Post by Cruisey on Jul 6, 2015 13:45:24 GMT -5
REFUTE && JOHNNY GARNER
Workout for the Breeder's Stakes
The faint sound of a horse's hooves could be heard as Johnny and Refute crept towards The Wire’s turf track. Not one horse could be seen on the track, and Johnny kind of liked the serenity of the track. Carter had met them at the track at the break of dawn, just when the sun was starting to make its appearance in the sky. By the time they had gotten the bay colt ready, the sun was casting a warm pink glow everywhere around them.
It was getting difficult to train Ralph for a big race because of the constant interruptions and the media that has been lingering around the track. Ever since his sudden drop out of the Turf Triple Crown, everyone wanted to know what was happening with the colt. The media had stopped hounding him after his first few undercard races, which were both easy wins, and ever since then they had figured the colt was better off in the undercards. Little did they know, Ralph was training harder than ever to make his debut in the final leg of the Canadian Triple Crown. There was no surprise to see that Grayson Meadow’s Take Flight was entered, Carter had predicted that long before he had made the decision to enter Refute. The Queen’s Plate winner Casualty of War was entered in post 3, and while most of his juvenile wins came on the turf; his three year old season’s wins had him marked down as preferring dirt. Carter only hoped that the turf-based Ralph could have a slight advantage over the big, black, colt.
They moved out onto the early morning turf. So much was riding on a possible win for Ralph in the Breeder's Stakes, and it would definitely have boosted his confidence before the Breeder’s Cup. Carter wasn’t even sure if that was a possibility at this point for Ralph, but he just took things day by day. Competition was going to be tough as usual and every horse and rider will be on the top of their game. This was going to be the ultimate test for Ralph, and Carter wanted to make sure he was at the top of his game – this would be one of the deciding factors in letting the bay colt go to the Breeder’s Cup, which was only 4 months away.
Johnny clicked his heels and cued Ralph to the inside rail. They were going to do a mile long gallop - not a full racing gallop, but a good, solid conditioning gallop. Horse and rider moved over the turf effortlessly; Ralph’s ears were flickering back and forth between Johnny and the track ahead of him, anticipating each move that he was going to do. There was no shortness of breath, no hiccup in their striding, as they made their way around the track for the last time before the race. Ralph’s legs moved in unison with each other, and the bay colt was smart with his speed. Johnny rarely had to do anything – he just sat and enjoyed the ride that Ralph was taking him on. It was the perfect time to relax both horse and jockey before the stressful day ahead of them, and relaxation was key in a time like this. The colt was ready for his revenge on the field of three, and he was about to get it.
