twilight of silence

SILLENIA AND KRYSTAL YHATE
TWILIGHT STAKES WORKOUT

There was a big race on the line, but Krystal Yhate felt as though she was taking Sill out for another ordinary run and workout. The five year old bay mare rode softly beneath her, vibrating with speed but quietly controlled today. It was one of those days when Sill wasn't headstrong at all and Krystal appreciated the ease with which she rode the daughter of Grand Silence. They needed that ease. The Twilight Stakes was here and they were facing Alluring Assault and Souvenir over eleven furlongs on the turf in a contest that could determine racing's newest turf queen once and for all. Alluring Assault was a year older than them and had appreciated the maturity, taking off like a bullet on speed. She had been vastly more successful this season than them for sure. Sill had run quietly. She had defended her title in the Breeders Cup Filly and Mare Turf and then proceeded to race only eleven times thus far, with five wins on the resume. Exactly the amount of races Allure had won. Krystal wondered if that extra rest they had been getting would give them a slight edge on race day.

Sillenia was a mare that was tough as nails. She was built like a colt, with layers of muscle, and she had played with the best of them and come away. She was reportedly one of the few competitors that managed to give excellent colt Executioner's Apprentice some trouble, and for the Alluring Assault crew she was their goal. She was the horse they were supposed to topple. As a two year old she had won the Juvenile Turf against a solid field of seven, all of whom had been colts. Then at three she had gone to the Filly and Mare Turf and won in a field of three. Last year she had won it again, this time against a field of eight or nine, in the process saving the contents of Amber Black's wallet. This year Krystal had been aiming for the Turf with the mare - they were good enough for that level of competition. But the Filly and Mare Turf was the better decision. They had a title to defend.

Losing to Alluring Assault here would be like losing the actual Breeders Cup race in four months time. That was how the press would make it out to be anyway. But to Krystal, a win or a loss here would not make or break their Filly and Mare Turf campaign. Allure was good, but she wasn't unbeatable, and neither was Sill. When it counted the mare could pull miracles. She didn't have the closing drive or sheer talent of Infinite Warcry, but she had a dogfighting and tough personality. In every race she was a tough horse to crack. Being defeated was a near miss and that was one of the things Krystal loved about Sill. They were never too far away.

Amber was lined up with Henna and Valencia at the rail. All three women watched Sillenia with varying degrees of admiration and calculation. The mare just looked so smooth and confident as she cantered along beneath Krystal. She was the picture of readiness, exquisitely posed. To get her re-acclimated to the Wire track Krystal had entered her in a dirt race last week here, the Madame Derby, which Sill had won stylishly. True, it had been a dirt race not a turf race, but it was enough for Sill to be happy with her surroundings. She had raced here twice, both of them second place finishes and her last race over the turf here had been in early May. But that wouldn't stop them. An experienced veteran like Sillenia wouldn't get thrown off by the track here. She knew what her job on the track was and she had gotten in down eighteen times. She wasn't the best racehorse out there, but she'd give Souvenir and Allure hell in the final furlongs. Her closing charge could demoralize, or it could encourage the other horses into sudden action, demonstrating their racing spirits.

The workout today was something Krystal had picked out herself. She knew how Sillenia worked, how she was feeling and what she needed to do to get her light as air for the Twilight Stakes. They would canter a mile, gallop half a mile and then breeze the remaining half. Bottom was not key here; a quick pickup and leg turner was. Amber knew the schedule and she no doubt had told Henna and Valencia. The three ladies were there to watch and admire, in Krystal's mind, and she was eager to give them a show. She grinned as she rode and Sill picked up on the good temper. She eased into Krystal's hands and all Krystal had to do was manipulate the putty beneath her. She got the feeling that Sillenia was essentially speaking to her, saying Just what are we doing today? I'm ready. That last trip to the winners' circle was great. Are we going there again? Let's go there again.

They had just cantered the mile and swept by Amber. Now she picked up the reins and hooted as Sill swept into her canter. The mare had a great break for a closer and immediately angled in to the ground saving rail, sparking with determination as she did so even though she raced no horse. The wind welcomed her as an old friend and Krystal loved the feeling, tickling her hair and Sill's mane as they rode along. It was gorgeous. Sill's gallop seemed slow but covered lots of ground. It was, after all, energy conserving and just off of the pace, where the mare liked it. She had a dramatic closing drive which had steadily developed over the seasons to be more of a steady lift in pace. She didn't go from barely moving to all out sprint - she gradually gained speed.

A good clip and then a faster one. The remaining half greeted them and Krystal barely had to ask Sill to go. She picked it up, the bay mare vibrating beneath her with sudden excitement and will. She loved this speed as much as the speed seemed to love her, and her hooves flew as she ran along, kicking some clods of turf behind her and essentially just having a great time. The wind struck through them and Krystal almost whispered into it, but she knew none would hear at this speed. They curved around the turn and in the stretch Sill was an absolute bullet. This was the place where she got her competition. She even angled out a bit to make way for their bodies as she passed, though there were none. And immediately upon passing under the wire the mare slowed obediently, though there was fire in her eyes and speed in her heart. She was ready, and Krystal knew they would make a good show of it.