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Post by S u N f r O s T ~ on Sept 13, 2012 21:15:28 GMT -5
FORBIDDEN TO FLY AND HENNA TURATH ETERNAL PHANTOM AND KRYSTAL YHATE SANTA ANITA DERBY WORKOUT
You'd be hard pressed to find horses that were more opposite each other. Eternal Phantom, the black filly with bloodlines of gold and an attitude that was serious and deadly, packed with determination and speed. Forbidden To Fly, the sprinter miler gray two year old who had stolen the Breeders Cup Juvenile from Instant Success and had been winning a storm at the Wire tracks, having fought his way to grade two, and with a sense of humor and a lack of seriousness not often found in horses of his class. Only Henna Turath had the patience to deal with Fly - Amber and Krystal would never manage to pull off what she had with him. Likewise, no person would have been able to pull off riding Phantie as Krystal did. Krystal understood the black filly's drive and she knew her moods and temper. Thus, they got along.
Fly was a joke today, as per usual. He glided forward with energetic boyishness, his neighs echoing in the morning air and his stride sprightly. He had come out of his second in the Louisiana Derby happily and was prepping this week for the Santa Anita Derby. He wouldn't actually run in the Triple Crown, but he could run in races at that distance and Henna took full advantage of pitting him against some worthy competition. As for Eternal Phantom, she appeared to be the sole filly gunning for the Triple Crown this year. It was in her blood. Her sister Midnight Thriller was following a Triple Tiara trail but could go either way at this point in time. Phantie would run the series for her. Her biggest competition looked to be Euphoria's Warrior. The three year old had beaten them a couple of times, as they had beaten him. Krystal wanted Phantie to be the first female winner of the Triple Crown just as badly as Amber wanted Infini to just win the Turf Triple Crown already. So here she was, working Phantie out with Fly for the Santa Anita.
Their competition was Fiery Touch and This Means War. Fie was a horse they had recently sold to Witch Creek, and now the bay Touch Up filly was marking herself as a contender for the Triple Tiara. To see her in a Triple Crown prep was interesting, and Amber had guessed that Ripley Marsh just desired a change of pace for the filly in an effort to break her thirditus streak. This Means War was the other entry. He hadn't been seen out on the track yet this year and was a newcomer to the scene. That made him dangerous, and they'd be cautious of him on race day. But overall, SOPS stood a good shot of placing one-two in the Santa Anita. So they were gunning for that.
Amber stood at the track rail as Fly and Phantie were ridden out. Phantie was already noiselessly gliding through the air, her eyes sizing up and dismissing her competition even as she prepared to run hard against him. She knew who Fly was. Contrasting sharply with her, Fly was noisy. He pranced forward eagerly, his seriousness not increasing one bit as he stepped hoof onto the dirt track, still tossing his head and making at least some kind of sound every stride. Krystal couldn't help sending a brief glare of irritation in the colt's direction. The three year old was simply intolerable, with all that noise! But Henna had a soft smile curving her face and wasn't bothered by the colt at all. She had resumed petting his neck tenderly, smiling at each outcry of noise from the colt. She felt his enthusiasm as they began to warm up, cantering noisily forward. Like a black wraith Phantie cantered with dignity alongside, her nose in the air and her eyes straight ahead as she arrogantly ignored her competitor for today.
The two horses cantered a lap and were then pulled up in front of Amber. She eyed the colt and filly critically, nodded once and then launched into her pre-workout instructions. Keep them together for a half mile at the gallop and race the last half. Let them run as they please. They can push themselves a bit right now and not be impacted for this race or their next ones a week after. Let them run. I'll be timing you. Krystal nodded, sending another irritated look at the still jabbering Fly before urging Phantie towards the starting point. Henna sighed and muttered Lack of tolerance, don't mind her Fly, she doesn't know you're about to kick her horse's butt before following as sedately as possible.
They toed the line and then were off. The click of the stopwatch was inaudible as horsey breaths became the soundtrack of the air. They were off and running and nothing was holding the two back from absolutely running the socks off of each other. Amber held the stopwatch and her eyes glimmered as they raced and ran, their legs flying and determination matched. Double trouble for the Santa Anita Derby. SOPS was going to go one-two.
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