Post by S u N f r O s T ~ on Aug 17, 2012 11:31:13 GMT -5
INNOCENT PASSION AND KRYSTAL YHATE
ANNA'S PREP FOR THE WIRE FINISH CUP JUVENILE SPRINT
The slightly overcast day provided the perfect backdrop for today's workout. Krystal eyed the conditions with a smile on her face as she worked on saddling her mount up. Innocent Passion appeared to be enjoying the great temperature as well, and her eyes kept flicking to the gentle sunshine outside with unmistakable eagerness. She was raring to go, though it currently wasn't showing as the strokes of Krystal's brush washed all tension away. Being saddled up brought tension back to the task, and she skittered sideways as the girth was tightened for the initial time before settling down again, eyes lazily looking forward to the world outside.
The minute Anna was unclipped from the cross ties, she stepped forward and snorted eagerly. Her snort woke up Ventura, who had been stabled nearby. The arrogant black filly eyed Anna with obvious distaste before turning her back as though to humiliate her. Anna snorted in what Krystal knew to be anger. Her competitive nature was coming to the surface and that meant it was time to go before it got any worse. With a firm tug on the reins, Krystal kept Anna in line and led her out of the pristine but comfy barn. The Wire holding stable reserved for SOPS horses was comfortable. It wasn't the high class comfort of the GHF barn or the luxurious spaciousness and wood of the SOPS barn, but it was comfortable and homey in its own way and Krystal couldn't help liking it. She hoped her mount would like it too.
The Wire Finish Cup Juvenile Sprint was about a week off and this was Anna's final workout in preparation for it. They had just come third in the Princess Cup at the GHF track before being shipped here. She had had a day to adjust and then had been galloped every morning to familiarize herself with the Wire track. Anna had actually never raced here before, and that could play against her in the big race. Krystal wanted to make up for that disadvantage as much as she possibly could. It could be the only thing playing against them on race day, for all she knew. Anna excelled at the six furlong distance that the Juvenile Sprint was run on. It was doubtlessly her favorite and Krystal knew they would have the advantage there - but only an idiot wouldn't check out their competition beforehand.
Gate one was theirs. Gate two was Cross My Heart of Witch Creek. Krystal had heard rumors that this black two year old wasn't the most friendly creature around and that Ripley's staff didn't even like the filly. She had been bought from one of those kill auctions or something that Ripley frequented for some reason because she had caught the owner's eye. She was of unknown lines and Krystal wasn't sure about how the filly worked. She had not raced, but Krystal bet that a supposedly nasty creature like her was a front running type. She would definitely be looking out for her there. For Witch Creek to enter an unraced filly in such a big race, especially a two year old, was unusually bold of them, and Krystal wondered if it was because there was a talent nobody had seen in the filly yet. The last entrant in the race was Tears of an Angel. The two year old filly had started twice for a win and a third place finish. She had also only raced at GHF. At least we won't have a disadvantage there. She appeared to have some talent and Krystal knew she was a preceder.
She also knew that they were walking into this race with a big target on their foreheads. Anna would be the favorite due to her much stronger record up to this point and Krystal knew they would have more to prove because of it. Based on the small size of the field, Cross would take the lead and Angel and Anna would be right behind her. Krystal knew that her goal for this race would be to keep Anna willing to run. As long as there were horses ahead of her, Anna's competitive juices would number many and she would want to continue going. The instant such stimuli disappeared, though, she would stop wanting to move and end up loafing along. So Krystal decided that they would take a spot just behind the other two fillies for the race and then time their move appropriately for the shorter distance.
The turf track was delightfully springy underneath their feet. Anna almost happily bounced in place as they accelerated to their warm up canter. They soared along, feet light and eager, and Krystal enjoyed the breeze across her face. This was fun and she was already having a blast. As the furlongs passed and Anna's muscles loosened up Krystal become aware of the filly's stilling in outward expression. She was becoming ever a bit colder in demeanor, colder and more calculating. The serious side was coming out and Krystal knew that she now had a racehorse instead of a young filly underneath her.
They strode through a mile and a half long canter before galloping for a half mile. Then they had a four furlong workout. Krystal eased the filly further out, feeding Anna slack, and the filly was only too happy to gobble up the extra freedom. Her cadence increased and her stride became smaller as she began to sprint, gaining speed slowly but surely. In the last furlong of their workout it became an all out sprint with Krystal clinging to the saddle and her eyes watering terribly. She blinked furiously to clear her vision and slowed Anna down. The two year old was unwilling to stop. She was all eager muscle and horse, ready to go and get her competition at the Wire Finish Cup.
