huntress

[S u N f r O s T ~]

ETERNAL PHANTOM AND KRYSTAL YHATE
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS WORKOUT

This was not the place they would have preferred to be at, but defeat or not in the Triple Crown mattered not to Eternal Phantom. The black filly had roared to victory in the Kentucky Derby barely a month ago, notching the win the female side of her family had always quested for. She had set out on the Triple Crown trail and her eyes had been on the Preakness. But they had gone out too fast and set amazing fractions throughout, tiring in just the last furlong, yielding both to Instant Success and Euphoria's Warrior. Naturally Krystal had been a bit disappointed, but in herself. She should have rated Phantie better. But now they had the opportunity to go and deny Paradise Island the Triple Tiara. The three year old filly had been on fire and she was climbing high in the rankings. Now the Coaching Club American Oaks remained and it was up to Krystal or one of the other skilled entrants to deny Sonja victory.

They were the only pair to defeat Paradise Island this year and they were returning to the ten furlong distance, the distance of the Kentucky Derby that Phantie had won with style. It would be a close one, but Krystal felt they could do it again. The Wire track was not as familiar to Phantie as the Green Horse Fields one but the filly would hardly care. It wasn't in her personality to care about little things like that. As long as she got to run, everything was good. And to meet Sonja again meant that Phantie was going to give it everything she had and more. This was a good group of three year old fillies but Phantie had already proven herself queen of the dirt over this distance. She was here to defend that title. And naturally they would do so at night.

The crickets chirped and the nighttime world greeted them. The black phantom stepped out smartly, eyes glaring as she relived her defeat yet again. She was enraged by it, but naturally she was being quiet about it, not wanting to disturb the silent night. It was clear to Krystal that Phantie's fury was simply sizzling within. She felt the edge to the filly's movements. She knew what the edge meant. The filly was a huntress now. She was going to stalk her prey. Krystal had already done her research. Sonja would take the lead. Winnie and Midtee would go just behind and stalk. So that left the closer position open to Phantie at last. She had been a front runner in the Crown and now she would adapt to the Tiara conditions. Closing was something Phantie would only be too happy to do here. She was in hunt mode, and her mindset centered on running these horses down. They wouldn't let Sonja run away like she had in the last leg. They would run her down Infinite Warcry style if they had to. And speaking of Infinite Warcry, Krystal knew that Amber needed this win as a pick-me-up. Amber had been down ever since she scratched out of the Belmont Turf Classic due to a sudden stress breakdown. She had been incapable of riding and devastated over robbing Infini of his opportunity.

Three weeks of rest had done the black filly well. She strode forward with renewed vigor and there was light dancing in those eyes. Her tail swished lazily as she was guided into a trot along the inside rail. The new surroundings didn't faze her whatsoever. She merely blinked her eyes and continued on, her temper beginning to sizzle as time passed and Krystal kept her pace slower than what she wanted. They had taken ten days off before coming back with gradual conditioning and some fast works. They had last worked out just two days ago, with a nice two mile gallop. So they didn't need the stamina base they would've needed for the Belmont, now won by Euphoria's Warrior. All they needed was some good speed, enough to let Phantie take that temper of hers out before Krystal lost an arm to it.

Cantering now. The rolling motion of Phantie's stride continued, and Krystal felt the energy as a roiling mass within. She was smooth and sure, confident, and more than anything else she was pissed off and desiring revenge. She knew what this new track was about and what the atmosphere here was. Tension. Expectation. All of this weighed on her shoulders yet all she felt was the rage of her defeat. Phantie wanted a better performance from herself. It violated her superiority complex to have lost so badly last time out. She wanted to crush in her next race and Krystal was there for the ride. The gears were spinning in her mind as she was finally sent into the beginning of her gallop. Legs churning, eyes narrowing, strides swallowing up the dirt...off they went up the track, steady and smooth, predatory and calculating. They were rating well and Krystal felt like staying at this gallop for a long time - but they needed some fast work. So it was time for a good sprint.

A half mile later, Phantie was eased out into the desired pace and Krystal felt her gradually take up the pace and increase the tempo. Blurring even more...transforming the world into a myriad of indistinguishable color. Krystal's eyes blurred but she grinned despite the lack of vision. Rising through the reins was euphoria as Phantie took out her frustrations and lashed out at the world with lightning speed. They were going and clocking quick fractions but Krystal was more concerned about how to get this suddenly fired up filly to slow down. Alas, it was Phantie's own decision to slow as she passed under the wire, sensing the end of her work for the day. Krystal gradually regained her control, gliding her down to a trot and then walking her for a bit before exiting the track. The predatory gleam never once left the gaze of this filly and Krystal knew that they'd be ghosting by the competition come race day - if all went down and the plan of the huntress came to fruition.