flashy sunrise

[S u N f r O s T ~]

FLASHY WINGS AND HENNA TURATH
DARK SUNRISE AND KRYSTAL YHATE

FLASH'S AND SUNNY'S WORKOUT FOR THE INDEPENDENCE CUP

Henna had adopted a sort of interesting expression when aboard Flashy Wings. She was always serious when she rode the gorgeous blood bay colt now. Nothing interfered with her focus, either. There could be a bomb going off on her right, and she would just keep riding Flash - albeit faster, so as to leave the scene as quickly as possible and keep the colt safe. Fresh off of a Triple Crown campaign which had ended with the capture of two of the three legs, Flash was coming back to the Independence Cup after a nice month long rest from the races. He had taken the first week entirely off and then been built back into the racing rotation afterwards. He looked good, with his head held high and body groomed immaculately. Henna looked serious. They had to win their next race. Henna knew that she insisted on this a lot, but Flash needed for his record. The press tooted the horn of Sunset Crusade and not Flashy Wings, and Henna couldn't have that. She wanted her colt to take the crown and win Best Three Year Old Colt, not the Star Thoroughbreds son of Akuma Battlecry. As the first grade one of the crop, Henna was set on having Flash prove his greatness.

Their workout partner was Dark Sunrise. Ordinarily, the colt-like filly would be ridden by Henna, but Krystal had actually begun to bond with the four year old and could now ride her in races if necessary. Sunny was a closer, and Flash was a stalker. Their running styles were different, and they had never really been worked together before. However, both were entered in the Independence Cup, and both were contesting for the win. Sunny had had an average season for her. She was two wins off of grade one and Henna was looking forward to making her next year of racing extraordinary. It would be her last season, after all. But this year, Henna was content with how Sunny was doing. She was learning to run with the big guns and gaining a lot of experience. Flash qualified as a big gun. The fresh grade one three year old already outclassed her, and Henna wanted Sunny to get some experience from working with him.

They would be galloping six furlongs together. Not racing, just galloping. Henna didn't want anybody to be pushed too far. Right now they were cantering, and it was a sprightly canter. Flash moved with the powerful strides of a lion, whilst Sunny moved as though she was a colt, more muscle than lean mass. It was kind of like how Sillenia moved when ridden. Sill also had a habit of acting like a colt. But back to the pair. They had been cantering for a little bit now, and they were ready to begin some galloping. Thus, at the quarter pole, the jockeys simultaneously dropped their hands and let the horses go. Being racehorses, the colt and mare took the extra freedom eagerly, and they were off and running in no time.

Despite the two horses' obvious desire to get in their preferred positions, Henna and Krystal kept them nose to nose as they galloped. They weren't racing, after all. Sunny's gallop was strong and long. Being a closer, she was a master of acceleration and packed a powerful kick. Flash, on the other hand, galloped easily, with fast strides of average length. He was no closer - he stalked the leaders and then gradually got around and ahead of them. He was the winner of the Preakness and the Belmont, and it showed as he rated his pace to match Sunny's without being asked.

Before long they were thundering into race pace. The fight was furious. Sunny accelerated the fastest, briefly gaining the advantage, but then Flash put in a last burst of speed and won with a nose in front. The race was close, and it showed that these two thoroughbreds were ready to battle in the Independence Cup.