battle at dawn

SIZZLING DAWN AND HENNA TURATH
BATTLE WINGS AND KRYSTAL YHATE

DAWN'S PREAKNESS STAKES WORKOUT

There was nothing more exhilarating than riding a pumped up Sizzling Dawn on a cold morning for a great workout. Henna Turath grinned as the filly practically sizzled beneath her with excitement. Dawn had no match when it came to intensity. She was the most intense horse in the stable, the most ruthlessly focused and passionate about what she did. It was futile of her to do anything more than direct her to the racetrack. Any further intervention would not be allowed with the intensely independent Dawn, and even Henna's level of control over the bay thoroughbred was impressive. Dawn strode out onto the dirt track that she had solely run on this year as though she owned it. With four wins, three seconds and a third to her name, that wasn't too far off.

Henna Turath gulped as she considered their next race. The Preakness Stakes. She had been wanting to get Dawn onto the Triple Crown trail ever since she had been nominated for the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Her fourth place finish in that race had not stopped Henna from seeking to go higher. And here they were. They would face Born To Impress and Nightshade for a lovely eleven furlong race of their lives. Dawn was a suicidal front runner, and that would have been of some concern had Red Herring and War Cry been in this race. But they weren't, and Dawn was predicted to be alone up there. The great upsetter.

To prepare her, she would be racing against Battle Wings. Krystal Yhate's juvenile filly was a strong runner and also a front runner. She was also brutally cold, so cold Krystal often found herself wondering what she had done wrong half the time. But Battle was Battle, and the only way to break that cold facade was to give her a fight. Thus, her current match with Dawn. It would be brutally fast, as these were two fillies unlikely to get along with each other. Swinging up on the daughter of Akuma Battlecry and Silent Wings, Krystal checked her stirrups and then calmly walked Battle to the dirt track. The seventeen hands high juvenile towered over her older counterpart and relished in that fact. Dawn didn't take the bait. She never backed down, only eyeing Battle almost condescendingly.

Amber Black was jittery. She had a lot to accomplish today and a new worry in the back of her mind, which she now set aside to focus on the Preakness Stakes. Her eyes sought Dawn, assessing the Wire filly's condition, before sweeping to Battle for a brief look. Then she nodded and motioned her two riders towards her. I want a clean workout. Nothing too fast. One mile gallop, picking it up on the end. That should be all Dawn here needs. She knows this track and we could very well upset this weekend...we'll just have to see. Henna nodded mutely, and Krystal grinned encouragingly across at her before both riders directed their charges to the inside rail.

Dawn picked up the pace the fastest. Battle matched her stride for stride even during this warm up canter. Already neither filly was backing down. They glared eye to eye as they swept up the track. Both had the powerful strides more befitting of colts than fillies, and their muscles rippled as they subtly attempted increasing their speeds in attempts to oust the other from first. Their riders kept the pace as low key as possible for a half mile before letting them gallop. Battle was the coldly calculating type, Dawn the one to take charge and charge in. So as Dawn swept up the track into her gallop, Battle was smart and stayed just a nose back from her, enough to taunt Dawn to no end. It was clever and merciless and Krystal grinned. Henna didn't let it get to her. They wouldn't be going to the Preakness if they couldn't take some pressure after all. Dawn played it well, accelerating just a bit to make the gap a half length before settling again into her high cruising speed.

The fillies swept along the dirt track with their manes nearly choking their riders as much as the wind created by their speed. They were creatures in flight, neither willing to back down, remaining undaunted in the face of challenge. Battle took the corners with just as much experience as Dawn, but Dawn was better at straightening out and refocusing in the straight. This gave Dawn a slight advantage, one Battle made up for by pushing herself even faster. The young juvenile was already a great young horse, and it was clear to Krystal that this workout was making her even better. To be pushed by one who races and feels exactly the same as you do is to learn valuable lessons. That was exactly why Amber had planned this workout today, after all.

They swept under the wire nose to nose. Henna was grinning as she pulled up Dawn, Battle still remaining alongside as she did so. She felt a spark of hope regarding their Preakness chances. They may seem outwardly outclassed, but it was time to prove that Dawn had it in her to do great things.