Post by aurelia on Aug 16, 2017 20:38:41 GMT -6
Simply Super
Super Cat, "Tiger" jockeyed by Jacob Wellington
Although Keegan kept a straight face, there was no denying her excitement for the work that was about to commence. Ever since Tiger had found his way into Nightwatch's three year-old crew, she had been eagerly awaiting his debut, which was in just a week. He had come from KC Racing unraced, having spent his juvenile year growing and learning. Hopefully the break would pay off. In the stables, Tiger had the best brain of any horse on the farm, and was quite the trickster. Constantly playing around, he was a lighthearted horse, but already seemed to have become more serious just after setting hoof on the turf. Today's work would be casual, a brief breeze over four furlongs without working the gate. Keegan simply wanted to let the colt stretch his legs before the big day, and to truly test his speed. If he didn't have the raw power needed for sprinting, his racing career would be in jeopardy. As for a workout partner, Twist was taking a bit of a rest due to a minor hoof issue, and the mere sight of Tess would probably be enough to convince Tiger to never be mounted again. After a bit more training, that wild beast could be introduced as a runningmate. With no other turf sprinters in the barn, Keegan had turned to an often-forgotten horse in the barn - Troy. The Paint stallion had been a star in the stock horse racing industry back in his prime, and was now living life as a stud and occasional "encourager" on the track. Keegan had tossed Elisabeth up on the palomino sabino today simply to hang beside Tiger, an easy test of his reactions to other horses while running. At nine years old, Troy was no longer a racing threat, but would hopefully be enough to get the newbie going.
Jacob, Tiger's jockey, had been cantering the chestnut colt for a while now, preparing him for his sprint. Elisabeth had Troy trotting on a fairly loose rein, not wanting to drain his energy for the brief gallop. Keegan laughed to herself as she gave the jockeys a thumbs-up, their sign to get ready to begin the four furlongs. Troy was quite out of shape, and no real match for the sprinting beast that Tiger was supposed to be. As the two studs picked up a gallop, making their way to the pole that would mark their distance, Keegan clicked her stopwatch, ready to watch her new arrival shine. The colt sprung into action, his stride rapidly expanding as he powered ahead of Troy, leaving him lengths behind. He was pouncing across the turf, increasing his speed with every step, ears pricked forward as he zeroed in on his destination. Jacob seemed just as stunned as Keegan was, his whip uselessly hanging in his hand. Tiger was unstoppable. The Paint stallion huffing and puffing an entire furlong behind was a laughable sight, but Keegan's eyes were quickly drawn back to the running beast ahead of her. He was somehow still accelerating, as if his energy and stride were bottomless. As he surged past the final pole, Keegan pressed down on the stopwatch, squinting to make out the faint number. 48.94 seconds. All it had taken for the colt to make his way through a four furlong sprint, never having run a race in his life. Jacob had finally managed to bring the colt to a trot, but his ears were still pricked. That settled it for her. Tiger had found a place for himself in the Nightwatch lineup. He was ready to work. And ready to run.
Although Keegan kept a straight face, there was no denying her excitement for the work that was about to commence. Ever since Tiger had found his way into Nightwatch's three year-old crew, she had been eagerly awaiting his debut, which was in just a week. He had come from KC Racing unraced, having spent his juvenile year growing and learning. Hopefully the break would pay off. In the stables, Tiger had the best brain of any horse on the farm, and was quite the trickster. Constantly playing around, he was a lighthearted horse, but already seemed to have become more serious just after setting hoof on the turf. Today's work would be casual, a brief breeze over four furlongs without working the gate. Keegan simply wanted to let the colt stretch his legs before the big day, and to truly test his speed. If he didn't have the raw power needed for sprinting, his racing career would be in jeopardy. As for a workout partner, Twist was taking a bit of a rest due to a minor hoof issue, and the mere sight of Tess would probably be enough to convince Tiger to never be mounted again. After a bit more training, that wild beast could be introduced as a runningmate. With no other turf sprinters in the barn, Keegan had turned to an often-forgotten horse in the barn - Troy. The Paint stallion had been a star in the stock horse racing industry back in his prime, and was now living life as a stud and occasional "encourager" on the track. Keegan had tossed Elisabeth up on the palomino sabino today simply to hang beside Tiger, an easy test of his reactions to other horses while running. At nine years old, Troy was no longer a racing threat, but would hopefully be enough to get the newbie going.
Jacob, Tiger's jockey, had been cantering the chestnut colt for a while now, preparing him for his sprint. Elisabeth had Troy trotting on a fairly loose rein, not wanting to drain his energy for the brief gallop. Keegan laughed to herself as she gave the jockeys a thumbs-up, their sign to get ready to begin the four furlongs. Troy was quite out of shape, and no real match for the sprinting beast that Tiger was supposed to be. As the two studs picked up a gallop, making their way to the pole that would mark their distance, Keegan clicked her stopwatch, ready to watch her new arrival shine. The colt sprung into action, his stride rapidly expanding as he powered ahead of Troy, leaving him lengths behind. He was pouncing across the turf, increasing his speed with every step, ears pricked forward as he zeroed in on his destination. Jacob seemed just as stunned as Keegan was, his whip uselessly hanging in his hand. Tiger was unstoppable. The Paint stallion huffing and puffing an entire furlong behind was a laughable sight, but Keegan's eyes were quickly drawn back to the running beast ahead of her. He was somehow still accelerating, as if his energy and stride were bottomless. As he surged past the final pole, Keegan pressed down on the stopwatch, squinting to make out the faint number. 48.94 seconds. All it had taken for the colt to make his way through a four furlong sprint, never having run a race in his life. Jacob had finally managed to bring the colt to a trot, but his ears were still pricked. That settled it for her. Tiger had found a place for himself in the Nightwatch lineup. He was ready to work. And ready to run.
