let's get this STARTED b a b y

[S u N f r O s T ~]

Let's go Blue I coaxed, and he trotted out onto the dirt track at my command. The Golden Start Stakes was coming up. It would be our first race together, and his third career start. He had experience on his side, and the distance was smack dab in the middle of his preferences. We had been working at the track and he now treated me with a respectful air as we warmed up on the dirt track - but we weren't bonded yet. Gaining a bond with Limited Bluez was something tough to do, except when the colt was running. Today I hoped to gain a milestone in our bond as well as prepare him for the Golden Start Stakes. I was aiming for a place in the top three, if not the win.

The chestnut colt responded eagerly when I asked for the canter, opening up and letting his quiet happiness flood into his movement. Unlike Prancer, Blue had no problem with relaxing his emotionless state when he ran. His emotions aided his running, if they were the right ones. He never did experience any wrong emotions on the track, and I shuddered at the thought of what might happen should he ever be unhappy when working out. He had the strength to throw any rider off, and that could be what would happen on one of those days.

We were in the backstretch and moving at a smooth, liquid pace by now. Blue's stride was short and swift, but he would extend his stride unflinchingly if asked. He could run well at collected or extended gallop, another asset of his that I planned to use to our advantage. Today I was favoring a gallop with part extended, part collected strides, as seven furlongs was neither sprint nor distance - it was in the middle. We would start as soon as we were a furlong past the wire, right at the first turn. We still had a ways to go at our warm up. I sat back and enjoyed the fluidity of his strides, letting the time pass as quickly as it would like.

Some minutes later we were approaching our starting point. We cantered under the wire, and I immediately pulled the colt up. Blue grudgingly tugged at the reins a bit before obeying, slowing to a trot and then sliding to a stop as we reached our start point. I planned to have a standing start without the gates, as I was too lazy to get Krystal and Henna to move it for me. I crouched forward, grabbing a little mane and plenty of rein, and then counted in my head.
One.....two......three......GO!

We were off and running smoothly. Blue's speed flared at the beginning, and I pulled in some rein. We curved around the first turn at a blazing pace - a bit too fast for my liking. I slowed him up as we plunged into the second furlong, and after the second furlong passed we were going at my desired speed. Five furlongs were ahead of us, and I planned to run him like I would in the race. Blue was a front runner, and he wasn't afraid to go to great lengths to maintain his lead, but he needed to be taught to back down sometimes, only to roar ahead later. I estimated his current pace to be where I wanted it, and edged the colt a bit off the rail. We were in the middle, neither inside nor outside and in the perfect position to block any horse that tried to overtake us. Blue didn't mind not having the rail - it was only at the turn that he went right for it.

Another couple of furlongs passed. We had three furlongs left to go. A light sheen of sweat covered the colt's body, but his breathing was even and his pace was steady. I prepared myself to let him rip as we approached the turn, and then released him at the same time as pulling him over to the rail as the final turn came up. He plunged his head forward eagerly and ran for all he was worth. His formerly extended strides - as I had had them in the backstretch - became much more collected as I urged him into his sprinting pace.

We roared around the turn and plunged into the dirt backstretch. Blue pushed off powerfully with his hind legs, his front legs reaching forward to gobble up ground. His sturdy chestnut body soared gracefully over the track like a filly's, only the muscles along his body were that of a colt's. His long tail billowed out behind him like a banner of victory. He was the essence of a thoroughbred - grace, strength, class, power, courage, determination. That's a good boy Blue I almost purred to him as we flew under the wire, and the colt's ears pricked and he managed a quiet whinny of pleasure at my praise. I smiled proudly as I pulled him up.

We had gained a milestone in our bond for sure. He was prancing proudly underneath me, and no doubt he was ready to crush his rivals in the Golden Start Stakes. You can do it now Blue. Let's get this started baby I whispered in praise to the chestnut two year old, and the thoroughbred responded with a low nicker of happiness that held within a solemn promise. Those horses were going down.