Post by Ripley on Dec 3, 2013 23:15:41 GMT -5
Dubai Dreams
Feline Frenzy's First Workout of Year Fourteen
Mastermind's First Workout of Year Fourteen
Sand Track Prep
Feline Frenzy's First Workout of Year Fourteen
Mastermind's First Workout of Year Fourteen
Sand Track Prep
Dubai World Sprint
Purple and pink sky spread over the pure white sand, the most recent addition to The Wire's racing facility. The lights were on, reflecting the purity of the sand and turning the atmosphere into a scenic beauty. Fog covered the barn area leaving the track in a solitary spotlight. A chilly spring breeze whipped up the homestretch, battering Laura's blue "WCS" labeled wind coat. She shivered, her blue eyes running down the length of the track in amazement and awe. The beginning of last year she had been in Europe, labeled a juvenile delinquent and sent to her Aunt Maggiletti in the States. Since then, everything had changed. She'd ridden a Breeders' Cup winner, won a Melbourne, and developed two long forgotten mares into one of the grade one elite. After all that, Laura was still convinced everything would be a dream she would wake up from.
A snort sounded beneath her, shaking Laura from her silent thoughts. Her gaze shifted from the horizon to the horse standing beneath her. The horse was a plain bay mare with a small head, her body was slight, only a 15.2 hands and she was pretty unassuming. Her eyes glowed brightly, filled with the new environment, but intelligent enough to know that this was still a track. A track she would run on and prove herself to be among the elite sprinters from Year Thirteen. Laura ran a gentle hand down the bay mare's neck, smiling at the satiny feel. Feline Frenzy, unassuming plain bay, winner of fourteen starts and a Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint champion. Who would have thought it?
Hoofbeats sounded up the track causing Laura and Fee to both shift their attention. Laura's blue eyes danced happily. It was nearly time to test her grade one mare against the best three year old sprinter colt of last year. Her fingers tapped on the leather in rhythm to the hoofbeats. Chestnut flesh, a single white star, a muscular body. Mastermind, son of Speed Demon and El Sol del Mar, came toward them well in control of himself over the sand track. Laura shook her head. Of course, there was nothing the chestnut stallion could do wrong.
Ripley had been expecting an easy transition from the regular surfaces of turf and dirt to the sand track. What she hadn't expected was a dream transition. Mastermind had taken to the sand with ease, at first playing in it as if it were snow. He'd snorted and squealed, reared to the delight of the onlookers who watched like hawks from the rail. Now, he floated over the sand, tail lifted high into the air, nostrils flared, looking more arab than thoroughbred. No... Mastermind was definitely a whole other breed of racehorse. A two time Breeders' Cup champ had to be. She patted his neck, nodded at Laura when the girl asked Feline Frenzy to join them down the track at a canter.
"Not a bad view at all, right?" Ripley asked. Laura smirked. "The Wire outdid themselves with this track. I could almost live here." Ripley laughed, tightened her fingers on the reins causing Mastermind to stiffen up for take off. She relaxed them immediately, nodding when he settled down. Push button was what Mastermind was, but Ripley wasn't about to get off the first son of her only Hall of Fame mare. Not even if Hell froze over. Mastermind was all hers, putting someone else on him at this point would simply be an endearment to that other rider.
"I could too. This Carnival will be good enough for me though. Too many horses may not like it." Ripley cocked her head to the side, eying Feline Frenzy. The little bay mare was kicking up a ton of the sand, her nostrils flaring rapidly in and out. She was full of herself, excited to be back in racing mode after a week off. The bay mare would have this race, a run in the Unicorn Horn Dirt Sprint before heading on a well-deserved two month vacation. "How's she feel?" No one knew Feline Frenzy better than Laura DeComte. Not even her trainer. A rider always knew more. Laura's brow was furrowed in concentration, but her reins hung loose as she allowed Feline Frenzy to get the handle of the surface.
The pair of thoroughbreds had been galloping for a week now over the sand. Mastermind had taken to it like a child to cake. Feline Frenzy had questioned it at first, but now she was just skimming over the sand like a seagull over the waves. Laura's eyes twinkled as she looked at Ripley. Ripley nodded. That was all she needed to know. "Alright then. We'll go eight furlongs at a solid gallop, four in a breeze. They're still in shape from Breeders' Cup and the gallops over this stuff have kept them pretty trim."
Laura just lifted a brow at her boss. Ripley had turned her attention to the front. Why Ripley felt like she needed to justify herself after the training job she'd done in Year Thirteen, Laura had no idea. She shrugged. Ripley had always been that way, trying to include her jocks even though she had a mastermind plot for each horse in her barn. The jocks just exercised until Ripley told them it was time to run. Laura had been honored to see that Ripley had chosen her and Feline Frenzy to join Mastermind, Frozen Motion and Bella Luna at the Dubai World Carnival. She would do her best not to let her boss down.
Mastermind's muscles rippled beneath his burnished hide, the picture of elegance and power. The colt had been a superstar from his first victory on the track. A wavering moment in Ripley's mind had nearly retired the colt early in his three year old season. Amber Black had suggested to her to keep the colt on the track, the only thing Amber Black had ever suggested to a rival stable, and Ripley had listened because there was nothing else she could do. Mastermind had shown a will to run again over the next series of starts and then suddenly it was like the flame had burst into full force. One win in the Turf Sprinter Crown, two legs of the Dirt Sprinter Crown and a King's Bishop victory later and Mastermind was one of the top hopefuls for the dirt sprints and miles. This would be his first start of the season against the toughest competition over the turf and dirt circuit. Ripley's faith in her powerful chestnut stallion was only growing. Mastermind had one final season to prove he was as great as sire and dam. In Ripley's mind, he already had. This would be the cherry on the top of a sundae.
The sprinter duo danced into the backstretch, Feline Frenzy on the lead as she liked best. The little bay mare did not have the accolades of Mastermind and Year Fourteen would be her proving ground. Could she prove that Year Thirteen was not just a fluke? Laura gritted her teeth, eyes flashing. Laura would help the mare prove it. Feline Frenzy meant the world to Laura. The mare had given her something to hold onto, that would stay with her well beyond these few years of racing.
Ripley could feel the waves of pride and undisputed determination pouring off of Laura. The jockey would be one of the toughest beats in racing history. The green eyed trainer looked forward to facing off with the jockey. Laura would be coming into her prime very soon. Ripley would enjoy a nice, stretch-long duel down the stretch. Mastermind galloped fluidly over the sound, chestnut mane waving like a flame back behind his head. Each hoof was placed with such precision, that Ripley could hear the clear beats as she would have on a dry, less precarious track. Mastermind was made for the sand as well as anybody else.
He kept close to Feline Frenzy's barrel, eying her with caution, but not unease. As they journeyed up the homestretch, Ripley could feel Mastermind thinking. He was so curious about the bay mare, having worked with her the majority of the week, but never any other time in his career. Ripley knew Mastermind was making a decision as to whether she was a serious threat or not. She shook up the reins, watched the stallion's ears flatten as he noted the movement. Suddenly Mastermind got a lot more serious. His eyes flashed with annoyance and his head leveled out with his neck. He'd decided that Feline Frenzy was a threat.
Fee's ears slapped against her neck when Mastermind's aura turned vicious. Her eyes rolled white and she sped up to keep head and head with the faster stallion. Laura had seen Ripley flick the reins, knew she'd been telling Mastermind that Feline Frenzy was indeed a threat. The connection between those two was as open as an open book test. Laura barely had to change her position, only shifting for more comfort as Fee took it to Mastermind going back into the far turn.
Together, the plain bay and arrogant chestnut raced up the backstretch, drawing binoculars like bugs to a light. Feline Frenzy would not be headed by the chestnut stallion. Feline Frenzy would be right on the lead for the length of the race, a world of talent streaming out behind her. Mastermind would not be sitting this close, but a stamina builder was exactly what he would need in order to beat the likes of Sugar Jayde, Lynara's Kingdom and Axis Mundae. He had to have as much speed in reserve to come out with a victory. Ripley patted his neck. They would have the perfect position, they had the talent, they had beaten Lynara's Kingdom before. But still... going into this race as the only stallion, Ripley still felt they were the underdog.
The underdog, Laura gritted her teeth, fighting off the thought. Mastermind was a world class racehorse and he was sticking to Feline Frenzy. But she was fighting him off, the pro sprinter, taking to the sand in a way that made Laura believe she could take to the dirt. She cut the final turn hard, whipping into the last two furlongs of the heated battle. Here would be Fee's proving ground, a test for Laura's finishing capability. Mastermind, with his brilliant red cape, was coming after them like a wild runner.
Ripley's eyes flashed. She hadn't even tapped on the gas pedal. Mastermind carried his head and tail high, though his ears remained pin, she could see them flickering. He had the measure of Feline Frenzy. Ripley knew it, could feel it. However, Feline Frenzy had a courage in the battle that was second only to Cross'. She would not be giving up with a white flag of surrender.
Wild hoofbeats pounded through the air as Mastermind roared to confront head and head with Feline Frenzy. The clockers murmured in awe, impressed by the slingshot turn of foot. Laura threw the reins down at Feline Frenzy. It was the bay mare's courage that had brought them this far into the game, it was the bay mare's courage that would fend off Mastermind now. She kicked into another gear, her body angular and aerodynamic as she cut a path through the wavering sand. The pair of them blazed a path to the wire, head and head. Mastermind was now forced to realize that Feline Frenzy remained a threat for she still remained a nose in front.
It was a furious battle of wills, speed and talent. Ripley and Laura both rejoiced in the brilliance of it. The rush was intense and incredible as the pair crossed the wire, Mastermind finally getting up by a head. He galloped out past Feline Frenzy, tossing his head and trumpeting the wind. Mastermind had grown up into a arrogant stallion. Ripley's smile flashed out from her very dirty face. She patted his neck, turned him to face a cantering Feline Frenzy. "That was a very good workout. Dirt seems to agree with them both." Laura nodded, blue eyes glowing as she planted a kiss on her mare's neck. Feline Frenzy had not lost a step now that she was a year older. Perhaps, she was just getting better.
A snort sounded beneath her, shaking Laura from her silent thoughts. Her gaze shifted from the horizon to the horse standing beneath her. The horse was a plain bay mare with a small head, her body was slight, only a 15.2 hands and she was pretty unassuming. Her eyes glowed brightly, filled with the new environment, but intelligent enough to know that this was still a track. A track she would run on and prove herself to be among the elite sprinters from Year Thirteen. Laura ran a gentle hand down the bay mare's neck, smiling at the satiny feel. Feline Frenzy, unassuming plain bay, winner of fourteen starts and a Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint champion. Who would have thought it?
Hoofbeats sounded up the track causing Laura and Fee to both shift their attention. Laura's blue eyes danced happily. It was nearly time to test her grade one mare against the best three year old sprinter colt of last year. Her fingers tapped on the leather in rhythm to the hoofbeats. Chestnut flesh, a single white star, a muscular body. Mastermind, son of Speed Demon and El Sol del Mar, came toward them well in control of himself over the sand track. Laura shook her head. Of course, there was nothing the chestnut stallion could do wrong.
Ripley had been expecting an easy transition from the regular surfaces of turf and dirt to the sand track. What she hadn't expected was a dream transition. Mastermind had taken to the sand with ease, at first playing in it as if it were snow. He'd snorted and squealed, reared to the delight of the onlookers who watched like hawks from the rail. Now, he floated over the sand, tail lifted high into the air, nostrils flared, looking more arab than thoroughbred. No... Mastermind was definitely a whole other breed of racehorse. A two time Breeders' Cup champ had to be. She patted his neck, nodded at Laura when the girl asked Feline Frenzy to join them down the track at a canter.
"Not a bad view at all, right?" Ripley asked. Laura smirked. "The Wire outdid themselves with this track. I could almost live here." Ripley laughed, tightened her fingers on the reins causing Mastermind to stiffen up for take off. She relaxed them immediately, nodding when he settled down. Push button was what Mastermind was, but Ripley wasn't about to get off the first son of her only Hall of Fame mare. Not even if Hell froze over. Mastermind was all hers, putting someone else on him at this point would simply be an endearment to that other rider.
"I could too. This Carnival will be good enough for me though. Too many horses may not like it." Ripley cocked her head to the side, eying Feline Frenzy. The little bay mare was kicking up a ton of the sand, her nostrils flaring rapidly in and out. She was full of herself, excited to be back in racing mode after a week off. The bay mare would have this race, a run in the Unicorn Horn Dirt Sprint before heading on a well-deserved two month vacation. "How's she feel?" No one knew Feline Frenzy better than Laura DeComte. Not even her trainer. A rider always knew more. Laura's brow was furrowed in concentration, but her reins hung loose as she allowed Feline Frenzy to get the handle of the surface.
The pair of thoroughbreds had been galloping for a week now over the sand. Mastermind had taken to it like a child to cake. Feline Frenzy had questioned it at first, but now she was just skimming over the sand like a seagull over the waves. Laura's eyes twinkled as she looked at Ripley. Ripley nodded. That was all she needed to know. "Alright then. We'll go eight furlongs at a solid gallop, four in a breeze. They're still in shape from Breeders' Cup and the gallops over this stuff have kept them pretty trim."
Laura just lifted a brow at her boss. Ripley had turned her attention to the front. Why Ripley felt like she needed to justify herself after the training job she'd done in Year Thirteen, Laura had no idea. She shrugged. Ripley had always been that way, trying to include her jocks even though she had a mastermind plot for each horse in her barn. The jocks just exercised until Ripley told them it was time to run. Laura had been honored to see that Ripley had chosen her and Feline Frenzy to join Mastermind, Frozen Motion and Bella Luna at the Dubai World Carnival. She would do her best not to let her boss down.
Mastermind's muscles rippled beneath his burnished hide, the picture of elegance and power. The colt had been a superstar from his first victory on the track. A wavering moment in Ripley's mind had nearly retired the colt early in his three year old season. Amber Black had suggested to her to keep the colt on the track, the only thing Amber Black had ever suggested to a rival stable, and Ripley had listened because there was nothing else she could do. Mastermind had shown a will to run again over the next series of starts and then suddenly it was like the flame had burst into full force. One win in the Turf Sprinter Crown, two legs of the Dirt Sprinter Crown and a King's Bishop victory later and Mastermind was one of the top hopefuls for the dirt sprints and miles. This would be his first start of the season against the toughest competition over the turf and dirt circuit. Ripley's faith in her powerful chestnut stallion was only growing. Mastermind had one final season to prove he was as great as sire and dam. In Ripley's mind, he already had. This would be the cherry on the top of a sundae.
The sprinter duo danced into the backstretch, Feline Frenzy on the lead as she liked best. The little bay mare did not have the accolades of Mastermind and Year Fourteen would be her proving ground. Could she prove that Year Thirteen was not just a fluke? Laura gritted her teeth, eyes flashing. Laura would help the mare prove it. Feline Frenzy meant the world to Laura. The mare had given her something to hold onto, that would stay with her well beyond these few years of racing.
Ripley could feel the waves of pride and undisputed determination pouring off of Laura. The jockey would be one of the toughest beats in racing history. The green eyed trainer looked forward to facing off with the jockey. Laura would be coming into her prime very soon. Ripley would enjoy a nice, stretch-long duel down the stretch. Mastermind galloped fluidly over the sound, chestnut mane waving like a flame back behind his head. Each hoof was placed with such precision, that Ripley could hear the clear beats as she would have on a dry, less precarious track. Mastermind was made for the sand as well as anybody else.
He kept close to Feline Frenzy's barrel, eying her with caution, but not unease. As they journeyed up the homestretch, Ripley could feel Mastermind thinking. He was so curious about the bay mare, having worked with her the majority of the week, but never any other time in his career. Ripley knew Mastermind was making a decision as to whether she was a serious threat or not. She shook up the reins, watched the stallion's ears flatten as he noted the movement. Suddenly Mastermind got a lot more serious. His eyes flashed with annoyance and his head leveled out with his neck. He'd decided that Feline Frenzy was a threat.
Fee's ears slapped against her neck when Mastermind's aura turned vicious. Her eyes rolled white and she sped up to keep head and head with the faster stallion. Laura had seen Ripley flick the reins, knew she'd been telling Mastermind that Feline Frenzy was indeed a threat. The connection between those two was as open as an open book test. Laura barely had to change her position, only shifting for more comfort as Fee took it to Mastermind going back into the far turn.
Together, the plain bay and arrogant chestnut raced up the backstretch, drawing binoculars like bugs to a light. Feline Frenzy would not be headed by the chestnut stallion. Feline Frenzy would be right on the lead for the length of the race, a world of talent streaming out behind her. Mastermind would not be sitting this close, but a stamina builder was exactly what he would need in order to beat the likes of Sugar Jayde, Lynara's Kingdom and Axis Mundae. He had to have as much speed in reserve to come out with a victory. Ripley patted his neck. They would have the perfect position, they had the talent, they had beaten Lynara's Kingdom before. But still... going into this race as the only stallion, Ripley still felt they were the underdog.
The underdog, Laura gritted her teeth, fighting off the thought. Mastermind was a world class racehorse and he was sticking to Feline Frenzy. But she was fighting him off, the pro sprinter, taking to the sand in a way that made Laura believe she could take to the dirt. She cut the final turn hard, whipping into the last two furlongs of the heated battle. Here would be Fee's proving ground, a test for Laura's finishing capability. Mastermind, with his brilliant red cape, was coming after them like a wild runner.
Ripley's eyes flashed. She hadn't even tapped on the gas pedal. Mastermind carried his head and tail high, though his ears remained pin, she could see them flickering. He had the measure of Feline Frenzy. Ripley knew it, could feel it. However, Feline Frenzy had a courage in the battle that was second only to Cross'. She would not be giving up with a white flag of surrender.
Wild hoofbeats pounded through the air as Mastermind roared to confront head and head with Feline Frenzy. The clockers murmured in awe, impressed by the slingshot turn of foot. Laura threw the reins down at Feline Frenzy. It was the bay mare's courage that had brought them this far into the game, it was the bay mare's courage that would fend off Mastermind now. She kicked into another gear, her body angular and aerodynamic as she cut a path through the wavering sand. The pair of them blazed a path to the wire, head and head. Mastermind was now forced to realize that Feline Frenzy remained a threat for she still remained a nose in front.
It was a furious battle of wills, speed and talent. Ripley and Laura both rejoiced in the brilliance of it. The rush was intense and incredible as the pair crossed the wire, Mastermind finally getting up by a head. He galloped out past Feline Frenzy, tossing his head and trumpeting the wind. Mastermind had grown up into a arrogant stallion. Ripley's smile flashed out from her very dirty face. She patted his neck, turned him to face a cantering Feline Frenzy. "That was a very good workout. Dirt seems to agree with them both." Laura nodded, blue eyes glowing as she planted a kiss on her mare's neck. Feline Frenzy had not lost a step now that she was a year older. Perhaps, she was just getting better.
