Post by Cruisey on Apr 10, 2015 22:01:03 GMT -5
SPEAK EASY && JOHNNY GARNER
Workout for the Kentucky Derby*
with Breezing Partner Red Herring & Sammie Pickett
with Breezing Partner Red Herring & Sammie Pickett
Nothing was over, and nothing would be over until Speak Easy got his revenge. 4:30 in the morning came a lot quicker than Carter would have liked as he rolled his truck and trailer into the backstretch of The Wire track. They had decided to ship Sonny over to The Wire in preparation for the start of the Triple Crown. Johnny was in the passenger seat, sipping his coffee, while Sammie sat quietly in the backseat as Carter parked the truck a little ways from the temporary stalls.
“Whose idea was it anyways to work a horse at five in the morning?” Carter grumbled as he shut the truck door behind him, making his way around to the back of the trailer. He heard Johnny’s muffled chuckle from the other side as he placed his own coffee on the side ledge of the trailer.
“That would be yours, boss.” Johnny replied; way too chipper in the morning for Carter’s liking. Together, the two men opened the back of the trailer to find Sonny quietly munching on his hay net, looking equally as asleep as the two humans. Beside him in the slant load trailer stood none other than the grade one champion, Red Herring. The chestnut stallion was hardly calm as he dragged Sammie out of the trailer, sniffing the air, recognizing his surroundings after being away for 5 months. Sammie held onto the chain, tugging it sharply, before Red finally settled down after walking around a bit. Carter led Sonny off the ramp, a lot quieter than the stallion, as he sniffed the ground. Johnny helped close the ramp while Carter grabbed his coffee off of the trailer.
“Sammie, just bring Red over to the stalls over there, we have numbers 32 and 33.” The blonde nodded and walked the hot stallion over to stall 32. Johnny was following behind them, carrying the horses’ tack in his hands. Once Carter had Sonny settled in stall 33, he went back to the trailer groggily for the rest of the equipment, which included the hay nets, bandages, ice, and wraps. Sammie and Johnny had already taken the initiative to groom their mounts and were all ready to be tacked up. Sonny stood quietly while Johnny was handed his saddle and pads, placing them neatly on his back. Red on the other hand was being his usual self and stomped around his stall while the small jockey tried to fight to put on his tack.
Carter paced about in front of the two horses, trying to think of a tactical plan for the Derby. So far, there were only four entries including Sonny. Carter had no doubt that the field would fill up quicker as the weeks passed by; after all there was still two weeks to go. As of now, Sonny would be facing the likes of Baciami, the newly turned Grade three who unsettled Sonny in the Florida Derby. He was an aggressive runner, and would surely be one of the horses running at the front of the field early on. Saintly Touch of Witch Creek was also entered, and Sonny would be looking for revenge on the horse who had won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Dancing Fool had post four for Nature Blue. He hasn’t raced since March, which could potentially put him at a disadvantage, but Carter didn’t want to take the colt’s efforts too lightly, since he could possibly pull an upset. Last Carter had checked, Impressionable took the fifth spot in the Derby field. The filly had yet to pick up a win this season, but she proved to be major competition last season.
Tacked up and ready to go, Carter gave Johnny and Sammie a leg up onto their mounts. Sonny bounced on his toes, muscles rippling under his black coat in the early morning sunshine. Red walked a little ahead of him, his walk was brisk underneath Sammie’s hold. Sonny was ready for this race, and Carter had a feeling that he would easily be able to run in the top three, but nothing was set in stone until race day. The two horses stepped onto the track and Red squealed, easily excited at the fact of running again.
“Six furlongs. Let Sonny lead and feel the presence of Red behind him. If Red wants to move up, let him. I want to see Sonny’s competitive side kick in today.” Carter spoke, the grogginess gone from his voice as he set up his little notebook and timer. The jockeys nodded in unison as they set off down the track for their warmup. Red wasn’t much taller than Sonny, but he had muscled out and looked ten times more mature than the three year old. The red stallion had a huge aura around him that Sonny couldn’t ignore, which could go either way. Sonny chewed on the bit, not wanting to stay trotting for much longer. Johnny allowed the horse to move up into a canter, and the black colt wanted to get away from the horse behind him quickly. Sammie allowed the chestnut stallion to follow, his long strides easily keeping up.
As the two horses reached their marker, Johnny allowed the colt to gather speed. Sonny powered forwards, ears pressed against his head, flickering back and forth between Johnny and the older horse behind him. Red stalked behind him as they hit the first turn, making sure the younger horse knew he was there. Sonny started to fight Johnny, wanting to slow down into his normal position. Johnny was testing the colt’s ability to change his race momentum in unusual situations. Luckily, the field in the Derby seemed to have a front runner, which isn’t where Sonny liked to be, but he continued to press the colt on despite his resentment. Red was creeping up on the black colt, breathing down his neck. Sammie was purposely trying to piss the colt off by driving Red up his butt. Sonny surged forwards, away from the stallion and began to run. Too early, Johnny thought as he reined the colt in. Sonny fought, tossing his head disapprovingly. The weird pace situation was certainly keeping Sonny on his toes, since he stopped anticipating his own moves.
Giving some rein, Sonny pounced across the dirt, attacking the ground like it was his sworn enemy. Red hit his stride coming around the turn, and Sammie let him chase the young horse. All of the power and drive that were pent up in both horses were immediately released following the turn. Red was gaining ground on the black colt, and was now running alongside him. Sonny kept running beside Red, not seeming to want to make a move. Johnny had stopped getting a response from the colt, which worried him greatly. They watched as the red horse powered forcefully along the dirt, stretching his whole body out as he surged ahead of Sonny. Multiple curse words were running through Johnny’s head as they watched the finish pole come closer to them. Without warning, Sonny’s stride changed and he attacked. Johnny grabbed a fistful of mane in panic, but readjusted himself quickly. The colt was gaining ground, and he was gaining it fast. Johnny’s thought process finally clicked and he understood what the black horse was doing. A switch was flicked in Sonny’s mind as they found themselves neck and neck with Red once again. All of the built-up anticipation and anger had finally gotten the chance to be released, and was it ever strong. Sonny took his power and used it on beating Baciami, Impressionable, Dancing Fool, and Saintly Touch. He’d been beaten by them before, but it wasn’t going to stop him from beating them this time around.
Sammie watched in awe atop Red Herring as the colt flew past them in a flurry of black. Red galloped on hesitantly, seemingly stunned by the sudden movement of the horse in front. It was not like any horse to pass Red once he had the lead, and Sonny had managed to do it. Johnny was having the time of his life, riding the continuously extending strides of the colt as if they were actually in the Derby. They swept past the wire, with Red following a few lengths behind, a little worn out from lack of exercise but still happy nonetheless. Both Johnny and Sammie were grinning ear to ear as they slowed down gradually. The man on top of Sonny’s back was patting him on the neck, praising him. Johnny wasn’t a man of big praises, but the colt had never felt so fabulous to ride than today. It only made him more excited to be a part of the colt’s very bright looking future.
