Post by Cruisey on Jan 19, 2015 14:41:50 GMT -5
FIRE GODDESS && JAMES COLLURA
BARELY SMOKIN && TALIA SMITH
Back at the barn, two more juveniles were getting prepped for their final workout before their maiden debuts. Barely Smokin was one of the original yearlings at Firestone. The Barely A Moment x Dash For Cash colt was having a hard time keeping still in the cross ties as Talia struggled to tighten his girth. Harley’s companions were standing off to the side, Tank the donkey and Rolo the pony. Carter couldn’t imagine what the colt would be like without them; he would probably be as bad as Tyler on a good day.
Behind Harley stood the little chestnut filly, Fire Goddess. James was just putting the finishing touches on her bridle and was preparing to go out. Fancy stood quietly, her eyes shining and alert. The colt towered over her petit frame, but Fancy had the attitude of a 17 hand Warmblood when she wanted to. Her tail swished nonchalantly as they made their way outside and to the track.
Both horses were entered in a 12 furlong race; a huge test for a young horse. Both jockeys knew the pace would be somewhat slow so they just had to ride it out the best they could. If neither horse won, Carter planned to drop them down to a shorter distanced race to see if they could become more competitive there. The two juveniles had the same mindset which helped in workout pairings.
James scratched Fancy’s neck before they stepped onto the dirt. The filly tossed her flaxen mane and was instantly giddy once her dainty feet stepped onto the track. Harley and his companion pack walked behind, and once on the track they were brought over to the side. Talia made him focus on the task ahead so he wouldn’t notice the absence of his buddies. The bay colt snorted and steam puffed out of his nostrils in the frigid air. It was definitely a chilly morning, which could mean the horses would be fresh. Specific instructions from Carter included a 7 furlong gallop with a 3 furlong blow out; ten furlongs in total to start off their careers.
Side by side, they trotted and cantered around to the gates as a warm up. Harley snorted with every stride he took, expelling his frustrations on the dirt. Talia had a mighty hold on Harley’s face, trying to control the fiery horse. After moments of warming them up, both horses seemed limber and it was time for a test. Bringing them down to a walk, it was Fancy who was loaded up first. She was locked in the gates and it was time for her moment. Harley put up a bit of a fight, but was loaded much easier than the colt in the work before him.
Talia and James prepared themselves for the break, and when it happened they were ready. Harley broke the sharpest, heading straight for the front. Fancy was hot on his tail, breaking a little uneven but straightened herself out to chase. The jockeys had specific instructions to keep them at an even pace until it was their time to blow out. Fancy thundered on confidently, one ear zoned in on the big bay ahead of her and one ear pressed back listening to James. The male let Fancy speed up a little bit so that she was now running side by side with Harley. The colt towered over Fancy’s small frame, but that didn’t stop her from being intimidated. It looked like a joke really, Fancy’s size compared to the colt who was pushing 17 hands. It wasn’t a surprise to see Fancy was not a favourite in her upcoming race – but you could never underestimate the heart and power of the chestnut filly.
The only sound that could be heard was the two horses storming down the backstretch in preparation for their final run. Stride by stride, each horse became faster and lower to the ground as their marker came in sight. Talia crouched low on Harley’s neck, letting him do the running while she was just the driver. He was an extremely smart horse on the track; it was just getting him to cooperate in the barn that was the big issue. Furlongs passed and the speed was really starting to pick up. Harley was puffing along, long legs extended and in full flight. At one point he really started to pull away from Fancy, who was not yet ready to make her move. She was a stalker, and stalking her prey was what she did. James let Harley stride away a bit more before he really started to ask Fancy to move up. Like a light switch was turned on, her short little legs kicked up, tail flicking behind her as she propelled herself forwards with all her might.
Talia looked over her shoulder and saw the pair start to make a move on the outside. Fancy was coming up quickly, and the woman prodded Harley for more speed. He, too, picked up the pace and was flying down the homestretch. Fancy had managed to catch up, and the two were stride for stride as they thundered past the wire. James was absolutely thrilled with the filly, who had managed to keep up with the long strides of those around her. Talia was also pleased with Harley, who proved that even though he was an ass most of the time, he could get the job with no problems at all.
