Post by Ripley on Jul 6, 2015 8:44:31 GMT -5
Tactical Secrets
featuring: Taboo & Sun King & Nirvana
mission: Daisy Stakes & Red Wine Sprint & Purple Rose Stakes
Reese knew today was going to be an interesting go round for two reasons. One: because Sun King was riding on such a high note that nothing seemed to get in way of a victory and Two: because Taboo and Nirvana were ready for a speed workout. The South American woman had been dying to get on Taboo since her third place finish in the Handsome Mile at Green Horse Fields. The gray filly had been a blast of energy ever since that race. She hadn't really run enough to tire herself out and had come back spitting fire. She'd run a respectable third behind the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner and the Kentucky Derby winner. Not bad considering, Reese believed that the filly excelled more over the turf and at shorter distances.
Taboo quivered underneath her as she watched Nirvana and Sun King walk around in circles. Nirvana's muscles bulged underneath her gleaming bay hide. She really looked the perfect picture of health off of her second victory in Year Fifteen and a second place finish behind older mare Allouette Divine. She'd had a hard and frustrating early season, but given the chance to recoup, the filly was beginning to blossom again. Laura, her usual jockey and exercise rider, was behind excited to cut back in distance with the grade two daughter of Gold Storm. Her closing kick would only be that much more effective.
Ripley watched her horses circle from underneath the eaves of the shedrow. It wasn't often that Ripley trained her crew at Green Horse Fields. She preferred to ship in the day of and let her horses run. They'd run enough times between the three different tracks to prepare for the unexpected. She let out a low hiss when Sun King reared up on his hind legs. The powerful chestnut colt towered over Brookson Wells. Each muscle was well defined and his copper coat gleamed in the early morning light. It wasn't often that chestnuts hit the big time so consistently, but between Mastermind, Sun King and Spotlight Pride, Ripley had found a reliable and brilliant trio.
"Alright guys. Mount up so we can get them rolling. I don't need the press stalking us to the track." Ripley stepped away from the barn and boosted Laura up on Nirvana's back. The blaze faced filly snorted, but stood still as stone until Laura was settled. Vana was the most easy going horse on the string. She was also one of the most intelligent horses that Laura had ridden. There was just something about the brawny filly that reminded her of Flawed Princess. Both were kind horses with the ability to sit back and wait for the command to move forward. While Laura wanted success for herself, she really wanted to put last year's two year old juvenile filly back on her pedestal and back in the spotlight.
Ripley led King toward the track. He snorted and pranced along, waving his tail over his rump excitedly. He wasn't the kind of horse to just sit around in the barn. Like Mastermind, his half-brother, King needed continuous work and needed to race. He thrived under exciting conditions and proved the durability of the Native Flame and El Sol Del Mar lines. She gave the towering horse a pat and smiled when he merely tossed his head and looked in the opposite direction. I am not Mastermind, he seemed to say.
"Should be a great workout. I expect Sun King to be on the lead, but please do your best to keep him steady and strong. I don't care if he outworks the fillies because I don't want to work them that way today. I want him on the lead, Taboo in the middle and Nirvana in the back. Each furlong go faster and I want him flying down the line. He's cutting back in the Red Wine Sprint. They all are. If we want to run with the sprinters, we have to run like them."
Brooks nodded, patted his colt on the neck. "I have plenty of faith in him. Even if we get locked in a fight, I have faith in him. He doesn't wave the flag of surrender."
Ripley smiled and stopped. The chestnut didn't even bother to glance backward. He strode toward the track purposefully. He knew exactly what he had to do and how to do it. Ripley repeated her instructions to Reese and Laura. All the while, she inspected the fillies. She liked that Nirvana had a brightness and a confident attitude. She liked that Taboo was straining for her head and rocking back off her heels every once in a while. She hadn't worked with delicate fillies like these before. They would never be El Sol del Mar, but Ripley liked trying something new and challenging. These two fillies were exactly the challenge she needed for Year Fifteen.
"Four furlongs!" Ripley called as the trio of horses slipped through the gap onto the dirt track. Immediately, King and Taboo were on the bit. Laura nudged Vana to keep up and soon the heavy filly was marching after them. She bowed her neck and snorted, tossing her mane in annoyance. The bay filly brought an amused smile to Laura's face, but soon both were back to business.
Brooks nudged King into his long striding warm up gallop and soon he was pulling clear of Tabz. He was such a beautiful horse to ride. Brooks had only seen Ripley ride him before. He remembered getting schooled that day. Two greats had schooled him good and proper. Now, Sun King was carrying him to greatness with every potent and dominating victory. It was addicting and mind boggling to be so successful and to know that you would have the horse you needed to get the job done every single time. Brooks leaned close to the flaming red mane and soaked in the wave of power. The colt felt absolutely brilliant.
Taboo kept three lengths back as she would have in a race. She moved so fluidly that it could have lulled Reese to sleep in any other setting. The gray filly had come so far since her first career start. No longer did she cower in fear at every noise. Now she moved with confidence and was becoming one of the most versatile horses on the roster. She could run on dirt and turf, sprints to classic distances. Taboo was becoming dependable and that was something Reese had not known she could be. Reese lowered her hands and let the filly stretch out around the turn.
Laura knew the key to Nirvana was patience. This workout was designed to help Vana get back into her sprinting groove. Every furlong had to be run faster than the last and Vana could do that. She had the stamina necessary to pull off a six furlong sustained sprint. While the leaders would tire themselves out, Vana would sit patiently and watch until the last three furlongs. Her gradual move was so broad and sweeping that she could grind down a massive lead into nothingness. She was an unexpected talent who needed the cutback if she was ever going to get back her two year old success.
King rolled into the backstretch, snorting and mouthing the bit. He was asking the question, but Brooks wasn't ready to give him the answer. Middle of the backstretch would start the four furlong workout. "Easy, big horse," Brooks whispered into the colt's ear. King shook his head in protest, but he let off the bridle a little and relaxed. His ears flickered on his head as though he was looking for the competition. Brooks chirped to him, started the four furlong just a couple strides earlier than Ripley would want. He didn't need the stubborn side of Sun King to come out just yet.
Reese held her breath when King took off. It was like watching a rocket come to life and leave the crowd in the sparks and flames. King just shot off with a wave of sound and left them behind. Taboo hauled at the bit, crossed into the four furlong workout and took off in pursuit. Reese made sure to start clocking the twelves in her head. Twelves and elevens would be perfectly suitable for the six furlong workout for the Daisy Stakes.
Laura shook up Vana and set the big striding filly down after her workmates. Already King was six lengths ahead of her. Taboo split the middle, but she was already flying and picking up the lengths between herself and Sun King. Nirvana cruised along, lengthening her stride until she was almost parallel to the ground. Laura felt the steady thrumb of power underneath her and knew her star filly was in there somehow. Vana grew stronger with every furlong and was motoring by the time they hit the turn.
King powered into the stretch with Taboo breathing down his back. The gray filly was putting up a stiff fight and reminded Brooks that Reese had been quietly confident about the gray filly's future fall performances. If she could give King a test, than she had indeed improved quite impressively since her young age. Brooks glanced under his arm and swore when the filly hit King's saddle-cloth. The chestnut colt pinned his ears and kicked into another gear in fierce retaliation.
Reese peeked under her shoulder to check on Nirvana and was mildly surprised to find that the bay filly was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging, Reese turned around to set Tabz down for the drive. It was only when King beared into Taboo's shoulder that Reese realized Vana had swept up to the chestnut colt's outside and was pressing them all toward the rail. For once, King was not going to get an easy workout. For once, the fillies had the upper advantage.
The trio bore down through the wire with Sun King staving off the challenges despite the pressure from both sides. The riders exchanged fist bumps and galloped their horses out. Ripley smiled at the sight of the camaraderie. Not too long ago, she couldn't have gotten Reese or Brooks to speak or ride against each other. Things were finally coming to full cycle, just in time for the fall races!
