Post by LK on Dec 22, 2014 17:01:29 GMT -5
Daydream && Isabelle NottinghamFor Breeder's Cup Filly and Mare SprintEvery GREAT dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the WORLD. -Harriet Tubman
It was an unusually quiet morning at the practice track. The temperature had dropped overnight and a fine layer of frost had settled over the grounds. The sun was just coming up and any trace of ice would disappear within an hour. So this was the time Daydream’s jockey decided to tack up and take her on her final breezing before the big day. There was only one other horse and rider warming up as Bella wandered into the barn. This was surprising, especially since the Breeder’s Cup was so close and it seemed like every waking moment was spent preparing the horses. Oceanic View only had one horse being entered this year: Daydream. The bay mare seemed to know her time as a racehorse was coming to a close. Instead of becoming riled up over the excitement, Dea was growing more and more laid back and calm. Bella wondered if she was catching onto the conversations of her retirement and breeding next year. Maybe it would be a good thing after all. She had a small, but mighty racing record that Felicity was proud of.
Tacking up went smoothly, like usual. Daydream had been snoozing after her morning meal when Isabelle opened her stall door. The bay mare stepped eagerly from the box and nuzzled her jockey, obviously looking for treats. Who spoiled you, missy? Five bucks says it was Sawyer. She laughed as she brushed the mare’s glossy brown coat and ran her hand over her well-developed muscles. Thoroughbreds still amazed her every day, even though she had been working with them most of her life. The way they ran underneath her took her breath away every time. Rea’s calm demeanor was no exception.
Bella finished saddling up before grabbing her helmet off of a hay bale and leading the mare out the large doors. Once on the track, Dea showed a little bit of excitement by tossing her head, eyeing the horse already running on the track; some competition. She snorted and rubbed her head up against Bella's tiny frame. Alright alright! We'll go in a minute. Yeesh. Bella cursed and tightened the girth one last time before climbing on the mare's back.
Warm up was a breeze. As it usually was with Daydream. She settled into her routine as soon as they were moving around the track and any sign of anxiousness disappeared. Bella was extremely grateful she had this mare to ride. After riding the yearlings all week, she was happy to relax and not have to correct every move or be prepared for an unexpected buck. Always the perfect lady, Dea never put a hoof out of line and answered to every command her jockey gave her. She floated through the warm up and was as ready as she ever would be for the Breeder's Cup.
Bella checked her watch and realized they were taking much longer than she had thought. It was hard not to lose track of time on a horse so easy to ride. She let Dea walk a few more lengths before working her back into a relaxed canter. Bella was eyeing the three-quarter marker that was approaching. They would be running just over a quarter mile today, not enough to wear the mare out, but enough to remind her of her job.
Daydream was ready to go when Bella clucked and the mare lurched into a gallop. The wind whipped past her ears and the jockey grinned; the feeling of running would always get her, every time. Dea found her pace quickly and settled in for the distance. She had an immense amount of speed and power built into her muscular legs and chest. She was bred for sprinting and she did her job well. Bella listened to the mare's even breathing and could not help but regret her retirement next year. The bay mare was just getting started with her senior racing career and showed a huge amount of potential. But Felicity was worried about overworking an older horse. The last thing they wanted to happen was to have a break down on the track. So she would run until spring. After that, she would be a broodmare who will, hopefully, pass on her strength and spirit.
They had run an eighth of a mile and Daydream was gearing to run. Bella felt her building underneath her and she was starting to duck her head and pull the reins out of the jockey's hands. Laughing, Bella loosened the reins a notch and Dea kicked into a new gear. Her strides lengthened and she stretched out, eating up the distance easily. The bay mare kept gaining in speed and her jockey wondered just how far she would go before she wore herself out. Had they not known Dea hated running longer distances, they would have taken her as a miler or more. But she had a tendency to back off as soon as she realized she was going for longer.
Bella watched the mile marker approaching and whooped in the mare's delicate ears. Daydream shot out with another burst of speed as she raced towards the marker. They breezed past the finish and Bella pulled the mare up. Dea slowed to a jog and snorted once again, content with her workout. That's my girl. Bella patted her on the neck before taking a lap of cool down. By the time she dismounted, Daydream had gone back to her relaxed and laid back attitude; none of the fire from running apparent. Bella smiled and led her back to the barn to be untacked. Daydream was ready.
