Post by ripley on Aug 14, 2017 21:00:59 GMT -6
Natural Talent
Natural Defiance jockeyed by David Carter
David was not sure if he should be thankful for the mount aboard Natural Defiance or terrified. He watched the dark filly pin her ears back at her groom as the groom innocently brushed away at the filly's mane. She was an elegant animal with a nasty attitude toward humans. He understood it. He didn't like humans much himself, but such a disagreeable quality could backfire quite massively. He knew his previous demonstration of working with grumpy horses had landed him the job. Notorious and his angry, irritable soul were at the top of the heap in the turf handicap division. The bay son of Like A Cheetah had vaulted David Carter's career out of the stratosphere. If Natural Defiance was anything like her sire or dam, his career was likely to take a leap into the mesosphere.
"Don't tell me that you're reconsidering the mount?" Ripley taunted as she approached him. David looked away from the filly and her thrashing tail to eye up the trainer who had given him a chance of a life time. "Not on your life," he responded.
The red head nodded, brushed a hand across her soft chin and gestured for Nat's groom to free her from her stall. David stepped back, his fingers tapping on his hip as he watched the gorgeous two year old strut from her stall.
Natural Defiance was equine perfection. Just muscular enough to let you know she could damage, fine enough to be aerodynamic, and beautiful enough to capture the heart and soul of any future fan. She was a horse unto herself, the perfect blend of the Triple Crown winner Impressario and the speedy, legendary El Sol del Mar--Battle Brook's own ultimate legend.
David swallowed when the groom and horse came back around from their warm up lap. Nat was tense, her steps springy and tough. She tossed her head viciously, nearly decapitating the innocent person at her head. Ripley, pregnant though she was, latched her hand on the filly's halter, drawing her up short. While the owner and trainer of Battle Brook Stable was small in size, she packed a lot of intimidation. Natural Defiance rolled her eyes until the whites showed, but quickly went back to mutinous obedience.
Without waiting for his cue, David stepped up to the filly's barrel, avoided the threatening cocked hoof and placed his foot in the hands of the groom. Nat pinned her ears hard at the weight, but she'd learned to obey the hands on the reins as much as the hands on her halter. She stomped magnificently, throwing her little tantrum before she moved on with the fact that she was about to run and run hard. David patted her neck, smirking to himself. The fun was only just about to begin.
Ripley watched the dark as night filly trot easily over the dirt at The Wire. She looked like a demon princess and indeed she was one. She tossed her head every now and then, testing David for control. She was a minx, a tough to handle little filly, but she loved her job. Ripley had never felt more relief than when she'd seen the lithe horse run over the dirt for the first time. Her delayed two year old start would likely mean nothing. There was speed and maturity in her. She had talent in spades and the stamina to match.
Upon completion of the filly's jog around the track, David let her step out into a lope. Ripley hummed at the filly's fluid movement. She stretched out to take up the loose rein, her dark tail flowing behind her like a cape. This was a filly who moved like El Sol del Mar, but carried the great stamina of Impressario. Every stride was efficient, every breath that soared through her nostrils filled great and powerful lungs. David rode close to the saddle, his hands silent. Soon he would let her out a notch, let her whip through the five furlong workout to sharpen her up for her debut race.
Ripley leaned on the fence, her hands gripping the silver railing so hard that her knuckles whitened. She counted the effortless strides until the beginning pole, feeling herself fall into the rhythm of the filly's gallop even after years of being away from jockeying. The cue was so subtle that she might have missed it were she not concentrating so hard on the duo.
David's breath whooshed from his lungs as the filly went full throttle in a moment's notice. Her easy going stride forgotten, Natural Defiance lit up the track with more speed than he'd felt in his life from a dirt horse. She powered over the ground with marvelous impulsion, her ears pricked every step of the way. It was the happiest he'd ever seen her and for himself, it was the breathtaking moment he'd been waiting for.
Ripley gripped her stopwatch tightly in her hand, knowing full well that this workout would be reported by the clockers. She moved too easy to be real. She was highly anticipated--the first daughter of Impressario and El Sol del Mar, both legends on the track and in the breeding shed. She wouldn't have bothered with the watch if she hadn't been interested in the gallop out.
Natural Defiance rounded the far turn, her hooves gripping the sandy surface like sticky glue. She laid her body out across the track with no encouragement at all. She'd cleared the four furlongs in :47 2/5 and was well on her way to a :59 3/5 second workout. She'd switched her leads well enough to make Ripley certain that she was already professional enough to run. When she soared through the line and hit it :59 flat, Ripley's breath whooshed from her lungs at the sight of the time.
She didn't need the watch to tell her that the gallop out was even more impressive than the workout. No juvenile maiden racehorse looked as smooth as Nat without ever having run a race. She barely glanced up when the first reporter sidled over to her. She shrugged, knowing his eyes would be just as excited as hers. Natural Defiance could not have been more impressive, more revealing of her talent than when she had run today. Perhaps a delayed start had benefited her, but as she came back, she threw several bucks, telling Ripley that this elegant black filly could be the demon princess she'd been waiting for all along in her Y17 juvenile crop.
Natural Defiance jockeyed by David Carter
David was not sure if he should be thankful for the mount aboard Natural Defiance or terrified. He watched the dark filly pin her ears back at her groom as the groom innocently brushed away at the filly's mane. She was an elegant animal with a nasty attitude toward humans. He understood it. He didn't like humans much himself, but such a disagreeable quality could backfire quite massively. He knew his previous demonstration of working with grumpy horses had landed him the job. Notorious and his angry, irritable soul were at the top of the heap in the turf handicap division. The bay son of Like A Cheetah had vaulted David Carter's career out of the stratosphere. If Natural Defiance was anything like her sire or dam, his career was likely to take a leap into the mesosphere.
"Don't tell me that you're reconsidering the mount?" Ripley taunted as she approached him. David looked away from the filly and her thrashing tail to eye up the trainer who had given him a chance of a life time. "Not on your life," he responded.
The red head nodded, brushed a hand across her soft chin and gestured for Nat's groom to free her from her stall. David stepped back, his fingers tapping on his hip as he watched the gorgeous two year old strut from her stall.
Natural Defiance was equine perfection. Just muscular enough to let you know she could damage, fine enough to be aerodynamic, and beautiful enough to capture the heart and soul of any future fan. She was a horse unto herself, the perfect blend of the Triple Crown winner Impressario and the speedy, legendary El Sol del Mar--Battle Brook's own ultimate legend.
David swallowed when the groom and horse came back around from their warm up lap. Nat was tense, her steps springy and tough. She tossed her head viciously, nearly decapitating the innocent person at her head. Ripley, pregnant though she was, latched her hand on the filly's halter, drawing her up short. While the owner and trainer of Battle Brook Stable was small in size, she packed a lot of intimidation. Natural Defiance rolled her eyes until the whites showed, but quickly went back to mutinous obedience.
Without waiting for his cue, David stepped up to the filly's barrel, avoided the threatening cocked hoof and placed his foot in the hands of the groom. Nat pinned her ears hard at the weight, but she'd learned to obey the hands on the reins as much as the hands on her halter. She stomped magnificently, throwing her little tantrum before she moved on with the fact that she was about to run and run hard. David patted her neck, smirking to himself. The fun was only just about to begin.
Ripley watched the dark as night filly trot easily over the dirt at The Wire. She looked like a demon princess and indeed she was one. She tossed her head every now and then, testing David for control. She was a minx, a tough to handle little filly, but she loved her job. Ripley had never felt more relief than when she'd seen the lithe horse run over the dirt for the first time. Her delayed two year old start would likely mean nothing. There was speed and maturity in her. She had talent in spades and the stamina to match.
Upon completion of the filly's jog around the track, David let her step out into a lope. Ripley hummed at the filly's fluid movement. She stretched out to take up the loose rein, her dark tail flowing behind her like a cape. This was a filly who moved like El Sol del Mar, but carried the great stamina of Impressario. Every stride was efficient, every breath that soared through her nostrils filled great and powerful lungs. David rode close to the saddle, his hands silent. Soon he would let her out a notch, let her whip through the five furlong workout to sharpen her up for her debut race.
Ripley leaned on the fence, her hands gripping the silver railing so hard that her knuckles whitened. She counted the effortless strides until the beginning pole, feeling herself fall into the rhythm of the filly's gallop even after years of being away from jockeying. The cue was so subtle that she might have missed it were she not concentrating so hard on the duo.
David's breath whooshed from his lungs as the filly went full throttle in a moment's notice. Her easy going stride forgotten, Natural Defiance lit up the track with more speed than he'd felt in his life from a dirt horse. She powered over the ground with marvelous impulsion, her ears pricked every step of the way. It was the happiest he'd ever seen her and for himself, it was the breathtaking moment he'd been waiting for.
Ripley gripped her stopwatch tightly in her hand, knowing full well that this workout would be reported by the clockers. She moved too easy to be real. She was highly anticipated--the first daughter of Impressario and El Sol del Mar, both legends on the track and in the breeding shed. She wouldn't have bothered with the watch if she hadn't been interested in the gallop out.
Natural Defiance rounded the far turn, her hooves gripping the sandy surface like sticky glue. She laid her body out across the track with no encouragement at all. She'd cleared the four furlongs in :47 2/5 and was well on her way to a :59 3/5 second workout. She'd switched her leads well enough to make Ripley certain that she was already professional enough to run. When she soared through the line and hit it :59 flat, Ripley's breath whooshed from her lungs at the sight of the time.
She didn't need the watch to tell her that the gallop out was even more impressive than the workout. No juvenile maiden racehorse looked as smooth as Nat without ever having run a race. She barely glanced up when the first reporter sidled over to her. She shrugged, knowing his eyes would be just as excited as hers. Natural Defiance could not have been more impressive, more revealing of her talent than when she had run today. Perhaps a delayed start had benefited her, but as she came back, she threw several bucks, telling Ripley that this elegant black filly could be the demon princess she'd been waiting for all along in her Y17 juvenile crop.
