Post by creativecause on Oct 1, 2014 6:23:07 GMT -5
Still Rock And Roll To Me
Immortal Flight and Jessie Coppermen
Daddy’s Overdraft and Alex Shade
“What's the matter with the car I'm driving?
"Can't you tell that it's out of style?"
Should I get a set of white wall tires?
"Are you gonna cruise the miracle mile?
Nowadays you can't be too sentimental
Your best bet's a true baby blue Continental."
Hot funk, cool punk, even if it's old junk
It's still rock and roll to me”
-Billy Joel - It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me
Nico calmly stood watching Sam run around him trying to quickly get him tacked and out onto the track. Today was a busy day, although there was really no reason for it to be.
Steve was already out on the track watching Dare to Impress's work, which should have been getting over about now.
“He ready Sam?” Jessie asked walking over to his towering 17.2 hand tall mount. Nico looked like a very intimidating horse, he was huge, and not in just one direction. He was nearly 18 hands tall and his head was so big. Jessie tried to imagine if he had been a energetic thing like Daddy’s Overdraft or Allouette Divine. Nico was the very definition of a gentle giant. Along with that he seemed like a very old school kind of horse. He’d always enjoyed observing everyone else around him and taking everything around him in. He was sort of like an old man, even now he was falling asleep as Sam finished tightening his cinch.
“Yeah,” Jessie ran his hand over Nico’s neck.
Daddy’s Overdraft danced around as Alex calmly waited for Jessie to get on Nico.
“Anytime now Jessie,” Alex said walking Cobweb in a tight circle as the filly snorted.
“Aren’t you the one who always says bonding with the horses is the best way to start getting them winning?” Jessie said, clipping his helmet on his head.
“Oh shut up and get on.” Alex growled, although he was smiling.
Sam gave Jessie a leg up and smacked Nico’s butt to get him up, all the while muttering about how it was a wonder the horse could even run with how lazy he acted.
The two made their way to The Wire’s turf track, it would be the first time Cobweb had ever done a work with Nico. Steve thought it would be interesting to see how she would do with him as a workmate.
Cobweb let out a loud squeal of joy when she caught sight of the turf track, her nostrils flared in excitement, even the whites of her eyes could be seen. She started ducking her head and lifting her legs abnormally high, allowing her rear end to go sideways so she made a somewhat side-step-trot thing going on.
Nico observed quietly as always, surely thinking that the filly was something odd. He’d never be seen doing that, he'd never been known to duck his head or trot around like that. Truthfully Nico looked more like a show horse than a race horse.
Both of them were trying some different distances, Nico's pedigree screamed distance but Steve wanted to try him over a mile to see if they could get better results. Nico was streaky, he never won more than three races in a row before going back down to finish second in nearly every start he made. It was always a question of if this was going to be the race. Team Grayson Meadows was doing everything they could to get him rolling again. His next start would come against Handsome Tabby, another new G2 runner. If experience won every race Nico would win this one over and over again, but that wasn't the case. They'd been conditioning him to go quicker, finish stronger, and for a normally 12 furlong running turf horse, he was doing remarkably well.
Cobweb on the other hand was sitting on something of a blowout Performance and everyone could see it. How excited she got on the track, how determined she was to take down her workmates there wasn't an animal that could stop her from getting what she wanted. Victory. Her next start would come in the First Lady stakes* also over a mile. There was speculation about what the fillies preferred distance was and if she could become a miler. She'd won at the distance before in a blowout performance but dropped to a 3rd place effort against some top milers so it was a wonder what she could do. However the First Lady stakes was going to be tough. With the likes of G1 Cross My Heart who was a very tough mare, and G1 in the spotlight. The race was promised to be a difficult task but it wasn't like Cobweb to back down from a good fight and she would battle them all with every ounce of heart and courage she could muster.
They loaded into the gate and were off quickly, both had been running shorter, quicker workouts so it wasn't a surprise. Nico broke on top and stayed about a neck ahead of Cobweb, who ran effortlessly at his side. It was a shame that they didn't know her lines, Cobber's was a impressive race horse.
They continued their duel in a frenzy of torn up grass and thundering hooves. Coming into the final turn Nico started to make his move but Cobweb wasn't to be undone today, she held up with him, not quite letting herself fully blow out. Nico started to unleash his massive stride. The homestretch opened up in front of them and Cobweb tore off, she dug her hooves into the turf and flew across the turf Nico battled gamely on the outside. Nearly 2 whole hands taller than the short filly it was a impressive sight. However Cobber's held her own against Nico and they both dueled bravely down the home stretch with Cobber's coming out on tot by a head over her older stablemate. They were both ready to take on the mile and they were both sitting on something of a win.
