consuming all

[Sunfrost]

TDI LIVE THIS LIE AND AMBER BLACK
DASHING IN THE FIRELIGHT AND HENNA TURATH

FALSEHOOD'S AND FIRE'S WORKOUT FOR THE CONSUMATO DERBY

After this race, all three of them would have worked out at least once on the Intrepid Racing Inc. track. It was an interesting thought to Amber, who had watched happily as Fire Dancer took the win in the very first race of the Risorgimento Cup and then finished second in the one last week. This week, it was their turn. She was riding aboard Falsehood, and she couldn't wait. Falsehood was four years old and approaching his final season on the track. He had run a respectable four year old season and had just become a grade two. Though not the best horse out there, he was among some horses that could surprise, and Amber wished for the gray stallion to shine in his final season next year before becoming a stud. She wanted to finish off this season with a flourish too of course, but next season, stardom was their goal.

However, for Henna Turath and Fire, this was their last chance. This was their last season. A lot of happiness had been felt last year as Fire rose through the ranks and became a force to be reckoned with. This year, things had gone down hill, and Henna couldn't pinpoint why. They had worked hard and picked appropriate level fields. Just what was the problem? They were one win away from grade one, and Henna was considering retiring Fire on the spot as soon as she got that thirteenth win. The mare appeared to be done with racing, but Henna wasn't. She knew that the fiery passion to run still burned somewhere in Fire, and she was going to bring it out one more time in a last race of glory that named them as grade one. It had become an almost obsessive goal for Henna, and she wanted this win in the Consumato Derby badly. If they ended here, Fire might race one more time in the Breeders Cup before finally being finished. She wasn't sure of that yet. But if they won here, this could serve as Fire's last race. So her desire for the win consumed her, and Henna eyed the track critically, planning everything, every second, every moment.

At least the weather was good today, though the forecast for the Consumato was supposed to be breezy. Enough to kick dirt in the horses faces. It annoyed Amber, who was a serious planner, that they couldn't mimic the predicted conditions for the race more accurately, but they would work with what they had. Today, it was Fire for once who was actually a bit spirited. Almost restless. She danced in place, forelock flying, and gave Henna an incredibly hard time. Henna was frowning in concentration, actually utilizing techniques that were usually reserved only for Pegasus Wings. Falsehood, on the other hand, was quiet. Almost contemplative, the gray surveyed the dirt and pawed the ground before obeying Amber's command to trot. Fire trotted alongside the gray. They launched into their warm up jog and canter before coming to a standstill right at the wire. The Consumato was a longer race, eleven furlongs in length. It was at the limits of Falsehood's distance range but was bread and butter for Fire, who had always been a distance runner.

Due to the length of the Consumato, neither rider wanted to go very far or fast today. It wasn't necessary, and they didn't want their mounts to be too tired to give a decent effort. The race currently consisted only of Limitless Time, Afterglow and them. Nevertheless, it was a fierce field. Limitless would bring his closing kick and Afterglow would bring her confidence and potentially dangerous spot behind the leaders. As for their own mounts, it was planned for Falsehood to take the lead. He was a front runner, and had learned to play the style well over the years. He would probably be slightly pressured by Afterglow, but it was unlikely that the filly would take the lead. She was three years old and the youngest in the field, and had run a pretty challenging season, so she had experience, but her rider wouldn't want to push her too hard early on for fear of her running out of steam. As for Fire, she would be running just ahead of Limitless in the back, who would act as a sort of shadow for her and an indicator of when to move. The stallion had just had a bad ride in the Dubai Colt Cup was but still a serious challenger. He had talent, and Amber remembered it well, as did Henna.

The horses were now asked to gallop. Fire entered the pace with a sort of passion in her stride, and they went slightly ahead of Falsehood. Henna's eyes were nearly closed with joy. The sheer passion of her mare was something to feel and could only be felt by Henna, who had forged a powerful bond with the mare, especially after retraining her for racing after that injury by Jessie James. They moved smoothly and together, and it brought back thoughts that consumed Henna. She thought of their successful four year old season and wished that it would come back. She thought of Fire's half sister and rival Moondance and wished to defeat her. She thought of crossing the wire in first and defeating this field with ease, and achieving grade one at long last.

Amber was also consumed with thoughts of glory and success. The fact that they were slightly behind Fire now reminded her of Falsehood's so far half successful career. They had always been slightly behind. But next season, Amber wanted to rise. She wanted glory. She wanted Falsehood to retire with a somewhat magical twenty wins to his name. She wanted to capture the Breeders Cup Classic with him. It would have made Tropicana Dreams, Inc., his breeder, proud of him. And it would justify his career, too. Falsehood had priceless bloodlines, rare and talented. That buffed him up as a stud. An excellent career to back him up would mean limitless stardom. They would take that lead and they would maintain a good pace and a clear head for the entirety of the race. They would race to their best and just hoped it turned out okay. This Amber swore to and prepped her horse for, fire burning in her heart.

After about six furlongs the horses were pulled up and cooled down. Their all consuming thoughts turned to glory and success as they did so. The Consumato Derby held great things for both of them, and they prayed for success to come their way come race day.