this is for us

[Sunfrost]

FIRE DANCER AND KRYSTAL YHATE

FIRE'S WORKOUT FOR THE NOVIZIO DERBY

It was a new track, this place, but it was nothing they hadn't seen before. With a cursory glance, Krystal Yhate nodded to herself before bidding her filly on her way. Three year old Fire Dancer glanced around the track herself before obeying. They walked down the dirt track, continuing to acclimate to their surroundings, taking note of every detail in preparation for race day. The sun was shining and the sky was clear; all in all, it was the perfect day for their prep workout for the Novizio Derby. It was the first of a series of races that Krystal was sure would steal some acclaim. The field had, of course, come up tough, but Krystal had persevered in entering Fire. They didn't back down from a challenge!

Lately Fire had been resting. She hadn't raced for a little bit, but she had certainly worked out. Newly rested and conditioned muscles gleamed under her flame colored coat, and Krystal knew that they were a gorgeous site to see. But looks definitely weren't everything, and they were going to need more for this race. Fire was definitely the top contender. If anything, she was the long shot. Hers was a sad story, of sorts. Placing third behind two year olds not once but twice did that. Fire was anything but a horse in the limelight. She had placed third in every leg of the Triple Tiara to Afterglow and Silverianna. Ever since then, she was the underdog, and never the favorite in any race they ran in. But these facts did not discourse Krystal. Instead, they served as encouragement to show the world just what they were missing with Fire. If they won this race, they would finally earn the title of grade four, and they had been chasing that this entire season.

Instant Success was probably the biggest threat. Even though he was only two, he had already won more times than Fire - which was actually the case for the majority of the field. He was a closer, and they would have to look out behind for him. Heartless Revenge from Akita Rose Stables would have been a solid contender for the Triple Crown this year if he hadn't disappeared. Though spotty in race record, he had amazing bloodlines, and he would be setting the pace for this race. Finally, Silver Stride's Make A Dash would be joining Instant Success at the back of the pack. They would be the silent threat. Her record was decent, though she hadn't started much this year, but she was half to Dashing in the Firelight through her dam, and that alone made her a solid threat. So far, Fire had the advantage in terms of conditioning. She had been racing hard this season against the best and had come away with a lot of experience. She was also a mid-packer, so would be between the paces and would have lots of running room.

The Novizio Derby was nine furlongs on the dirt. Krystal cued Fire into a trot as she plotted out their workout plan for it. She knew that Fire had been more than conditioned in the past weeks, so she didn't need to work on that. Instead, she should simply gallop Fire through a timed half mile and give the bettors for the race something to think about. After all, the entrants to this race were being watched like hawks, and Krystal wanted to make sure they noticed Fire so it wouldn't be as much of a surprise when they (hopefully) won. Krystal decidedly cued Fire for a canter, and after a half mile of cantering circled Fire around a couple times, working out all of her muscles. When a light sweat had worked itself onto the filly's fiery bay coat, Krystal began to gallop her.

Fire's gallop was nothing flashy or special. It was a gallop. True to a horse, it was fast, and her legs reached forward with tremendous strides. She breathed in and out evenly through large nostrils and was semi-receptive to Krystal's commands, just as any three year old thoroughbred would be. Krystal had quickly relaxed into the motion of her filly's gallop. They went for about a furlong at this pace, just getting used to it, before Krystal started her timer and urged Fire into a faster pace. They had time to beat and some eyes to catch, and this was their chance to do it.

Fire responded happily to the sudden release. She accelerated, legs flying, and her breathing grew faster in tempo. Legs pumping, heart beating, hands moving in tandem with the neck - it was the classic picture of a horse working hard. They were moving well, and at a good pace, and Krystal was satisfied and happy. The track curved well, nothing too curvy or straight. The dirt wasn't anything hard for Fire to grip with her hooves. In fact, it seemed sharp as tack, and no doubt their time would hopefully reflect that. Going around into the stretch, they reached for the wire and blew past it at a nice speed. Krystal began to ease the galloping filly down, and the three year old resisted for a little bit before relenting. She dropped her pace, and as she did Krystal glanced at her watch.

The half had been in forty four flat, just what she had wanted. Krystal grinned. They had worked well for this race, and it would be Fire's first one in a couple weeks. Hopefully their performance would be up to par on race day, and they would give the crowd a race to remember. This was the race for them, when they would finally reach grade four. This was it!