be bold

[S u N f r O s T ~]

FORBIDDEN TO FLY AND HENNA TURATH
SILENT SNAP AND AMBER BLACK

SNAPPER'S WORKOUT FOR THE FOLLOW THE HOOFPRINTS SERIES

Henna Turath felt light as air as she mounted up on one of her favorite horses. Forbidden To Fly continued his steady stream of snorts as they made their way to the dirt track. The son of Flying Colours and Forbidden Wings had become everything his bloodlines said he would be - strong and gorgeous, with talent in spades. Interestingly, the five year old had been placed on a two month break, and he was glowing with health. Extra conditioning had meant less racing, but to Fly running itself was what mattered. He had three races after this break and than another one, lasting exactly one month, before the real part of his season occurred. Henna hoped beyond hope that Fly would rack up the wins during his final season. The stallion, she felt, often didn't get the measure of respect he deserved. He had, after all, won the Breeders Cup Juvenile despite being predominantly a sprinter. There was something to be said for talent like that! The Wire had always been his favorite, and continued to be. Fly snorted, eyed his favorite track and then warmed up like the pro he was.

Amber was grinning widely as she swung into the saddle of Silent Snap. She had bred this colt herself, knowing sprinting lines like the back of her hand, and out had come with ridiculously talented chestnut colt. Snapper was a bully with devastating speed that was just never ending. He had recently become the first juvenile in the barn to hit grade four, and he wasn't going to stop now. Snapper loved to win by open lengths - the more, the better. He had arrogance, brilliance and the drive to win. Amber knew she was going to love riding this colt as much as she had loved riding Lynara's Kingdom, his older sister. It was going to be a heart-stopping ride from beginning to end, and it would be worth it. Snapper was at attention as he trotted onto the track with heart-stopping power in every step. His gaze snapped to his competition, and at once he was alert.

Fly barely noticed the intentness of his workout partner as they began the gallop. Instead, Fly hung back as Snapper snagged the lead and took off, legs pumping. Fly snorted and accelerated, not letting Snapper get too far away. Even Fly knew better than to let his competition run away from him, even if he was able to chase them down later on. Snapper led by three glorious lengths as they thundered into the backstretch. Fly was focused with a horse ahead of him; take away the horse and Henna's work just got ten times harder. Fly required a horse to focus him when he ran on the track. No horse meant no effort; no effort meant bad things would get in the works. Fly needed his workouts now, on his break, more than ever. Between races workouts functioned as tune-ups; on breaks, they functioned as ways to get better.

Snapper still had the lead as they rolled into the stretch, but now Fly unleashed the turn of foot that others had underestimated him for having. Now Fly cut into the lead, bounded right up to Snapper's neck and then passed him, clinching a half length before shutting down under direction of his rider. Get too far ahead, and Fly would lose focus. It was a delicate balance...but it was enough, as Fly sealed the deal at the wire. Snapper was furious, but he had learned a lesson of modesty from this one. As for Fly, he was full of step and ready to return to racing.