it's nearly time

[S u N f r O s T ~]

ATHENA'S DESIRES AND HENNA TURATH
PANDORA AND KYLIE SILVERSTAR
TRINITY AND CHRISTOPHER BLACK

This could very well be the challenge of the generation. Christopher Black felt small and inconsequential aboard Trinity’s back. The three year old filly was still her generation’s largest wild card. She was just as capable of beating the best as she was of finishing dead last for seemingly no reason. She was very talented but challenging to ride in a race, needing constant encouragement in order to find her stride and last to the end, or to even make that bold bid for the lead like she needed to. Chris was still learning. He was young and had a gentle hand, too gentle for many people’s liking. Valencia teased him to no end, embarrassed him all the time. But there was one other who was very similar to Christopher, and she was riding against him in this very workout.

Kylie Silverstar eyed Christopher Black. At one time she would have been nervous; now, the successes of her two mounts had made her less so. Pandora was widely regarded as a threat over any surface she ran on. During her first start over the dirt, she had defeated Sun King. Over the turf, she had beaten top colt Take Flight. Both of these horses were Breeders Cup winners. She had taken them down. Impressario foals were just scary at three, decided Kylie. She wished she could give some encouragement to Christopher, let him know that his time would come soon as well, but she was still just too shy for that. Perhaps one day she would.

Henna Turath eyed the young people she was riding with and couldn’t help her sly smirk. They were both so eerily similar. Especially in that they would both be defeated by her horse. Athena’s Desires, winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, was lighting the track on fire with her performances. She was speed on speed, just as her pedigree had designed her to be. And she was eyeing these two horses as though they were the oats she had eaten that morning. It made Henna laugh openly. The others looked at her as though she was psychotic, but she couldn’t help it. These two were in for some speed. Amber was at the rail watching, and she made note of Henna’s laughter. Shaking her head but smirking all the same, she nodded to the three waiting jockeys as they finished their first lap of the track at a jog. It was time to run.

Classic season was coming up. Athena’s break would give her a lot of advantage in the sprints. They had been practicing this, and it showed as she burst forward like shot out of a cannon and left her competitors temporarily stunned. The other fillies recovered, but not before Athena had put a neat length between herself and them. Trinity shadowed the other filly. Pandora took a spot at the back, a strong presence, leaving her competitors aware of her even though she was out of sight. They would be in for a surprise later on.

Athena guided them through a steady quarter. Trinity moved up a bit closer as they went into the fifth furlong, Christopher encouraging her with light words and gentle hands. Pandora remained chill in the back, willing to go on the minute the time was right. That time came as Athena accelerated sharply in the sixth furlong, flashing the speed of her lines as she poured it on. Trinity put on the speed to stay with her…and Pandora simply accelerated at an unbelievable rate, coasting to run with them as though it was nothing. Pan had a way of making everything look effortless. Her form was unbelievable right now – even an inexperienced jockey like Kylie knew that. She could put them away easily right now, so easily, unless they responded in kind or were hiding what they really had.

They were hiding it. Pandora made a bid for the lead, smoothly loading into first gear and going away. But she was accompanied by a suddenly speedy Athena, whose legs blurred as she stayed with the other filly, and a full-of-heart Trin. They stuck together almost all the way to the wire, until Athena lunged with the sudden speed that only true-blue sprinters possess. She got the win by the barest nose over the classy Pan and the brave Trin. The workout had been one of speed, class and heart, and it would be nothing but good for classic season. Amber looked at her stopwatch and grinned widely. Oh yes. This would be exactly what was needed for a strong showing during this tough year.