Post by Cavallo on Jul 28, 2012 11:59:14 GMT -5
Third place was not going to cut it this go around. Ara simply wouldn't stand for it and neither would Jeff. The hard filly had bonded superbly with her new jockey and placing third in their first outing was okay...but now time had passed and they were on a roll, a roll they planned on continuing to the top of this race they had upcoming.
Ara pranced with a fluid hard grace, crown carried high as Jeff rode the filly in a warm-up around the track.
Jeff was new to the tracks and he'd made it his business to do a little bit of research on the horses both here at The Wire and at Green Horse Fields, but especially his own mounts. That included the volatile Arachne.
He had been floored when he'd read up on he pedigree history. Her sire was Determination an MHS champion sire and the winner of the coveted Twilight Stakes and two out of the three legs of the Triple Crown. Jeff knew Nick was gearing Ara for the Triple Tiara...it was in her blood. Ara's dam had been none other than the legend Augusta. Augusta had been a monster mare on the tracks taking two BC Winner titles and the MHS Aggression Cup. Sired by another legend, Augusto, she had continued to prove her legacy through her foals, G2 Warlock and Atalanta and HOF Impressario's arch rival Anarchi.
It really had helped to explain a lot about Ara to Jeff. She was a hot-blooded filly with an attitude, but had the racing skills to make something of herself...that would have to start now. He had been surprised to learn that Ara had a twin, Apollo Bear...and he'd been doing mildly well on the tracks...but Ara was the exact opposite of her twin brother. Where he was nice, she was cruel and she had more than enough determination to claim the win in this maiden race.
They were not playing games. The Triple Tiara was in sight and they had some serious ground to cover....it would be a major accomplishment to go from Maiden to G4 in the short time they had, but Jeff and Nick knew if any horse could do it...Ara could.
Jeff rode the loosened filly briskly around the track, dirt flying. Powerful haunches flexed and contracted with Ara's lithe movement. Jeff had ridden many horses prior to coming to work for Nick and many of them international racers...he knew when he was sitting on a good horse and Ara reeked with raw talent. When he'd taken Ara on their first gallop, he tested to see how far her stamina and speed would sustain...
He'd been blown away. Whenever he'd asked for more...she just seemed to find another gear...consistently she'd risen to the challenge and proven to have the courage, speed and stamina to fend off challengers in the final stretch.
She was a monster endurance horse with a slight sprinter flair.....and interesting combination...He'd never ridden a horse like Ara and didn't think there was another like her in the world...they could definitely use it to her advantage.
The field was rather large for The Wire, running seven horses strong. The field was full of horses that were older with more experience itching to break their maidens. There would only be one other front runner, Imma Zombie from PHS. The rest of the field was mainly mid-packers and two strong closers.
Jeff would have to run a calculated race. Ara was a front runner through and through. So there was no question about where she was going to run. She wasn't a horse to really be pressured either from behind, but there was no stalkers in this race...some mid-packers were going to have to either run ahead or get stuck in the bunch in the middle. There would be a lot of energy spent there fighting for position in the middle...that was something they could use to their advantage.
Ara had speed to spare and Jeff would have her set a competitive pace. This would double the amount of energy the mid-packers spent and they would hopefully clog up the track, blocking the closers from making a direct charge.
But if they did...Jeff was confident in Ara's stamina and speed to hold the closers off.
But it would take practice. Ara was a hot horse and Jeff was working on keeping her temper under wraps while racing....
Jeff tapped the filly and she willingly broke into the gallop as they whirled around, they moved in a rocking grace, bodies as one...the prize in sight...the hunger kindled.
Yes...first place looser and third runner up just simply wasn't going to cut it this time.
