on thin ice

ITALIAN ICE AND VALENCIA ANDREWS
FIRE DANCER AND KRYSTAL YHATE

ICEE'S WORKOUT FOR THE PRINCE OF WALES STAKES

The black filly and bay mare met each other on the dirt track with a cold glance exchanged in between. This was where powerful intimidation met stuck up arrogance. Fire Dancer, the five year old bay daughter of Native Flame. snorted and pawed the dirt. This was the Wire's dirt track, the one she preferred the most. She had tanked in her first start of the year at Green Horse Fields, then came over here and started winning like crazy. She was on a two race streak in the Zenyatta Derby series and was quickly becoming a horse nobody could question the talent of. She was strong and sure out here on the track, and the winner of twenty races. She could not be faulted, a picture of perfection as she stood and held her head high. At seventeen hands, she would not be intimidated.

Italian Ice merely watched the tall mare as though pondering the best way to crush her. The three year old had a sharp mind and the attitude of a complete princess. She herself was tall, but Fire was just an inch taller. These two would have a powerful rivalry if they met up more on the track. As it was, their age and grade divisions kept them far away. Icee snorted once in disdain before breaking away without a care in the world from the glare of Fire. It was an outward insult to ignore the presence of the other mare and this was exactly what Icee did, apparently more interested in the other horses on the track than the one who would be her workout partner. Valencia snorted and smirked at Krystal, who smirked right back knowingly. Icee had buckets of talent, but Fire was a veteran. Youth met experience indeed.

The Prince of Wales Stakes was here, and in that race Icee would have a chance to continue her bid for the Canadian Triple Crown or to flounder and fail. Her powerful win in the Queen's Plate had been a great comeback from her second in the Belmont Turf Classic to Bella Luna. Icee was on the warpath. She didn't like to lose and rarely did if Valencia Andrews was in the irons. In fact, she had only lost once with this particular jockey-horse combo. Valencia and Icee just understood each other. They had similar goals and similar ambitious ways of getting what they wanted. They were also similarly arrogant. Valencia felt as though Icee was an equine reflection of her soul, and despite their short time together understood the filly completely. How else could they have won the Juvenile Fillies Turf on such short notice? Valencia snorted. There were people who thought Bella Luna was the best three year old out there, but Valencia thought that if Icee had been in training with her all year there might have been a different ending to the Turf Triple Crown story. After all, this was the filly who had defeated Bella Luna at the Breeders Cup. They could have done it again if they had had more time to work together.

They would just have to settle for winning the Canadian Triple Crown. But it would not be easy. The Prince of Wales was a rematch from the Queen's Plate. Once more they would face GS Royal Crown and GS Supercharged. They would need to bring their best to the table to beat them again. Valencia's eyes grew dark with calculation as she trotted Icee after Fire. Krystal had decided to start the workout with a rousing canter, something to get their horses warmed up and ready to go. Both mares cantered in a similar fashion. They had powerful strides and were lean with muscle and desire. Fire had flicked her tail almost delicately in Icee's face to start things off, practically screaming Catch me if you can! And Icee would. The black filly streamed to the outside and then lengthened her stride, effortlessly going stride for stride with the older mare.

Fire and Icee made for a beautiful picture as they went side by side. Fire's eyes gleamed as she challenged Icee and Icee responded by sticking with her. They accelerated to a rousing gallop, long strides graceful as they swung forward over the dirt track. Valencia stretched out over Icee, feeling the speed picking up in her legs and muscles, feeling the desire in her heart mirrored in her mount's. Icee was so on the go. They wanted to win, win and keep winning. That was all they wanted. To prove themselves. They were both rookies of a sort together, but they made up a deadly and proven combination of power and speed. Krystal and Fire were old hats at the game. So they could appreciate the amazing combination that was Icee and Valencia winging it over the track.

The two mares steadily accelerated as the furlongs spread out behind them and their similar desires to beat each other rose. Krystal and Valencia eyed each other as they accelerated at the pinnacle of the workout. Icee and Fire were gunning it now, eyes bright and muscles heaving as they galloped under the wire after an amazing mile long workout. Their gallop out was equally strong, with Icee snorting and Fire remaining imperious and silent. The two were definitely ready to make their next big steps out on the track.