Post by Ripley on Apr 23, 2015 13:14:12 GMT -5
Increase The Pressure
featuring: Awestruck & Enrapture & Firestorm
Ripley wasn't one for late morning workouts, but today she needed to get this one in or her stuff was going to become mutinous. She wasn't the one to blame for this though. The trio of horses her exercise riders would be working out were to blame. Enrapture, Awestruck and Firestorm had been given some of Summer and the majority of the fall off. However, that was coming to a rapid halt... like now. Enrapture had broken through the stall door at The Wire and had almost created several backstretch catastrophes. Firestorm was becoming the king of annoyance and Awestruck simply wouldn't cooperate for her morning gallops.
The trio had to race or Ripley was going to toss the towel and send them back to Malcolm at Witch Creek. She simply couldn't tolerate the misbehaving fiends much longer. Unlike Coveted Faith and Uno Momento, Ennie, True and Storm were simply becoming a lot to handle. Ripley watched the trio of bays strut around the front of the shed-row. True danced on her toes, dished head cocked sideways to analyze the horses in the barn. Firestorm and Enrapture were practically dragging Laura and Brooks. Though Ennie was the smallest of the trio, she clearly looked like the boss. If she so much as pinned her ears at True or Storm, the colt and filly would dash away, tail almost tucked between their hind legs.
Ripley whistled, giving the cue for the riders to mount up. Justin appeared and boosted Laura into the saddle before moving onto Brooks. Reese simply flung herself on True's back. The Touch Up daughter danced and snorted, swinging her head around excitedly. She punched the ground with her flint like hooves before Reese forced her to behave. Ripley couldn't help the thrill of excitement that the bay filly brought to her. She adored the Touch Up line, but this one... She gave her chills. Touch Up's brilliance as a sire came from the consistency of his offspring and the strong showings of his grand-foals.
"Here comes the moment that you have all been begging for," Ripley teased. "Take them five furlongs around the track and let them get faster with every furlong. You all know where your horses like to be, so don't fight them if they tug you."
Enrapture led the way to the track, her copper coat gleaming in the sunlight. She bowed her neck and pranced over the sand and gravel path. Brooks tugged on her when she tried to do more than walk. The filly pinned her ears, but settled down into her confident stalking stride. Brooks grinned at Ripley when she jogged to catch up. "I know you wanted to keep her out of commission until October, but I really don't think that's smart."
Ripley shrugged, but she had to agree as she gave the Furious Passion daughter a once over. Ennie was ready to let loose and roll. Ripley patted the impressive filly's shoulder as she crossed from the path through the gap. Ennie struck up a trot immediately and drew the eyes of the remaining clockers and rail-birds.
Firestorm followed at a rapid fire pace. He let loose a high pitched whinny and powered into the bit despite Laura's resistance. The chocolate brown colt was the closest anyone had gotten to Anodyne's genes. The Intrepid Racing runner, last year's Canadian Triple Crown winner, hadn't been seen on the track since spring. Firestorm, with his bull dog body and elegant head, looked close, but even he had been on the down low. His two wins on the season were almost forgotten, but his powerful gallops had started attracting notice. Laura knew that the press thought Witch Creek stupid for giving up Lady Timeah, an almost grade three filly, for a maiden colt. However, she had to disagree. If Witch Creek wanted the market on the miler industry, they needed the miler studs.
Awestruck drifted around behind her two workmates. She moved so gracefully and quietly that she didn't seem to be connected to the loud colt and filly. Reese appreciated her filly's quiet behavior. It wasn't often that True behaved on the racetrack. She was fierce at home from the time she was tacked to the time she was put back in her stall or paddock. Her strength was her willfulness and fighting spirit, but at the same time they were two of her weaknesses.
Reese chirped to Awestruck once Enrapture moved into her gallop stride. Immediately, True stepped forward and bolted. Her strides were massive and she seemed to eat the ground as she ran. She overtook Firestorm who was still in a controlled gallop. Ennie pinned her ears as True flew to the lead, but relented under Brooks' command. Ennie worked best when she closed from off the pace. Although the copper filly was fresh, there was no need to deviate from the original plan.
Laura released Storm when Ennie fell back behind them. The dark colt pounded the earth loudly as he pursued Ennie. Quiet, he was not. He charged over the ground and blew by True. The Touch Up daughter didn't battle back as Reese had expected. Rather, she settled off the Kyoujin colt's haunches and rated. Reese patted the filly's neck in appreciating. True cruised over the ground, remaining on the bridle as Firestorm clicked off the first two furlongs with his explosive early run.
Brooks and Ennie watched the two horses before them. The speed wasn't blistering, but it was good enough that Ennie would get to wait longer than usual to start her run. She powered over the sand and kept her ears pricked. She was happiest when she was allowed to run her own race. Brooks sat chilly in the saddle, letting the filly do her own thing. They would work as a team in the final stage of the work to take down the pair before them.
Reese kissed to True as Firestorm cut the corner and put a length between them. Though Storm was the same size as True, he was innately more agile and he cornered like a son of a gun. Laura was grinning as the colt surged into the homestretch and dared the fillies to come tackle him. She liked Storm's maverick style. Laura peeked under her shoulder to gauge Enrapture. She knew True was coming, but Ennie was always a force at the end of a workout or race.
Brooks tapped Ennie's shoulder once in encouragement and the golden filly was gone. She surged over the dirt track, head high and tail lifted, and cut down True and Storm like it was her day job. True battled fiercely, not quickening quite as fast because she truly excelled over the turf more than the dirt. She was game and she stayed strong even when Firestorm and Enrapture wrapped her in the center. She bowled Firestorm aside, but the stout colt poured it on even more after the contact.
Ripley nodded in approval as the trio crossed the line and churned out an impressive gallop out furlong. That was all she needed to see. The trio was ready to get back on track. She could only imagine the staff's relief when she told them the good news.
