Post by Snowflake on Jan 6, 2014 21:02:44 GMT -5
LUSITANIA'S SOLDIER WORKS FOR THE SPRING DAWN TREADER CUP
Marissa's heels touched the stallion's sides only very lightly, and the bay thoroughbred sprang into action. His trot had a bounce to it, and every inch of him gleamed with health, his muscles rippling underneath. The home stretch of the dirt track was straight out before them, and the horse tugged on the bit slightly, eager to gallop right now to the very end. Not yet.. Marissa said quietly. There were spectators all around, some with cameras, some with children. Some were trainers, some were riders, some were owners. Marissa felt all eyes on herself and Soldier as they passed, beginning their warm up before they put in their last workout before the Spring Dawn Treader Cup.
A black horse breezed past on the inside, and momentarily Soldier fought for his head. He wanted to chase that horse down and beat him to the post. Marissa handled him expertly, and he quickly settled back to trot. The track was fairly quiet this late in the morning. Earlier there would have been less watchers and more workers, but it was now after eight and most had done their workouts before seven. Some even before dawn at five. Marissa had been up since three thirty, working horses at home and having a quick breakfast before putting Soldier and a few others in a trailer to work them at The Wire Racetrack, where they would race this weekend.
Another horse galloped by as they drew closer to the finish line, and then galloped out, tossing her head as her rider tried to bring her back down through her paces. Soldier barely reacted this time, quickening his pace only slightly with a flick of the ears. A lap passed in no time and Marissa used a tiny tap of her heels and a slight give of the reins to ask Soldier to canter. The five year old didn't need to be told twice, and with a flick of his tail he was cantering down the homestretch. There were no other horses working now, and the crowd had dispersed. Only a few people remained, watching with eagle eyes. Marissa imagined them to be punters, possibly considering putting a bet on Soldier.
The Spring Dawn Treader Cup had attracted a competitive field of five. The first entrant was Hokum from Witch Creek Stables. The grade one four year old had run a truly awesome season last year, going from G5 to the top, but his first two starts of this year hadn't been so great. Maybe it was just that he was taking on tougher competitive, but it was also possible he'd peaked early. Either way, Marissa wouldn't count the huge colt out. In gate two was the worrisome Eternal Phantom. She had pipped them at the post in the Clark Handicap, and Marissa knew she would have to get Soldier going sooner this time. He'd had plenty left at the end of the eleven furlong race, so a nine furlong race would be a piece of cake. Then there was Sizzling Dawn, the filly also from Stride Of Perfection Stables. She seemed a bit of a wild card, which was the danger. Sizzling Dawn was a Preakness Stakes winner. Finally, there was GS Super Charged, the much loved Admiral's Revenge stallion of Nature Blue Stables. Despite not being grade one, Akuma Battlecry was easily the most famous of Admiral's Revenge' progeny. He was a hugely successful sire, with Sunset Crusade, Euphoria's Warrior, War Cry and Battle Wings also among his progeny. Soldier was a little later than his half siblings, but the stallion was out of a Breeder's Cup Classic winning mare so he was sitting on his best year yet.
With Sizzling Dawn likely to lead, Hokum likely to stalk, that left GS Super Charged, Eternal Phantom and Lusitania's Soldier to run mid pack or close. It was not a problem for there to be three horses bringing up the rear of the race, unlike it was for front runners to share the lead. What would be a challenge would be the stretch, when all three closers began to do their thing. Marissa and Soldier would swing wide the moment the stretch was straight out before them, but they'd make their move sooner than that and hopefully creep up on Hokum before he hit his stride. Then it would just be a matter of catching Sizzling Dawn and outrunning the rest. Marissa had faith in her horse. Soldier was coming into his own now and had really proven himself in recent races, as well as his workouts. The Spring Dawn Treader Cup would be challenging but not impossible, and she was the best rider for the job.
Soldier switched to gallop instantly when asked, using his powerful hind legs to bring him up to speed. Marissa crouched over his back, moving with him as he pounded the dirt beneath his feet. The turn was ahead and Soldier did not slow as he entered it. He did not hug the rail, instead running about two horse widths away from it as he rounded the corner of the track, like what he would likely do in the race. Marissa began to use her body to drive the stallion on as the stretch straightened out before them, and her peripheral vision was blurred as Soldier responded, digging in with his hooves and flicking up dirt behind him. His strides were powerful, but he was not trying as hard as he would with someone to beat. Soldier needed competition to get his adrenaline pumping, and his body going top speed in full flight. And that was just what he would do as he closed hard on the finish of the Spring Dawn Treader Cup. He was ready to come out on top with a spring in his step.
Marissa's heels touched the stallion's sides only very lightly, and the bay thoroughbred sprang into action. His trot had a bounce to it, and every inch of him gleamed with health, his muscles rippling underneath. The home stretch of the dirt track was straight out before them, and the horse tugged on the bit slightly, eager to gallop right now to the very end. Not yet.. Marissa said quietly. There were spectators all around, some with cameras, some with children. Some were trainers, some were riders, some were owners. Marissa felt all eyes on herself and Soldier as they passed, beginning their warm up before they put in their last workout before the Spring Dawn Treader Cup.
A black horse breezed past on the inside, and momentarily Soldier fought for his head. He wanted to chase that horse down and beat him to the post. Marissa handled him expertly, and he quickly settled back to trot. The track was fairly quiet this late in the morning. Earlier there would have been less watchers and more workers, but it was now after eight and most had done their workouts before seven. Some even before dawn at five. Marissa had been up since three thirty, working horses at home and having a quick breakfast before putting Soldier and a few others in a trailer to work them at The Wire Racetrack, where they would race this weekend.
Another horse galloped by as they drew closer to the finish line, and then galloped out, tossing her head as her rider tried to bring her back down through her paces. Soldier barely reacted this time, quickening his pace only slightly with a flick of the ears. A lap passed in no time and Marissa used a tiny tap of her heels and a slight give of the reins to ask Soldier to canter. The five year old didn't need to be told twice, and with a flick of his tail he was cantering down the homestretch. There were no other horses working now, and the crowd had dispersed. Only a few people remained, watching with eagle eyes. Marissa imagined them to be punters, possibly considering putting a bet on Soldier.
The Spring Dawn Treader Cup had attracted a competitive field of five. The first entrant was Hokum from Witch Creek Stables. The grade one four year old had run a truly awesome season last year, going from G5 to the top, but his first two starts of this year hadn't been so great. Maybe it was just that he was taking on tougher competitive, but it was also possible he'd peaked early. Either way, Marissa wouldn't count the huge colt out. In gate two was the worrisome Eternal Phantom. She had pipped them at the post in the Clark Handicap, and Marissa knew she would have to get Soldier going sooner this time. He'd had plenty left at the end of the eleven furlong race, so a nine furlong race would be a piece of cake. Then there was Sizzling Dawn, the filly also from Stride Of Perfection Stables. She seemed a bit of a wild card, which was the danger. Sizzling Dawn was a Preakness Stakes winner. Finally, there was GS Super Charged, the much loved Admiral's Revenge stallion of Nature Blue Stables. Despite not being grade one, Akuma Battlecry was easily the most famous of Admiral's Revenge' progeny. He was a hugely successful sire, with Sunset Crusade, Euphoria's Warrior, War Cry and Battle Wings also among his progeny. Soldier was a little later than his half siblings, but the stallion was out of a Breeder's Cup Classic winning mare so he was sitting on his best year yet.
With Sizzling Dawn likely to lead, Hokum likely to stalk, that left GS Super Charged, Eternal Phantom and Lusitania's Soldier to run mid pack or close. It was not a problem for there to be three horses bringing up the rear of the race, unlike it was for front runners to share the lead. What would be a challenge would be the stretch, when all three closers began to do their thing. Marissa and Soldier would swing wide the moment the stretch was straight out before them, but they'd make their move sooner than that and hopefully creep up on Hokum before he hit his stride. Then it would just be a matter of catching Sizzling Dawn and outrunning the rest. Marissa had faith in her horse. Soldier was coming into his own now and had really proven himself in recent races, as well as his workouts. The Spring Dawn Treader Cup would be challenging but not impossible, and she was the best rider for the job.
Soldier switched to gallop instantly when asked, using his powerful hind legs to bring him up to speed. Marissa crouched over his back, moving with him as he pounded the dirt beneath his feet. The turn was ahead and Soldier did not slow as he entered it. He did not hug the rail, instead running about two horse widths away from it as he rounded the corner of the track, like what he would likely do in the race. Marissa began to use her body to drive the stallion on as the stretch straightened out before them, and her peripheral vision was blurred as Soldier responded, digging in with his hooves and flicking up dirt behind him. His strides were powerful, but he was not trying as hard as he would with someone to beat. Soldier needed competition to get his adrenaline pumping, and his body going top speed in full flight. And that was just what he would do as he closed hard on the finish of the Spring Dawn Treader Cup. He was ready to come out on top with a spring in his step.
