Post by Cavallo on Jul 12, 2014 19:04:30 GMT -5
Anodyne & Jeff Saunders
Nightshade & Michael Landing
There were two major races for Intrepid this week. The first week of July had been a sign of promise with Ramirez joining the grade one ranks and with Mainspring showing that he truly was finding his own niche in racing. The three year old sprinter without a doubt was now confirmed as a lover of the dirt sprints, though he could perform superbly on either it seemed that the colt had a love affair with the dirt. Nick shook his head at the thought, go figure. An Intrepid horse thriving on dirt wasn't a foreign concept. Regardless though of last week's accomplishments there was still much to be done in preparation for this week.
Nick pulled himself from his thoughts as he parked the trailer toting today's stars. He opened his door and slid out of the diesel powered ford pickup truck as he took in the track surroundings. He knew The Wire like the back of his hand and he found a quiet comfort in the familiarity of the track. He made his way to the back, only to hear two people already at work and unloading the feisty looking thoroughbreds. Jeff Saunders led the defiant looking Anodyne from the trailer as Nick took in his CTC hopeful. There hadn't been one major classic winner this season and Nick wanted to be the one to pull it off and as he took in the fight and fire he saw within the bay colt he felt his hope blossom into an excited expectation. Dye had romped in the Queen's Plate to take a two length victory over the second favorite and Intrepid bred In Front, but Nick wasn't counting the second leg as a done deal. As far as he could tell, the second leg of the CTC would indeed be a head-to-head faceoff of the two CTC favorites and Nick was going to make sure that they were damn ready to handle the two horse race. Anodyne danced in place as Jeff led the brown wrapper colt out of the way and to the side of the trailer to tie up and tack.
There was the banging of hooves on metal as Nick turned in a brief moment of concern, but let it go when he saw Michael leading out the four year old Nightshade. The filly's eyes were cold and glinting like black diamonds as she took in the new surroundings and then exited the trailer like the queen she knew herself to be. Anodyne snorted in defiance as he scented the filly and her commanding air and Michael was wise enough to tie up Atropa on the other side of the trailer. You two be quick about tacking them up. We need them on the tracks soon and then we're boarding them here for this weekend. We need to be back at the grounds in order to finish prepping the rest of the stock for next week. Jeff and Michael's eyes made contact and held a knowing look of sarcastic humor. Nick had a tendency to get bossy when big meets were on the horizon, but both jockeys were seasoned professionals and used to the older man's mannerisms. Nick rolled his eyes as the two men silently joked about his mood and he let it go at that striding with purpose over to the sun-bleached white rail, checking his watch every so often, as if it would speed up time.
Michael and Nightshade were the first to break onto the scene and Nick nodded in approval. Atropa was back into form and ready to take on Italian Ice this weekend in an attempt to claim a Dawn Treader Cup title. Nick had placed multiple times in the DTC long before it had ever come to The Wire, but he'd yet to lay claim to it. This weekend might prove different for Intrepid's track record in the coveted race. Italian Ice was a known foe to the black bay filly and one they had defeated before, but there was no huge field this time. This time it would just be the black filly and Atropa and that meant they'd have to change their game strategy. Nick waited for Jeff and Anodyne before giving instructions and turned briefly to see them approaching. Halting the bay colt a respectful distance from the olde mare, Jeff turned slightly in his saddle to face the boss man for instructions.
Excitement hummed in the air between the two horses and their riders as Nick squared off in front of them with only the rail in between. Okay here's the deal. Nothing too strenuous, just a four furlong workout. In total. Both nodded and the two horses and men were sent flying off as they warmed up their paces. Both were facing down two horse fields and that changed the name of the game a little bit. Head to head the two dirt giants squared off. One that was in the making and the other who was quickly becoming one of the countries top dirt colts.
Nick watched with a keen eye as Dye and Atropa squared off. Michael pressed the filly to maintain with the colt and she had no issues obliging. Everything within the filly screamed to dominate the colt and Dye met the filly's passion with an unrelenting spirit of his own. The fractions ticked off and the speed increased as the duo drove for home. Jeff and Anodyne were in their element as they faced down a threat that loomed over them. The pressure didn't make them crack, it only made them perform better as the end came into sight. Jeff unleashed the colt and the bay came to life with a turn of foot that staggered Atropa for a moment, but then the sleeping giant was awakened as she closed in on the colt in a way that only Atropa could and she soared for home, with the colt only as an afterthought. Nick clicked his stopwatch as Atropa brought home a head long victory. Dye's eyes flashed fire that promised his next encounter with the filly would end much differently and Nick had a feeling the colt would be more than able to deliver on the threat.
