Boom, Goes The Cannon

[Ripley]

BOOM, GOES THE CANNON
featuring:
Awestruck and Reese Balling Jones
Uno Momento and Brookson Wells

Ripley watched Malcolm lead over the two yearlings through narrowed eyes. The powerful dark bay colt walked quietly beside Malcolm, his nostrils flaring inward and outward with a laziness that didn't belong in a young horse. Where he strolled along without a care in the world, the sleek gray filly stalked like a cat, her wall eyes flickering over the track and up the path, searching for something to get into. Both of them were descendants of the great Hall of Famer Speed Demon, but they couldn't be farther apart on the personality spectrum. The gray daughter of Mastermind and Candid Silver was as clever as a raven and just as spiteful, but she was fast according to Malcolm. It helped temper the sourness of her trying attitude, according to Ripley's assistant.

Ripley nodded in greeting when Malcolm reached her. He passed the reins to the muscular colt, and gave him a loving pat on the shoulder. "I still say you made the best decision by snagging The Goodness. That mare gives me a breath of saneness every day when I work with this handsome guy. He's like his sister in that way."

She smiled and brushed a hand down the long white marking on the colt's face. He whuffled his lips across the offered hand when she held them under his mouth. "Sometimes. She's a lot nicer about working with others." Even as she said it the colt twisted his thick and pinned his ears flat to his skull. Cataclysmic, graceful as she was, danced away from the colt nervously. "Knock it off, Fig!" Ripley said forcefully. She shook the reins at the colt rapidly to get his attention off of his work-mate, backing him up a few lazy steps. With a huff, Ripley rolled her eyes. "A little more enthusiasm would be great, horse."

"If we were any other organization, I could battle with him to get your enthusiasm, but it's not necessary," Malcolm said lazily. He stroked a hand down Cat's neck and eyed The Good Fight. "David will have some fun with him. Luckily, he knows how to get the best out of cranky colts."

Ripley smirked, thinking back to David's Turf Triple Crown run aboard Notorious. The word 'knows' didn't even begin to cover David's strength with willful colts. "Good to know..." Ripley followed Cat's suddenly alert expression to the top of the path where two of her finest trainees appeared.

Awestruck and Uno Momento glinted brilliantly in the sunlight, their coats bright--and in Tru's case dappled. Their vacation after the Triple Crown and Tiara had done them well and both were ready to get back to the track, or they would be after today's exercise out of the gate.

Brooks gave Uno a strong pat on the neck as the blinkered son of Barely A Moment led the way down the path. It had been a while since he'd sat aboard a big, strong dirt horse. Uno was all that and more. Talented and fine-tuned by Intrepid Racing, Uno was returning to the races stronger than ever before. Year Sixteen's Preakness Stakes's winner had done a lot of growing since his third in the Belmont. He was tough, durable and all cleared by the vets to return for a heavy fall and winter campaign. The colt blew through his nostrils were he spotted Cataclysmic by the rail, tucking his neck and shaking his head in stallion fashion. Brooks rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on the reins.

Tru faced no such distractions. She completely ignored the younger horses as she strutted by Malcolm and Ripley. Her efforts in the Triple Tiara had been solid at best, but it was likely she peaked in early spring at the Silverbulletday Stakes. Rested and relaxed, Awestruck was ready for a strong latter half, hopefully with an eye on the Breeders' Cup Distaff. It was a large goal, but not impossible. Reese stroked Tru's mane to the left side of her neck and gave the fleet lady a pat. She deserved more respect than she was getting from the racing public. As a Touch Up daughter, the filly was entitled to get better as she aged.

"I want you to take them three furlongs today. We've been doing long gallops and stamina building workouts and they need sharpness. We've got to remind them that they are racehorses after all."

Uno tossed his head impatiently, throwing globs of foamy lather into the air. Brooks dodged one particularly nasty glob and gave the horse a pat on the neck. The son of Barely A Moment was doing well and in fine fettle following his well-deserved vacation. He moved off into a strong jog, tucking his chin toward his chest and pushing impressively off of his hindquarters. The strapping colt moved with authority and didn't even cast a glance back at Awestruck when she let out a shrill neigh.

Reese kept her seat when the filly went up on her hindlegs, her hands grasping at thick black mane. Awestruck looked semi-wild, but she'd always looked that way. Perhaps Reese had kept her mane longer for her own perverse pleasure at riding a wild looking thing, but Tru was only in good spirits. The filly leaped into her long jog stride, stepping out into a canter upon asking. She hit the ground lightly, skipping rather than digging deep. Her movements weren't heavy as they had been in the final leg of the Triple Tiara. She was back to her naturally fast self and that was exactly what Reese was hoping for. They had a long way to go before Awestruck hit grade one, but her eagerness was as good a sign as any.

Ripley shook her head as the duo moved off into their warm up gallops into the backstretch. She'd expected Awestruck to be a bit of a hothead, but the headtossing thing from Uno was new. The heavy colt muscled his way around the track, pulling hard on Brooks's hands. The jock was almost up in the saddle, bracing himself against the colt's mouth. This three furlong run up couldn't come fast enough in Ripley's opinion.

Reese murmured nothings to Awestruck as the filly settled into stride three furlongs behind Uno Momento. The colt was a bit keen, but Tru had settled. She seemed to appreciate the quickness of the pace and her mouth grew lighter on the bit with each pole that passed. Reese zeroed her eyes on the far pole, the one that marked the start of the three furlong work. Ripley would expect them to do this handily, with some pressure from the riders. Uno and Tru were just the type to run this thing on talent alone and not lose a bit of their energy.

Uno took off with a flourish when Brooks released the bit. His head dropped right down and his big stride extended until he was thundering for the turn. If not for his bobbing ears, Brooks would have thought the colt was really putting effort into this thing. He'd never felt this much speed from the son of El Sol Del Mar. It was new, shocking. He couldn't understand where it came from because Uno had been a tad sluggish at the end of his juvenile season. Never a morning glory, always an afternoon flower.

Reese was impressed by Uno's quick turn of foot, but she didn't have much time to appreciate it. Awestruck launched herself after the colt, effortlessly leaping to the outside lane. Her long mane thwapped Reese's face as they glided across the ground. With stunning purpose, Tru was at Uno's barrel by the second furlong. The colt's outside ear trained on the filly as she continued her run, but he didn't make it easy.

The duo marched side by side into the stretch, their legs covering the ground with a blistering fury. Uno was unrelenting, giving more fight than Brooks had ever felt from the bay colt. Awestruck kept her smart stride, her nostrils flaring in and out as she worked to keep up with the bigger horse. Uno shot under the wire a head in front, his determination shining through at the final moment.

Awestruck bounded past the colt in the gallop out, her ears pricking right up as she continued her run. Reese slowly reined in the bay, but didn't get her fully stopped until the backstretch. She had way more to give than a three furlong run could ever display. Reese patted the Touch Up daughter's neck and grinned up at the sky, feeling limitless.