axia's legacy

A ROYAL LEGACY AND AMBER BLACK
AXIS MUNDAE AND VALENCIA ANDREWS
LEGACY'S APRIL MAIDEN TURF WORKOUT
AXIA'S DEBUTANTE STAKES WORKOUT

You'd have never guessed that the bay two year old had just worked out last week. Right now he was dancing in place excitedly being a grinning Amber Black. She had been supremely pleased with his performance last weekend. It had been their first race together, and he had placed third. Red Herring and Born To Impress had placed ahead of them, but seriously - for only having him around for maybe two weeks, they were going strong, and now a new opportunity to break his maiden greeted him. There were five other horses he was facing in the April Maiden Turf and Amber was confident that they could defeat them all. They had the inside gate, meaning they could get squished at the start, but Legacy was a closer and he'd make up the ground at the end of the race.

The field was reasonably stacked with some talent. Older horse Spirit Of Joy was fresh and ready to go. The other older horse was Whipped Cream - however, the filly would be making her third start in a row and was likely to be a bit tired. Their other opponents were two year olds. Calamity Queen was absolutely poised to break her maiden. She had raced four times in March, though, and was coming into this off of only a week's rest. It was obvious that the filly was consistent, but Amber didn't know if she'd be able to bounce back from so many starts. Beautiful Liar was another horse coming into this race tired. She had been racing well, but this would be her fourth start in a row. Night Goddess from Intrepid Racing would be the freshest of the field, and she packed some talent. She'd be closing from behind with them and Amber wanted to keep an eye out for her.

Overall, it would be a close race, but Amber desired a win for the Merry Bay King son badly. He had gotten a taste of racing by now and it was time for him to become a grade five. Thus Amber had put Valencia Andrews on Axis Mundae and declared a workout. Legacy had just worked against Axia and there was no doubt that working against the black mare would make his competitive fire sizzle. Axia herself was racing next weekend in the Debutante Stakes. She was facing her full sister Beltane, which always made things interesting. There was also Spitting Image, who had won last time out and was on the brink of grade three, and Spitting Image, who was having a great season and looked poised for more. The field itself would be easy for Axia to navigate. She'd be able to settle into her usual closer position at the back and they'd go from there.

Valencia looked content as she sat in the saddle of the black four year old. Axia had just won last time out, ascending to grade two, and the sprinter/miler turf mare was growing into a really good racehorse. It seemed that, as a four year old, she was making full use of those legs and prepping to step it up on the track. Right now the black mare was bold as ever, striding without a care in the world, eyes taking in every detail. She was gorgeous, with fantastic conformation and so much musculature that she looked like a colt. And as she caught sight of the bay Legacy on the turf track, she snorted once and began to tow Valencia in that direction. Her eyes just screamed Oh look, he's back for another round.

Legacy stilled in his antics as the black drew closer. He lifted his head high in arrogance and stood stock still, a picture of stillness and authority as Axia continued walking towards him. The mare stopped and she, too, was stock still and appraising the colt before her. Finally their riders broke the standoff, turning both horses simultaneously and beginning to trot them down the turf track. Fire sizzled between the two thoroughbreds. They hadn't forgotten their last workout. If they had been humans, Amber knew that Legacy would have been muttering things about Axia's arrogance even though he, himself, was the epitome of arrogance. It was hard to keep them at this canter, and it would be worse at a gallop. But they were only blowing out two furlongs. Legacy was not going to get more than that to pound it out.

They cantered for a mile and then their time was upon them. Amber and Valencia released the reins and the fireworks exploded. Legacy opened up into a new stride and was absolutely flying, but Axia had been doing this for years and was a lot faster on the uptake. She glided like liquid over glass forward and left Legacy a bit behind. The bay stallion pumped his legs and worked hard on getting back up there, his eyes pinned forward onto the empty straight. He sprinted, and Axia sprinted, and the two came in with Axia barely a neck ahead and strengthening her resolve to pull away. And that really made Legacy want to burn his upcoming competition off the track. Amber grinned. This workout had done the trick, for both horses.