell you they'd never seen a horse do anything like that before. Bright jackets, water, the sun, it was the nearly immeasurable things that he would hop to the side or lull his eyes, even give you a weird look like he was expecting you to lunge at him. The thing is he hadn't been abused or anything, he was one of the most loved on horses at Grayson Meadows, but for some reason he seemed to be so insecure that it didn't matter how well he was treated. He was very much unlike any Everyday Hero offspring, even The True Nut, and she produced some pretty crazy animals. It wasn't that Hero wasn't level headed, and he wasn't crazy, he was just... well.... different, 'spooky'.
Alex side stepped to avoid being knocked over by Jazzy and grabbed a fistful of main and launched himself up and onto her back. She twitched and pinned her ears when he kept telling her to stand still. Her lip quivered, begging him to let her move but he held his ground.
"She's pouting," Hadley laughed, jumping up on Hero's back. His ears shot back and he leaped a few inches off of the ground, Hadley did her best to calm him down.
"She can learn to stand, she'll be doing a lot of it in her career, might as well get use to it." Jazz clamped down on her bit, chewing at it impatiently. However annoying she could be, Alex did admire the fillies love for the track and the determination to make herself that much better. He'd never been on a horse like that, and he knew this filly was going to do something amazing. Maybe not this year, but next year for sure.
"Good to go?" Hadley asked, tightening the strap on her helmet.
"Yep," Alex responded, popping the P and clicking gently to Jazzy, knowing full well exactly what would happen if he tapped her sides even the slightest. Jazzy was push button, but you always asked her with sound first unless you wanted to be left in the dust.
Hero followed close behind Jazz, although not too close, he'd learned the hard way not to go around Jazzy's rear end or he'd be met with a hoof to the nose. His ears were pricked with curiosity, he'd ran several times over the new training track at Grayson Meadows, but every time he came out he acted as if it was his first time stepping onto the track. Every day was a new day I guess.
Summer was well on it's way, the spring air that smelt of new life and rain was still very present. Hero closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the spring air in, he was an odd animal, he seemed to admire the changes of the seasons when he wasn't spooking at a blade of grass moving. It was odd that he even could be a race horse with all the dirt and kickback that would fly at him, but it never seemed to bother him when he was running. Hero was actually a really competitive horse in the end, it was when he wasn't racing that was the problem.
"Alright, I don't think either of them have much gating issues, so lets just start them off, a nice easy four furlong work should do the trick." Alex said, turning a irritated Jazz in a sharp circle.
"Ha, your funny, a nice easy four furlong work. I hope you aren't forgetting exactly what horse your on, it's gonna be a bullet work," Hadley pointed out.
"Well, I guess you'll just have to keep up with us then won't you?" Alex challenged with a smirk and began to jog Jazz out. Hadley followed with Hero and soon the work was under way. Jazz pushed and prodded at Hero just to see how much pressure she could apply before he broke, which rather annoyed Hadley and she could see that Alex knew she was doing it. Jazz was at Hero's throat but he refused to yield to her, pumping his legs faster and faster to keep his head ahead of her. Her dark, muscled body drove him insane as she kept at him. Her little game with him was close to being over but she was savoring every last moment of it. Jazz launched herself ahead of Hero as the final furlong approached and Hadley sent him after her guns blazing. He soon caught up to her, and was at her flank but she kept going and obviously had no intention of stopping. She flew over the dirt with massive strides like the true champion she was born to be and came in a length ahead of the flighty son of two Hall Of Famers. It was a huge improvement for both, and they were only getting stronger as time went on.
Hero looked like he was ready to have a heart attack, his eyes were lulling and his ears were constantly flicking back and forth. He nuzzled Hadley's shoulder and stuck his nose by her pocket as if to hide behind her.
"He thinks the imaginary space aliens are going to chase him again," Hadley pushed him back so he wasn't crowding her and he looked like a child who'd just been scolded for snuggling with his mom. "Your fine." Hadley scratched him between his ears to try and calm him down.
"Well, that's Hero for ya," Alex nodded, finishing up on Jazz's wraps. Hero leaped sideways as the sun came out from behind some clouds and yellow light danced across the barn floor by the opening to the training track.
Hadley laid a hand on his neck and walked him in circles a few times to try and sooth him, it was almost ridiculous how much stuff he spooked at. And his way of spooking was so odd that anyone who had worked with horses before would tell you they'd never seen a horse do anything like that before. Bright jackets, water, the sun, it was the nearly immeasurable things that he would hop to the side or lull his eyes, even give you a weird look like he was expecting you to lunge at him. The thing is he hadn't been abused or anything, he was one of the most loved on horses at Grayson Meadows, but for some reason he seemed to be so insecure that it didn't matter how well he was treated. He was very much unlike any Everyday Hero offspring, even The True Nut, and she produced some pretty crazy animals. It wasn't that Hero wasn't level headed, and he wasn't crazy, he was just... well.... different, 'spooky'.
Alex side stepped to avoid being knocked over by Jazzy and grabbed a fistful of main and launched himself up and onto her back. She twitched and pinned her ears when he kept telling her to stand still. Her lip quivered, begging him to let her move but he held his ground.
"She's pouting," Hadley laughed, jumping up on Hero's back. His ears shot back and he leaped a few inches off of the ground, Hadley did her best to calm him down.
"She can learn to stand, she'll be doing a lot of it in her career, might as well get use to it." Jazz clamped down on her bit, chewing at it impatiently. However annoying she could be, Alex did admire the fillies love for the track and the determination to make herself that much better. He'd never been on a horse like that, and he knew this filly was going to do something amazing. Maybe not this year, but next year for sure.
"Good to go?" Hadley asked, tightening the strap on her helmet.
"Yep," Alex responded, popping the P and clicking gently to Jazzy, knowing full well exactly what would happen if he tapped her sides even the slightest. Jazzy was push button, but you always asked her with sound first unless you wanted to be left in the dust.
Hero followed close behind Jazz, although not too close, he'd learned the hard way not to go around Jazzy's rear end or he'd be met with a hoof to the nose. His ears were pricked with curiosity, he'd ran several times over the new training track at Grayson Meadows, but every time he came out he acted as if it was his first time stepping onto the track. Every day was a new day I guess.
Summer was well on it's way, the spring air that smelt of new life and rain was still very present. Hero closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the spring air in, he was an odd animal, he seemed to admire the changes of the seasons when he wasn't spooking at a blade of grass moving. It was odd that he even could be a race horse with all the dirt and kickback that would fly at him, but it never seemed to bother him when he was running. Hero was actually a really competitive horse in the end, it was when he wasn't racing that was the problem.
"Alright, I don't think either of them have much gating issues, so lets just start them off, a nice easy four furlong work should do the trick." Alex said, turning a irritated Jazz in a sharp circle.
"Ha, your funny, a nice easy four furlong work. I hope you aren't forgetting exactly what horse your on, it's gonna be a bullet work," Hadley pointed out.
"Well, I guess you'll just have to keep up with us then won't you?" Alex challenged with a smirk and began to jog Jazz out. Hadley followed with Hero and soon the work was under way. Jazz pushed and prodded at Hero just to see how much pressure she could apply before he broke, which rather annoyed Hadley and she could see that Alex knew she was doing it. Jazz was at Hero's throat but he refused to yield to her, pumping his legs faster and faster to keep his head ahead of her. Her dark, muscled body drove him insane as she kept at him. Her little game with him was close to being over but she was savoring every last moment of it. Jazz launched herself ahead of Hero as the final furlong approached and Hadley sent him after her guns blazing. He soon caught up to her, and was at her flank but she kept going and obviously had no intention of stopping. She flew over the dirt with massive strides like the true champion she was born to be and came in a length ahead of the flighty son of two Hall Of Famers. It was a huge improvement for both, and they were only getting stronger as time went on.
Running The Red Lights
Daddy's Overdraft and Alex Shade
Nobody else needs to know
Where we might go...
We could just run them red lights
We could just run them red lights
There ain’t no reason to stay
We’ll be light years away...
We could just run them red lights
We could just run them red lights
Where we might go...
We could just run them red lights
We could just run them red lights
There ain’t no reason to stay
We’ll be light years away...
We could just run them red lights
We could just run them red lights
A white head peeked out of Cobwebs stall with curious eyes, her ears were perked high and she flared her nostrils in greeting; although, she'd already done it at least five times that morning. Alex shuffled around Grayson Meadows' barn in the early morning. It had been awhile since he'd been out for a early work with Cobweb, but he'd been waiting for this all week. By far one of his favorite mounts, he could never get enough of Cobweb but the recent additions to the barn made life a bit more difficult than it had been last year when Grayson Meadows owned around 10 horses and Cobweb was speeding through her workouts in the final days to the Preakness Champion. It was one of those moment's he'd never forget, she may have finished third, but he could remember how incredibly proud he was of the white mare because of the amount of heart she showed that day. That was exactly who Cobweb was though, she was the horse that never stopped, no matter how nasty the finish was she always came back, and perhaps it would take time but when she did come back, she was ready to dominate anything you threw at her. She nabbed the Yellow Ribbon Stakes from The Devil's Hourglass, she nearly beat the likes of Paranormal Hunter and didn't even give Call Of The Wild a second thought. She pushed Anodyne to his limits in the final leg of the Canadian Triple crown, she was, by definition a trooper. She was the horse that was always there at the finish line and she always put forth her best effort and that was what made her fly under everyone's radar. Cobweb was an underdog and that was what made her so dangerous.
Cobweb had taught the staff of Grayson Meadows a great deal throughout what was nearly a year. She taught them about heart, about unconditional love, about taking chances, and how to laugh even in the worst of times. There was little doubt that she was indeed a horse everyone admired and the horse that everyone looked to in the rough times. Cobweb shared her own faults, she sported her failures as a bright neon flag and she sported her victories and admirable qualities with an even brighter flag.
Alex grabbed her bridle and racing saddle and set the tack aside. Cobweb extended her head out of her stall door reaching as far as she could with her neck to stick her nose almost to Alex's face, he smiled and blew on her nose and let Cobbers blow grassy smelling air at him. It had been something established between the two back in the early days of the their partnership. Alex would walk past her and blow on her nose and she eventually started to be the one who would stick her nose out for him. The love of this mare nearly overwhelmed him, it was moments like these that reminded him of why he fell hopelessly in love with Cobweb in the first place. When Tanner had come to him with the plan of running her through her five year old season he was so exulted that he just about jumped up and down with excitement. He couldn't bear the thought of her retiring, given he'd likely end up riding one of her foals but would it really be the same? He had always thought of horses as something of limited editions, as odd as it sounds there really wasn't another like them on the planet, perhaps similar, but not the same. Each and every horse was simply one of a kind and special in their own way, even if they had a very odd way of showing it.
She twitched her nose before shifting her weight from leg to leg, she was obviously having issues standing still, but she was doing it for him. She was standing still for him. He rubbed her forehead, tracing her whirl with his index finger every once in awhile.
"Alright, I suppose we better get to work huh?" He said, her ears shot up and her eyes lit with a spark. She was ready to hit the track with her favorite person on the planet. That's when the twitching of her hide began and the rapid blinking of her eyes, she could hardly contain herself and the fact that she was trying so hard made Alex laugh.
Placing her saddle in perfect position, Alex tightened her cinch and reached a hand up behind her ear, scratching lightly and she leaned right into it. Cobweb loved being scratched behind the ear and if she was a dog,she'd likely be thumping her leg up and down. Alex moved on, grabbing the white nylon racing bridle with a snaffle on it and turning to the white mare in front of him. He could tell she'd been moving around a bit and instantly froze when he turned back to look at her, he gave her a light pat on the neck before going to her left side and slipping the bit into her mouth and her bridle over her ears. He'd always bridled her without the assistance of a halter, well at least in the past few months it had been that way. Cobweb never really created much of a fuss when she was bridled, another thing to lover her more for.
He moved back to her cinch and tightened it one last time before walking the smaller filly out of her stall and over to a hay bale where he swiftly got on and allowed her to lead the way to the track while he tweaked her tack a little so the workout was comfortable for both of them. He asked her to pick up a trot and Cobweb gladly did as he asked, ducking her head and arching her neck as she trotted along effortlessly. Once the pair reached the turf track he pushed her further into a easy canter and Cobweb was already pulling on the reins. One of her many many likable qualities was that this mare LOVED to run.
Recently Cobbers seemed to take a liking to the shorter distances of seven furlongs to ten furlongs and the plan was to stick her between those distances this year. He continued to warm her up until he felt she was ready and they broke off at a light jog, Cobweb was nearly completely sideways as she did this, her body ached for the sprint, she wanted so badly to exhaust herself with a solid five furlong sprint. It was often thought that perhaps she could handle the sprints with how she ran her workouts, she didn't spare or waste any second with pointless things. Cobweb never questioned what Alex wanted of her, she was a total push button horse.
She tugged and begged for more but they weren't quite to the right pole and Alex held her back further. She seemed to be enjoying herself enough, but she was just waiting, a ticking time bomb and when the time came, she was going to explode. The pole passed, Alex let out a notch, and she broke free. Cobweb tore off down the stretch going what felt like a hundred miles an hour. She flew, sprouting invisible wings. Each stride was easier than the last and her body worked like a tremendous machine, propelling her off of each leg faster and faster, covering more and more ground. She was free, and she wasn't going to slow down for nothing when the time came to pull her up. The exhilaration of the run streamed from her eyes and her body language gave off waves of pride and excitement.
The competition was stiff but they were taking the chance, they were taking their underdog horse and they were going to run the legs off of anyone who ran at her.
Cobweb had taught the staff of Grayson Meadows a great deal throughout what was nearly a year. She taught them about heart, about unconditional love, about taking chances, and how to laugh even in the worst of times. There was little doubt that she was indeed a horse everyone admired and the horse that everyone looked to in the rough times. Cobweb shared her own faults, she sported her failures as a bright neon flag and she sported her victories and admirable qualities with an even brighter flag.
Alex grabbed her bridle and racing saddle and set the tack aside. Cobweb extended her head out of her stall door reaching as far as she could with her neck to stick her nose almost to Alex's face, he smiled and blew on her nose and let Cobbers blow grassy smelling air at him. It had been something established between the two back in the early days of the their partnership. Alex would walk past her and blow on her nose and she eventually started to be the one who would stick her nose out for him. The love of this mare nearly overwhelmed him, it was moments like these that reminded him of why he fell hopelessly in love with Cobweb in the first place. When Tanner had come to him with the plan of running her through her five year old season he was so exulted that he just about jumped up and down with excitement. He couldn't bear the thought of her retiring, given he'd likely end up riding one of her foals but would it really be the same? He had always thought of horses as something of limited editions, as odd as it sounds there really wasn't another like them on the planet, perhaps similar, but not the same. Each and every horse was simply one of a kind and special in their own way, even if they had a very odd way of showing it.
She twitched her nose before shifting her weight from leg to leg, she was obviously having issues standing still, but she was doing it for him. She was standing still for him. He rubbed her forehead, tracing her whirl with his index finger every once in awhile.
"Alright, I suppose we better get to work huh?" He said, her ears shot up and her eyes lit with a spark. She was ready to hit the track with her favorite person on the planet. That's when the twitching of her hide began and the rapid blinking of her eyes, she could hardly contain herself and the fact that she was trying so hard made Alex laugh.
Placing her saddle in perfect position, Alex tightened her cinch and reached a hand up behind her ear, scratching lightly and she leaned right into it. Cobweb loved being scratched behind the ear and if she was a dog,she'd likely be thumping her leg up and down. Alex moved on, grabbing the white nylon racing bridle with a snaffle on it and turning to the white mare in front of him. He could tell she'd been moving around a bit and instantly froze when he turned back to look at her, he gave her a light pat on the neck before going to her left side and slipping the bit into her mouth and her bridle over her ears. He'd always bridled her without the assistance of a halter, well at least in the past few months it had been that way. Cobweb never really created much of a fuss when she was bridled, another thing to lover her more for.
He moved back to her cinch and tightened it one last time before walking the smaller filly out of her stall and over to a hay bale where he swiftly got on and allowed her to lead the way to the track while he tweaked her tack a little so the workout was comfortable for both of them. He asked her to pick up a trot and Cobweb gladly did as he asked, ducking her head and arching her neck as she trotted along effortlessly. Once the pair reached the turf track he pushed her further into a easy canter and Cobweb was already pulling on the reins. One of her many many likable qualities was that this mare LOVED to run.
Recently Cobbers seemed to take a liking to the shorter distances of seven furlongs to ten furlongs and the plan was to stick her between those distances this year. He continued to warm her up until he felt she was ready and they broke off at a light jog, Cobweb was nearly completely sideways as she did this, her body ached for the sprint, she wanted so badly to exhaust herself with a solid five furlong sprint. It was often thought that perhaps she could handle the sprints with how she ran her workouts, she didn't spare or waste any second with pointless things. Cobweb never questioned what Alex wanted of her, she was a total push button horse.
She tugged and begged for more but they weren't quite to the right pole and Alex held her back further. She seemed to be enjoying herself enough, but she was just waiting, a ticking time bomb and when the time came, she was going to explode. The pole passed, Alex let out a notch, and she broke free. Cobweb tore off down the stretch going what felt like a hundred miles an hour. She flew, sprouting invisible wings. Each stride was easier than the last and her body worked like a tremendous machine, propelling her off of each leg faster and faster, covering more and more ground. She was free, and she wasn't going to slow down for nothing when the time came to pull her up. The exhilaration of the run streamed from her eyes and her body language gave off waves of pride and excitement.
The competition was stiff but they were taking the chance, they were taking their underdog horse and they were going to run the legs off of anyone who ran at her.
Kings and Queens
Prima Donna and Hadley Grayson
First Class and Alex Shade
First Class and Alex Shade
There was something about Chester and Prima that made them truly a sight to behold, royal, regal and almost totally the opposite in several areas. Prima didn't seem totally pleased with her life at the moment, as a matter of fact, she would rather Chester be a pile of horse crap than a actual living, breathing animal. Her ears were pinned flat against her skull as Hadley walked around her, finishing up small adjustments to her tack. Hadley knew the threat wasn't actually a real threat, Prima seemed to take up pinning her ears just because she was annoyed by something as of late which made no sense at all.
She glared across from the cross-ties she was in at her younger workmate, First Class. He was a regal looking thing, although his past performances said otherwise. The speed demon needed to learn how to contain himself and well, today would be the day that marked the beginning of him learning to rate. His bright, white stripe bobbed up and down as he twitched and let out a squeal here and there, unable to stand still for even a second. Chester wasn't one of the most active horses at Grayson Meadows, but today he was more on his toes than ever. His eyes flicked all around him with an intense rush and he looked to be jumping out of his skin with every little move he made.
Alex patted Chester's shoulder and he buzzed beneath his touch. Unclipping his cross-ties, Sam held Chester in place for Alex to hop onto his long back that marked him as an ideal horse to go the distance. No one could deny he was a very well bred horse, however it didn't show on the tracks. He'd been plagued by bad finishes the past few weeks, well, now they were going to fix that problem. He was as fit as a fiddle and ready to take on the distances without being such a speed demon.
Prima on the other had had started off pretty well this season, newly G2 and refreshed and ready to kick some major butt, a lot was expected of Prima this season. Her times were steadily improving and she'd put on some weight in muscle mass lately, she was looking more and more like a classy horse ready to break out of their shell every day. Of course her five length romp a few weeks ago was just a preview of what this mare really was capable of. Battle tested, swift, Prima really was everything you could ask for in a horse. She may not have had that great of a three year old season, but her four year old season, well it was a new year.
She was the queen of the stable. Prima always demanded nothing short of royal treatment and Chester, well he was something of a king. He was an absolute brat and hated it when things didn't go his way. Today the King and Queen would be clashing and it was certainly a highly anticipated work. Chester's flashy speed was sure to give Prima a serious run for her money, but the plan was to hold the colt back, get him to work slower and then burst when needed.
Chester sat pouting as they waited for Hadley to mount Prima, who simply wasn't having anything today, sidestepping and trying to avoid anything and everything. She reached over and snapped at Hadley's side, which in turn was met with a harsh smack in the face.
"Knock it off you big baby," Hadley growled, grabbing her reins and backing her up at least ten steps.
"I do believe Chester is shooting you the puppy dog eyes." His lip dangled and quivered, pleading for Alex to let him move.
"Well he can learn to stand still for a few minutes!" Hadley snapped back and grabbed a fistful of Prima's mane as she launched herself onto the bay mare's back.
"It's about time, I swore I was going to be-"
"Shut up Alex!" Hadley swore at the older man and lead the way to the track. Prima tucked her neck in elegantly and flared her nostrils, taking in what was left of spring. She wasn't a particularly high-strung horse, but she didn't give you many chances to tick her off before she dumped you. Hadley never would have admitted how much she actually liked the Bay mare, everyone around the barn could tell she was one of her favorites, but it appeared as if Hadley did her best to convince everyone else otherwise. It had always been fun to have a horse with a little sass, Prima was no exception.
Chester and Alex followed closely behind, he'd done well for the most part when they'd tried to hold him back a few weeks ago. With the way his crop was set up it was more than obvious that that front running position that he so dearly loved wasn't going to win him races. So, with that in mind Tanner had requested that they do whatever they could to make the son of Passionate Class a champion at two years old. Sadly it meant beginning the painful process of getting him to rate and then getting him to slow down further if needed. Oddly enough Chester reminded almost everyone of Fly. Although the similarities between the two were actually pretty small.
They quickly finished warming their mounts up and jogged to the green and white quarter pole which marked the beginning of their work. Prima took off the fastest and Chester was hot on her heels, Alex had the colt in a tight hold, but they were still flying with ease. Prima's eyes were intensely focused and her ears were pricked with glee, she was glad to be back out on the track after nearly a month off of racing. Although she still was worked regularly during all of March, she was a race horse after all, she lived for the competition and it wasn't the same as the real thing. Chester settled in nicely at Prima's rear and didn't seem to be having much issues at all, which was a very good sign. His ears were pricked with intense interest, Alex had all of his attention. Of course it was Alex, he could get even the most stubborn horse to listen to him.
They were nearing the final furlong of their work and Alex let Chester fully extend himself and it was a furious charge at Prima on his part. He bore down hard on her, pushing and applying pressure here and there to see if he could get her to crack, which she held up like the battle-tested horse she was. It didn't exactly please Chester but he battled on. Head-in-head, neck-in-neck, it was a frenzy of legs and hooves down to the wire. In which Prima found another gear to outrun Chester by a length.
She glared across from the cross-ties she was in at her younger workmate, First Class. He was a regal looking thing, although his past performances said otherwise. The speed demon needed to learn how to contain himself and well, today would be the day that marked the beginning of him learning to rate. His bright, white stripe bobbed up and down as he twitched and let out a squeal here and there, unable to stand still for even a second. Chester wasn't one of the most active horses at Grayson Meadows, but today he was more on his toes than ever. His eyes flicked all around him with an intense rush and he looked to be jumping out of his skin with every little move he made.
Alex patted Chester's shoulder and he buzzed beneath his touch. Unclipping his cross-ties, Sam held Chester in place for Alex to hop onto his long back that marked him as an ideal horse to go the distance. No one could deny he was a very well bred horse, however it didn't show on the tracks. He'd been plagued by bad finishes the past few weeks, well, now they were going to fix that problem. He was as fit as a fiddle and ready to take on the distances without being such a speed demon.
Prima on the other had had started off pretty well this season, newly G2 and refreshed and ready to kick some major butt, a lot was expected of Prima this season. Her times were steadily improving and she'd put on some weight in muscle mass lately, she was looking more and more like a classy horse ready to break out of their shell every day. Of course her five length romp a few weeks ago was just a preview of what this mare really was capable of. Battle tested, swift, Prima really was everything you could ask for in a horse. She may not have had that great of a three year old season, but her four year old season, well it was a new year.
She was the queen of the stable. Prima always demanded nothing short of royal treatment and Chester, well he was something of a king. He was an absolute brat and hated it when things didn't go his way. Today the King and Queen would be clashing and it was certainly a highly anticipated work. Chester's flashy speed was sure to give Prima a serious run for her money, but the plan was to hold the colt back, get him to work slower and then burst when needed.
Chester sat pouting as they waited for Hadley to mount Prima, who simply wasn't having anything today, sidestepping and trying to avoid anything and everything. She reached over and snapped at Hadley's side, which in turn was met with a harsh smack in the face.
"Knock it off you big baby," Hadley growled, grabbing her reins and backing her up at least ten steps.
"I do believe Chester is shooting you the puppy dog eyes." His lip dangled and quivered, pleading for Alex to let him move.
"Well he can learn to stand still for a few minutes!" Hadley snapped back and grabbed a fistful of Prima's mane as she launched herself onto the bay mare's back.
"It's about time, I swore I was going to be-"
"Shut up Alex!" Hadley swore at the older man and lead the way to the track. Prima tucked her neck in elegantly and flared her nostrils, taking in what was left of spring. She wasn't a particularly high-strung horse, but she didn't give you many chances to tick her off before she dumped you. Hadley never would have admitted how much she actually liked the Bay mare, everyone around the barn could tell she was one of her favorites, but it appeared as if Hadley did her best to convince everyone else otherwise. It had always been fun to have a horse with a little sass, Prima was no exception.
Chester and Alex followed closely behind, he'd done well for the most part when they'd tried to hold him back a few weeks ago. With the way his crop was set up it was more than obvious that that front running position that he so dearly loved wasn't going to win him races. So, with that in mind Tanner had requested that they do whatever they could to make the son of Passionate Class a champion at two years old. Sadly it meant beginning the painful process of getting him to rate and then getting him to slow down further if needed. Oddly enough Chester reminded almost everyone of Fly. Although the similarities between the two were actually pretty small.
They quickly finished warming their mounts up and jogged to the green and white quarter pole which marked the beginning of their work. Prima took off the fastest and Chester was hot on her heels, Alex had the colt in a tight hold, but they were still flying with ease. Prima's eyes were intensely focused and her ears were pricked with glee, she was glad to be back out on the track after nearly a month off of racing. Although she still was worked regularly during all of March, she was a race horse after all, she lived for the competition and it wasn't the same as the real thing. Chester settled in nicely at Prima's rear and didn't seem to be having much issues at all, which was a very good sign. His ears were pricked with intense interest, Alex had all of his attention. Of course it was Alex, he could get even the most stubborn horse to listen to him.
They were nearing the final furlong of their work and Alex let Chester fully extend himself and it was a furious charge at Prima on his part. He bore down hard on her, pushing and applying pressure here and there to see if he could get her to crack, which she held up like the battle-tested horse she was. It didn't exactly please Chester but he battled on. Head-in-head, neck-in-neck, it was a frenzy of legs and hooves down to the wire. In which Prima found another gear to outrun Chester by a length.
Underestimated
Rough Diamond and Andrew Martin
Chatoyant and Hadley Grayson
Allouette Divine and Jessie Coppermen
Chatoyant and Hadley Grayson
Allouette Divine and Jessie Coppermen
Divie had always been a mystery to everyone in the past few months, the blowout, powerhouse superfilly seemed to be something of the past. She couldn't get her nose down on the wire, she couldn't close. Something wasn't clicking for her. It scared everyone too, her peak had come, and it was very short lived. But Divie had been facing off against the best of the best ever since the Triple Sprinter Crown. She was battle-tested, she was experienced, and she was a horse that everyone should have been noticing and everyone feared. Underestimated would be more like it. Grayson Meadows happened to own a lot of horses like this, but nonetheless, when they really did come on full force with breakout performances, they were indeed noticed.
Chatoyant, a smaller horse, powerful and very well built for the sprints. He favored the dirt and his biggest accomplishment to this date was his impressive rivalry with Sun King about mid way through last season where the two had a 1-2 rivalry constantly going on for about four races. They brought excitement to the track, but Tayo suddenly fell out of favor and was an after thought. No one remembered the grey colt with the dark black marking on his face. However, that would all change in time.
Rough Diamond on the other hand was just a filly flying under the radar. Talented, beautiful, and above all, fast. Dia was born to do this, Andrew had said a great many times he'd never been on a horse that ran as effortlessly and balanced as Dia did. And watching her run, well it was more than obvious. She made every stride look easier than the last, and occasionally she'd flick her tail up or to the side to add a little more flash into her works. If she wasn't a race horse, she'd make a beautiful show horse.
Hopefully a drop in class would give Divie the edge to finally get that 10th win that would make her Grade Two, she'd been stuck at Grade Three since last seasons Triple Sprinter Crown. A courtesy of running against the best that the country had to offer all the time. Divie had yet to place out of the money in any race she'd ran in. She always put in an honest effort and sometimes she did just get outran, but those days were coming to an end. Divie was finding her wings again, and she was ready to show the world what the superfilly of the sprints could really do.
She squealed with delight as Jessie hopped up on her back, it wasn't a little known fact that Divie rather enjoyed the track. She could hardly contain herself, and you could tell that she tried very hard to. She'd get this look in her eyes like she was so excited and swish all of her energy out through her tail, keeping her legs really close together. Her ears would fly in every direction as quickly as she could make them move. She did indeed look quite ridiculous and totally unprofessional, but it wasn't a halter show was it? It was horse racing. Sweat soaked her shoulders and neck, she was working herself up quite a bit more than necessary but it never seemed to affect her too much out on the track.
Tayo was a calmer horse of sorts, often mistaken for a gelding because of his laid back style. However laid back Tayo was, he ran like a true race horse, gutsy and courageous. He could go toe to toe with the best of his crop and only lose by a nose, or better yet get his nose down on the wire in first. He was invisible to many, which was odd as you couldn't miss him with is big black splotch on his face while the rest of him was grey. However he was a horse under the radar and ready to pull some huge upsets.
He sat quietly with his ears flicking this way and that whenever something peaked his interest. Moemoe sat at his feet and he occasionally would lower his head to give the cream colored cat a greeting. He was a gentle horse, different from most of the animals at Grayson Meadows, he would make a great mount for someone who liked something quite. Of course the only problem with him was that he moved out much quicker than your average horse, but he was easy to manage. He'd be sticking to some 3yo restricted races to see if he couldn't get a few more wins in before he started hitting the Sprinter Triple Crown trail hard.
Then there was Dia, dear Dia. Beautiful and fast, she was everything you could ask for. She stood next to Andrew with one of the wraps that were meant to go on her legs in her mouth. Dia had a rather bad habit of picking stuff up and well, this right here was something that was totally normal. She practically assisted Andrew with putting her wraps on dropping one once he was almost done and picking up another.
He patted her neck as he finished up on the last wrap and felt her legs one last time before checking her cinch, "everyone ready?" he asked using a hay bale to jump on Dia's back. She squealed and Divie responded with an excited squeal of her own. The two had become rather good friends as they were regular workmates. Dia side stepped in place, twitching wildly.
Jessie hopped up on Divie, followed by Hadley on Tayo. Hadley wasn't Tayo's normal rider, but she had taken a liking to the colt and just about anyone could ride him. Perks of being a horse that everyone liked and an easy ride.
Divie lead the charge onto the track, and she was almost charging, Dia had hooked up with her and the two were pressing at each other already. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone is what they always say isn't it? They started their warm ups and everyone was ready in just a few minutes. It was Tayo who shot out first, followed by Divie and a very willing Dia.
They all ran together as if it was the most natural thing they'd done together. Although none of them had ever ran in together in just a three horse workout, they did however work in each others company before. Tayo continued with his lead down the backstretch and he was doing it easily, then again no one was in a huge rush to take this workout further than it needed to be. But when they were in the final furlong of the work that was a different story. Divie and Dia launched an assault on Tayo, which was a gladly accepted challenge. Divie stuck a nose ahead of the darker colt and Dia faught along the outside like any other well seasoned race horse. Dirt flew in their wake as they faught right down to the wire with Divie a head in front of Tayo followed by a fast closing Dia.
Grayson Meadows was home to three particular sprinters that were rather underestimated. Nonetheless, their time under the radar was soon coming to an end, and when that happened god help all of those who they would leave in the dust.
Chatoyant, a smaller horse, powerful and very well built for the sprints. He favored the dirt and his biggest accomplishment to this date was his impressive rivalry with Sun King about mid way through last season where the two had a 1-2 rivalry constantly going on for about four races. They brought excitement to the track, but Tayo suddenly fell out of favor and was an after thought. No one remembered the grey colt with the dark black marking on his face. However, that would all change in time.
Rough Diamond on the other hand was just a filly flying under the radar. Talented, beautiful, and above all, fast. Dia was born to do this, Andrew had said a great many times he'd never been on a horse that ran as effortlessly and balanced as Dia did. And watching her run, well it was more than obvious. She made every stride look easier than the last, and occasionally she'd flick her tail up or to the side to add a little more flash into her works. If she wasn't a race horse, she'd make a beautiful show horse.
Hopefully a drop in class would give Divie the edge to finally get that 10th win that would make her Grade Two, she'd been stuck at Grade Three since last seasons Triple Sprinter Crown. A courtesy of running against the best that the country had to offer all the time. Divie had yet to place out of the money in any race she'd ran in. She always put in an honest effort and sometimes she did just get outran, but those days were coming to an end. Divie was finding her wings again, and she was ready to show the world what the superfilly of the sprints could really do.
She squealed with delight as Jessie hopped up on her back, it wasn't a little known fact that Divie rather enjoyed the track. She could hardly contain herself, and you could tell that she tried very hard to. She'd get this look in her eyes like she was so excited and swish all of her energy out through her tail, keeping her legs really close together. Her ears would fly in every direction as quickly as she could make them move. She did indeed look quite ridiculous and totally unprofessional, but it wasn't a halter show was it? It was horse racing. Sweat soaked her shoulders and neck, she was working herself up quite a bit more than necessary but it never seemed to affect her too much out on the track.
Tayo was a calmer horse of sorts, often mistaken for a gelding because of his laid back style. However laid back Tayo was, he ran like a true race horse, gutsy and courageous. He could go toe to toe with the best of his crop and only lose by a nose, or better yet get his nose down on the wire in first. He was invisible to many, which was odd as you couldn't miss him with is big black splotch on his face while the rest of him was grey. However he was a horse under the radar and ready to pull some huge upsets.
He sat quietly with his ears flicking this way and that whenever something peaked his interest. Moemoe sat at his feet and he occasionally would lower his head to give the cream colored cat a greeting. He was a gentle horse, different from most of the animals at Grayson Meadows, he would make a great mount for someone who liked something quite. Of course the only problem with him was that he moved out much quicker than your average horse, but he was easy to manage. He'd be sticking to some 3yo restricted races to see if he couldn't get a few more wins in before he started hitting the Sprinter Triple Crown trail hard.
Then there was Dia, dear Dia. Beautiful and fast, she was everything you could ask for. She stood next to Andrew with one of the wraps that were meant to go on her legs in her mouth. Dia had a rather bad habit of picking stuff up and well, this right here was something that was totally normal. She practically assisted Andrew with putting her wraps on dropping one once he was almost done and picking up another.
He patted her neck as he finished up on the last wrap and felt her legs one last time before checking her cinch, "everyone ready?" he asked using a hay bale to jump on Dia's back. She squealed and Divie responded with an excited squeal of her own. The two had become rather good friends as they were regular workmates. Dia side stepped in place, twitching wildly.
Jessie hopped up on Divie, followed by Hadley on Tayo. Hadley wasn't Tayo's normal rider, but she had taken a liking to the colt and just about anyone could ride him. Perks of being a horse that everyone liked and an easy ride.
Divie lead the charge onto the track, and she was almost charging, Dia had hooked up with her and the two were pressing at each other already. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone is what they always say isn't it? They started their warm ups and everyone was ready in just a few minutes. It was Tayo who shot out first, followed by Divie and a very willing Dia.
They all ran together as if it was the most natural thing they'd done together. Although none of them had ever ran in together in just a three horse workout, they did however work in each others company before. Tayo continued with his lead down the backstretch and he was doing it easily, then again no one was in a huge rush to take this workout further than it needed to be. But when they were in the final furlong of the work that was a different story. Divie and Dia launched an assault on Tayo, which was a gladly accepted challenge. Divie stuck a nose ahead of the darker colt and Dia faught along the outside like any other well seasoned race horse. Dirt flew in their wake as they faught right down to the wire with Divie a head in front of Tayo followed by a fast closing Dia.
Grayson Meadows was home to three particular sprinters that were rather underestimated. Nonetheless, their time under the radar was soon coming to an end, and when that happened god help all of those who they would leave in the dust.
Our Days Are Numbered
Speed Rush and Alex Shade
Attractive Flight and Jessie Coppermen
Attractive Flight and Jessie Coppermen
Grayson Meadows had taken on a lot of older sprinters lately, mostly to kick start their breeding program in which they'd begin to focus more on that distance area. With such a large roster this year the majority of those sprinters that had been taken in where taken in as breeding prospects. The main goal of their whole season was to hit Grade One and then retire.
Attractive Flight had joined Grayson Meadows' roster back in Y14, they'd planned to run him through to his five year old season but with recent additions plans had been changed for the half brother of Forbidden To Fly. Matty had been something of a struggle of a horse throughout his entire stay at Grayson Meadows, and he was finally starting to turn around, however his timing couldn't have been more than wrong. He was a single win away from Grade One and Aaron wasn't sure that he was ready to be done running. Should a horse that has so much potential retire before they reach their peak?
Speed Rush seemed to be rounding into form too, he wired an impressive field in the Forego Stakes* to make him Grade Two and the half brother to Mastermind was well on his way to Grade One as well. He was a purchase off of Blue Cross Estates closing sale back at the beginning of the year and he was slowly proving himself to be a rather valuable horse to have around. He may have been something of a speed demon, but when he was let lose on the lead, well the race was over as soon as the gates broke open. His incredible speed was also something that won him gritty head-to-head battles in the stretch.
Grayson Meadows had a rather unique advantage in these two horses. Forbidden To Fly and Mastermind had a rivalry for the ages, one that was so intense that it kept everyone on their toes wondering who would win in their next meeting. Amongst it's massive twenty one horse roster Grayson Meadows possessed the half brothers to both of these two in the form of Attractive Flight (Forbidden To Fly) and Speed Rush (Mastermind). They were two horses who were rather underestimated but also horses that no one was going to expect to come out of the blue and dominate a field. Which the two themselves kept their families rivalry alive, in their works they were at a constant 1-2 battle and they had both beaten each other in actual races.
Alex and Speedy lead the way out onto the track. The dark bay stallion looked as smashing as ever, they'd whipped him right into shape. there was one thing for sure with Speedy, fitness wasn't going to be an issue for the rest of his career. Which may or may not turn out to be much shorter than expected. That was the thing about these two, their days on the track were most definitely numbered with Matty one win away from Grade One and Speedy three wins away, every workout they went into there was the question on whether it may be their last.
Matty's sleek, strong form trotted out flawlessly behind Speedy and Jessie. If it was possible, this stallion managed to somehow get more handsome as he continued to age. His ears were pinned at Speedy, an old grudge you could say. Matty didn't exactly like losing, and although he'd beaten Speedy quite a few times himself, Speedy had wired him a few times, which he didn't appreciate much. As a matter of fact there were few horses at Grayson Meadows that Matty still liked. Most of them he'd never met out on the track.
There was a empty space that everyone felt should have been filled by a certain dark bay mare who had retired just a few short days ago. Sweetness Unlimited certainly would be missed in the pairs workout, normally she would have been out there with them in the mornings but she'd moved on to another career as a broodmare.
"Feels like there should be more of us," Jessie said, posting Matty's smooth trot.
"It's not like you're never going to see her again, she's literally two barns over." Alex smirked back at Jessie while posting Speedy's not so smooth trot. Every part of the horse was rough except for his gallop, which was like riding on a cloud. He was a very balanced horse, and it was a rather rare find in racehorses to find one as balanced as Speedy.
"I know- but-"
Alex shook his head and looked back at Jessie, "yeah, I get it. Let's get going."
Jessie and Matty were the first to load followed by Alex and Speedy. When the gates burst and both broke in good order it was Speedy who shot to the front. Obviously today he wasn't going to take it easy on anyone, Alex had him a hard hold and he battled with him for more head. Matty sat back with Jessie about a length behind the speedy bay colt. Somehow Alex had gotten him to settle down and they were running along at a brisk, but easy pace for him to maintain. Jessie knew better than to give Speedy an easy lead and he pressed Matty quicker to meet him at his hip, allowing Matty to still hang back but still make Speedy think he needed to move quicker. He'd learned a lot from last season, and his riding had improved majorly, he'd shed his apprentice jockey title and had a rather formidable record, mostly with sprinters. He'd won a leg of the triple sprinter crown, and on a filly at that, he was a highly thought of jockey amongst everyone else. The final furlong was approaching and Matty was now at Speedy's withers and they hooked up. Their family rivalry was still very strong Matty inched his nose in front and Speedy fought back hard to get his back in the lead. Head-in-head, stride-for-stride, they tore at eachother with ears pinned and nostrils flared. The wire neared and Speedy had his head up and Matty had his down, it was a victory for the son of Flying Colours, but it certainly wasn't the end of their ongoing rivalry.
The world was spinning in a whole new direction for the two of them, and it was a good thing too. They were going to do something incredible this season, and the staff at Grayson Meadows was just waiting to see who was the first to start.
Attractive Flight had joined Grayson Meadows' roster back in Y14, they'd planned to run him through to his five year old season but with recent additions plans had been changed for the half brother of Forbidden To Fly. Matty had been something of a struggle of a horse throughout his entire stay at Grayson Meadows, and he was finally starting to turn around, however his timing couldn't have been more than wrong. He was a single win away from Grade One and Aaron wasn't sure that he was ready to be done running. Should a horse that has so much potential retire before they reach their peak?
Speed Rush seemed to be rounding into form too, he wired an impressive field in the Forego Stakes* to make him Grade Two and the half brother to Mastermind was well on his way to Grade One as well. He was a purchase off of Blue Cross Estates closing sale back at the beginning of the year and he was slowly proving himself to be a rather valuable horse to have around. He may have been something of a speed demon, but when he was let lose on the lead, well the race was over as soon as the gates broke open. His incredible speed was also something that won him gritty head-to-head battles in the stretch.
Grayson Meadows had a rather unique advantage in these two horses. Forbidden To Fly and Mastermind had a rivalry for the ages, one that was so intense that it kept everyone on their toes wondering who would win in their next meeting. Amongst it's massive twenty one horse roster Grayson Meadows possessed the half brothers to both of these two in the form of Attractive Flight (Forbidden To Fly) and Speed Rush (Mastermind). They were two horses who were rather underestimated but also horses that no one was going to expect to come out of the blue and dominate a field. Which the two themselves kept their families rivalry alive, in their works they were at a constant 1-2 battle and they had both beaten each other in actual races.
Alex and Speedy lead the way out onto the track. The dark bay stallion looked as smashing as ever, they'd whipped him right into shape. there was one thing for sure with Speedy, fitness wasn't going to be an issue for the rest of his career. Which may or may not turn out to be much shorter than expected. That was the thing about these two, their days on the track were most definitely numbered with Matty one win away from Grade One and Speedy three wins away, every workout they went into there was the question on whether it may be their last.
Matty's sleek, strong form trotted out flawlessly behind Speedy and Jessie. If it was possible, this stallion managed to somehow get more handsome as he continued to age. His ears were pinned at Speedy, an old grudge you could say. Matty didn't exactly like losing, and although he'd beaten Speedy quite a few times himself, Speedy had wired him a few times, which he didn't appreciate much. As a matter of fact there were few horses at Grayson Meadows that Matty still liked. Most of them he'd never met out on the track.
There was a empty space that everyone felt should have been filled by a certain dark bay mare who had retired just a few short days ago. Sweetness Unlimited certainly would be missed in the pairs workout, normally she would have been out there with them in the mornings but she'd moved on to another career as a broodmare.
"Feels like there should be more of us," Jessie said, posting Matty's smooth trot.
"It's not like you're never going to see her again, she's literally two barns over." Alex smirked back at Jessie while posting Speedy's not so smooth trot. Every part of the horse was rough except for his gallop, which was like riding on a cloud. He was a very balanced horse, and it was a rather rare find in racehorses to find one as balanced as Speedy.
"I know- but-"
Alex shook his head and looked back at Jessie, "yeah, I get it. Let's get going."
Jessie and Matty were the first to load followed by Alex and Speedy. When the gates burst and both broke in good order it was Speedy who shot to the front. Obviously today he wasn't going to take it easy on anyone, Alex had him a hard hold and he battled with him for more head. Matty sat back with Jessie about a length behind the speedy bay colt. Somehow Alex had gotten him to settle down and they were running along at a brisk, but easy pace for him to maintain. Jessie knew better than to give Speedy an easy lead and he pressed Matty quicker to meet him at his hip, allowing Matty to still hang back but still make Speedy think he needed to move quicker. He'd learned a lot from last season, and his riding had improved majorly, he'd shed his apprentice jockey title and had a rather formidable record, mostly with sprinters. He'd won a leg of the triple sprinter crown, and on a filly at that, he was a highly thought of jockey amongst everyone else. The final furlong was approaching and Matty was now at Speedy's withers and they hooked up. Their family rivalry was still very strong Matty inched his nose in front and Speedy fought back hard to get his back in the lead. Head-in-head, stride-for-stride, they tore at eachother with ears pinned and nostrils flared. The wire neared and Speedy had his head up and Matty had his down, it was a victory for the son of Flying Colours, but it certainly wasn't the end of their ongoing rivalry.
The world was spinning in a whole new direction for the two of them, and it was a good thing too. They were going to do something incredible this season, and the staff at Grayson Meadows was just waiting to see who was the first to start.