Post by S u N f r O s T ~ on Apr 21, 2014 10:05:36 GMT -5
ETERNAL PHANTOM AND KRYSTAL YHATE
SWEET INFERNO AND VALENCIA ANDREWS
Valencia Andrews felt like she was sitting on a ticking time bomb. Sweet Inferno prowled onto the Wire's dirt track, her fiery nature melting away into the peace she only portrayed when on the track. Now she was all seasoned professionalism, at four years old and strong as could be. Intensity wafted off of this coal black mare. Her lean muscles rippled as the marathoner strode forward with all of the confidence in the world emanating off of her. Energy was apparent in her tensed muscles, lively eagerness in her eyes. This was a filly made to run and run and run. At twelve furlongs, Sweet Inferno was perhaps the best mare in the industry. Few could top her at the mile and a half distance. It had all started with her upset in the Belmont Stakes and continued with yet another upset in the Climax Cup. Her third in the ultra-competitive Breeders Cup Marathon had not affected her much. In a way, it had strengthened her resolve. Here was a mare sitting on a five year old season before she retired. She just kept getting better and better and they had recently hit grade one to boot.
Valencia glanced up as she noticed the sudden attention shift of the Wire track watchers. They had recognized Sweetie at a glance, but now their attention snapped over to the lithe black mare slinking towards the track. Eternal Phantom strode forward with the authority of a queen. The arrogant tilt of her head and classic shape of her body named her for who she was - Horse of the Year from Year Twelve, and running her strongest season yet right at this moment. Phantie had come out from the Breeders Cup Classic snarling for revenge. Krystal Yhate had been hard pressed to ride her since then. Her two losses had scalded her ego and made her stronger, more deadly and determined. Now her knife-like strides cut through the air with the precision of a surgeon and the power of a machine. Dark intent was spelled out from her eyes. Krystal felt that few horses could match up to the presence her mare commanded. Phantie truly was a mare for the ages.
Phantie made her way straight over to her stablemate, recognizing her from previous encounters. Valencia and Sweetie did not quake in the presence of the black storm that was Phantie, but a lesser pair would have. They met her squarely, face to face, and challenged her with their focus and readiness. Valencia's mouth curved into a smirk as she recognized the readiness of the black mare before them. They were totally ready to work hard this workout. Krystal answered Valencia's smirk with an incline of the head, inviting Sweetie to take the lead on the rail to start. Krystal knew how Sweetie functioned - give her the rail and the front, or get out of the way. Valencia's smirk grew, and she saluted Krystal as she followed the directive.
Phantie was ice cold as she tracked Sweetie around the first turn, letting her have a length of lead. These were two mares capable of doing a marathon. Krystal reflected on how Phantie would have made a fantastic marathoner if she wasn't such a huge fan of ten furlong races. As it was, ten furlongs was where Phantie felt right at home. She had won her biggest races at that distance. That didn't mean she wasn't up for a stamina workout, though. The two mares galloped a mile and a half, Phantie remaining cool and controlled in her closer position. The minute the pair swung into the final half mile, though, Phantie accelerated with the intent of a burning comet crashing towards Earth, intent on wiping out all life. She swept up to meet Sweetie stride for stride, but Sweetie responded. The four year old mare had grown strong, and she wasn't going to give in now, not when she had learned and grown and developed so much. Forward it was and would be.
The pair swept under the wire stride for stride and barely even tired. Their riders slowed them for the half mile gallop out, both mares acting the part of champions as they took it in stride and never wavered in strength. They were ready to go in the next starts of their careers!
