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Post by S u N f r O s T ~ on May 8, 2012 16:23:55 GMT -5
FLASHY WINGS AND HENNA TURATH TDI LIVE THIS LIE AND AMBER BLACK
FLASH'S AND FALSEHOOD'S WORKOUT FOR THE SWEET STALKER MEMORIAL STAKES
If ever a race was huge, it would be this one. Henna could barely control the trembling in her lip as she mounted Flash and got the handsome blood bay going at a trot along the dirt track. The Sweet Stalker Memorial Stakes loomed. It was to be their first race after a lengthy Triple Crown effort, and they were extremely well rested for it. Coming off of a glorious win the Belmont that had gotten him grade one status, Flash had been trained carefully during a month and a half long layoff. Or had it been two months? Either way, the three year old was fit as a drum and moved with a lot of energy. He was eager to listen and his ears remained swiveled back slightly, as though waiting to catch any words Henna might have to say. But Henna was consumed in thoughts of worry. She almost didn't notice when Falsehood drew up alongside them. The gray thoroughbred had recently become a grade two, winning against some cheap fields. He struggled against other competition. In truth, he was probably the longest shot in the Sweet Stalker Memorial. Yet Amber seemed a lot less worried than Henna.
The field, besides them, consisted of Xalbadora, Born To Soar and Furious Passion. It was the Triple Tiara and Triple Crown winners that worried Henna. Flash would be facing the toughest competition in that division. He had to be ready. Henna had worked too hard for them not to be ready. Flash had come away with a win in the Preakness and the Belmont due to her hard work. They had not had the time to put in such work before the Kentucky Derby, hence their second place finish to Sunset Crusade. But for this they were preparing, with one goal in mind; win. Henna had desired a fair few wins out of both Flash and her other amount, his half brother Asus, lately. Asus had been getting them with hard work and dedication. She could only hope that her similarly tough work would serve its desired purpose with Flash. As for Amber, she was content with Falsehood's performance. She knew that his chances of pulling a surprise in the Sweet Stalker were extremely slim, and had decided to just go out there and try their best. Falsehood had done more than she had thought he would, given his performance. Not every horse hit grade two. It had been a proud moment.
For their prep workout today, the two male thoroughbreds were going to go out for a mile long gallop. The race itself was ten furlongs, but the horses had run that enough times to know what to do themselves and when. All they needed was maintenance. Falsehood was in brilliant form, coming off of an August Dirt Stakes win, and Flash had been worked hard for two months on the track to increase conditioning and didn't need the extra workout right now. Flash was basically chafing at the bit for a race. He had, of course, raced against other horses during his time off, primarily Impressario, but he still desired the feel of the crowd's eyes on him. Paparazzi had, of course, attempted to infiltrate the SOPS grounds, but they had been quickly turned away by the bugling calls of Fly, who sounded more like a guard dog, and the menacing glares sent their way by Phantie.
Flash didn't seem to mind the company of Falsehood, and Falsehood didn't seem to want to compete with Flash for dominance much, either. They galloped side by side smoothly and nicely, neither fighting the other, and Henna and Amber were glad for some peace. But this could only last for so long. Soon, it was time to gallop, and the women wondered if an eruption of sudden male competitiveness would occur. They cued their mounts and held them in, waiting for the explosion. Instead, Falsehood just happily took a slight lead on Flash, and Flash settled comfortably behind. Neither was truly pressuring the other; instead, it was more like they worked together, Falsehood setting a comfortable pace and Flash working with it.
As the mile long gallop continued, it seemed like this good humor was to continue as well. Amber and Henna never had problems holding their horses back for the entirety of the workout. Instead, Flash only edged up slightly as the sixth furlong, legs moving smoothly, and Falsehood responded by moving slightly faster as well. By the seventh furlong, Flash was sensing an end and closing in, but Falsehood responded gamely. Almost without meaning to, the riders realized that the workout was quickly evolving into a race between two horses who didn't seem to be competitive with each other. It was like a partnership, and they were both fascinated by it.
The end of the mile dawned. Amber pulled up Falsehood without much difficulty, while Henna had to work a little bit to slow a suddenly excited Flash. The two stallions had worked well together. Their riders were eager to see where this paradoxically noncompetitive rivalry would take the two, especially on race day.
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