Stall Five: Infinite Warcry

[Ripley]

Stallion: Infinite Warcry
Age: 6
Pedigree: Jessie James x Ebony Gold Lady
Owner: Indigo Morning Stable
Breeder: Stride of Perfection Stables/Kaylin

Post here to interact with Infinite Warcry and his connections.

[Ripley]

Ripley had an hour or so left before she needed to high tail it to the foal sale, but she was making the last couple of rounds checking out studs for feature magic tricks. She had three more studs she needed to see, two for future breedings that she had marked down, but were not completely set in stone. The last one was for her final pleasure, the final chance to take in her greatest rivalry, cementing her and Mastermind's place in the Hall of Fame forever.

She had been semi-anxious about stepping foot in the direction of Stride of Perfection Stable. They hadn't dropped by according to Al. She hadn't expected them too. She didn't have an Infinite Warcry, a Forbidden To Fly, a Royal Cadenza. But she had old lines in GS Royal Crown and a family relation to her biggest sensation ever in Popcorn Blitz.

She held her chin eye as she approached the trio of stalls. While Amber Black was her arch-nemesis on the track, they sure had come up with some beautiful pairings and successes. Names like Paranormal Hunter, Taboo and Fiery Touch flashed into her brain. One was a possible Hall of Famer nomination and the other two were consistent buggers, Taboo with a ton of talent and a bright future ahead of her.

She stepped up to the ring in front of stall five and smiled. She would know that big black massive stallion anywhere. Once upon a time, he'd been the arch-rival of another of her horses, another chapter in the ferocious rivalry that was SOPS and WCS.

Infinite Warcry had earned her awe as a two year old, her respect as a three year old and her heart as an older horse.

Now she was anxious to meet the two time Breeders' Cup winner.

[S u N f r O s T ~]

Amber Black had come back from visiting stallions to check up on every one of her own studs. Forbidden To Fly was being managed by Henna, and the champion racehorse had not stopped neighing this whole open house. She had quickly dodged by him, checked on the king Royal Cadenza and then finally stopped to spoil her Infinite Warcry. The huge black stallion was finally back home with them. She had given him to Nick Landing on a bond of trust to train for his final season. Nick had not disappointed - he never did - and made him the winner of the Breeders Cup Turf Marathon. Pride tingled through her. Infini greeted her with a soft neigh. She set to work petting his nose, scratching that spot she liked behind his ears and then standing at his side letting Infini display every bit of his bulk next to her slim frame. Here was a stallion definitely worth any breeding. He was beautiful and dear to her heart.

She looked up as somebody approached. A late-comer. She'd know this person anywhere, and smiled grimly. Ripley Marsh, just about her biggest rival...but also her co-conspirator on many things, one of the few she could trust in the business to truly bring out the best in any of her horses that she sent that way. The woman was a miracle with training and was beginning to establish herself in the breeding world with her own lines. And she had just retired from being a jockey due to her pregnancy. Amber's eyes were drawn to her belly, round, and she felt her own feelings about the future circulate within her brain. Would she ever give up her own jockey career and have kids? Ripley had made that decision, and it was a tough one; would Amber ever be able to make such a decision herself? Such an idea as having kids seemed like an unimaginable sacrifice to her...she could not help but respect Ripley's strength in this.

She locked her green eyes on Ripley's own green ones and couldn't help smiling. Being around Infini softened her up a bit and her eyes might have lacked some of her usual fierceness around this rival, but she also couldn't help the respect in her tone as she addressed the owner of Witch Creek. Ripley Marsh. I was hoping you would drop by. And somehow, she realized that she had been. Frozen Motion and Infinite Warcry had been a fantastic rivalry to race through, and she had arranged for her own Frozen Motion foal. It made sense that Ripley might want to get to know Infini as well. Have you ever met Infini at any time other than when he's breathing down your horses' necks on the tracks until just before the wire? She couldn't help the banter - such was this rivalship.

[Ripley]

Ripley felt the baby kick inside her, belly rested a hand absentmindedly on it. She'd ended her racing career just in time with two wins on two horses she'd raised and raced all by herself. The Breeders' Cup had been a heart-stopping experience, a lasting one. She'd cried after getting off of Cross... back in the jockey room. Brooks had found her and held her til she'd stopped. She hadn't pushed him away as she once would have. She'd cried too much leading up to the Breeders' Cup to do so anymore. She was getting old. Thirties and having her first baby. It had to happen sometime. She needed a little one, needed Brooks. It'd been the right decision to get out. What if she'd gotten hurt in a race? All of her stock would have to be dispersed or handed to someone else if she were killed in a race.

No... she had come to the right conclusion to retire. It still wasn't easy to settle with. Hence, she was pouring everything into this foal sale, into every horse she trained. She'd have more than enough time on her hands to shape the world's next superstar. When Amber greeted her Ripley could feel the unspoken word pass between them. Nick Landing, Amber's boyfriend, had also retired. Rumor had it Henna Turath may be on her way out of the jockeying game as well. Change was imminent, but it wasn't always welcome.

"Aw you were?" she laughed. "That's nice of you. Never saw a peep from your crew at my stalls according to my stud manager. Al said we had a significant peep from the returned Riverview Acres... something about interest for breeding Cute Italian to GS Royal Crown." A huge smile parted Ripley's face, a rush. "Have to admit it, I see what I was missing all those years avoiding the breeding game. Now I have too much time to plan breeding and not enough time for riding. According to my doctor, I'm officially banned."

Ripley turned her gaze to the big cobalt horse, softening her gaze. "He's a lovely horse. I'm so glad to see him go out on top, at the expense of Hourglass that is." She held out a hand, unsure what kind of persona the black freight train would have. He'd been a freight train all his career, a late running menacing one. "Freeze doesn't miss him any. I can tell you that. He's much happier playing with his girls and threatening Positively Precious."

"How's he finding retirement so far? Betcha it hasn't really hit him yet. Though, I did spy with my little eye an Infinite Warcry and On To The Spotlight baby."