dirty mind
Alright... Remember Laura... This is the first time you're getting on this filly. You may need to take some time to get used to her. She is slightly difficult. And you've gotten used to your hotheaded mares. Laura snorted at Ripley, who was ever the mother hen. Laura's green eyes flashed in Ripley's direction, her thin shoulders taunt with tension and annoyance. Ripley was back to her old anxiety prone self thanks to making up with Brookson Wells. She missed the sulking, solitary Ripley. But when Laura looked into Ripley's cat-green eyes and saw the excitement, Laura took back her thoughts. Even though Ripley was a mother hen, she still was one of the best horse women she'd ever met. And now that she was finally opening up to everyone again, Laura was learning a lot from her. I don't think I'll ever get used to what Whipped Cream tosses at me.
Ripley smiled, stroked her horse's neck from her position on the ground. Mastermind's eyes were burning with an intensity that Laura only had seen twice before. Frozen Motion and El Sol del Mar. Laura wondered if the chestnut colt was going to be a handful for his competitors in his first race back since September Week Four in the King's Bishop. Ripley's eyes met the dark look of Mastermind. A tension snapped between the three year old colt and his only mount since he'd been able to carry a rider. Ripley sucked in the punch of heat and fire. The colt was ready to go. His muscles moved powerfully beneath his copper-colored hide. Mastermind had been sending signals that he was ready to get back to racing for weeks now. Ripley just hadn't been able to find a race suitable for the Speed Demon son. Now the time was coming. He would run the last two weeks of December and then start off in January without a break. He had been absent for nearly three months and that absence would prepare him for the long haul of Year Fourteen.
Laura felt a flicker of jealousy at the intense connection between Ripley and Mastermind. She had a connection with Whipped Cream, but it was not the look of partnership. It was Whipped Cream simply tolerating a rider on her broad back. Laura felt a nudge on her arm by pink muzzle. She turned around to face Dirty Diana. The cinder colored filly nickered, eyes soft as Laura turned her attention her way. The filly's ears were pricked, her muscles pulsing beneath her coat. She was a completely different story than Mastermind. Dirty Diana had not lived up to expectations from a rocky two year old season to an early three year old season. Laura knew a thing or two about disappointing those people connected to you. She could see where the filly was coming from, knew why she had the issues she had. Perhaps, Di would be the connection Laura was hoping for.
Ripley led the way out of the barn into the winter chill. Laura sunk down into her thick winter gear, cringing away from the breeze. Di just faced it like a man, head high, mane blowing back from her face. Laura patted the filly's strong shoulder and swiftly launched herself into the saddle. From watching Lane tackle the filly earlier in the season, Laura knew not to keep Dirty Diana waiting for long. She instantly nudged the filly into a jog down the path to the dirt track. Di lifted her head high, eyes bright with excitement. Her muscles were pulsing with energy and it traveled rapid-fire up the leather and into Laura's gloved hands. Laura could feel the electricity passing into her. Now here was her kind of filly. Di through a tough buck, nearly sending an unsurprised Laura over her shoulder. The filly had the tendency to be difficult, but it didn't make her unique from other mares. It was just a matter of channeling it into running.
Ripley could see that Laura had Dirty Diana well in control. Her own mount was as excited as a yearling in spring. He pranced proudly down the track, neck bowed, nostrils flaring in and out. Mastermind had been galloping constantly by himself since October. This was the first time he would be working out with a horse since he'd gone on break. The colt wanted to run and he wanted to run now. He tossed his head, neighing with command after the fast-moving All For Glory filly. Ripley let the rein out, grinning when the Hall of Fame bred colt immediately took advantage of the slack. He bounded mightily over the track with dominating gallop strides. This colt had done a world of good for Ripley's self-esteem over the last two years. He'd done everything right, making Ripley look like a world class trainer. She sent a loving hand down his soft mane, eyes glowing with contentment. They had started the season together and they would finish it together as champions.
Dirty Diana greedily hogged the inside rail going into the first turn of the mile and a quarter gallop. Her legs whipped beneath her, pillars of gray and white. Laura didn't have a doubt that this filly was going to turn into something special with the right training. Laura had conditioned to grade five mares to grade ones by the end of Year Thirteen. She would attempt to do so with this filly with better management and higher class races. All Dirty Diana needed was a confidence build up to make her believe she was damn near invincible. When you were invincible, you could not accept defeat. The reins were taunt as the filly expressed her hidden strength. Di had grown a lot in the past months she had been at Witch Creek. Her muscles were tough and thick. Her stamina buildups had helped her last longer in her speed workouts. From what Laura had seen, Di was just waiting to exploit her harbored speed and power.
Today would be her chance to show it against one of the top dirt sprinters in the country.
Mastermind rolled alongside Diana through the backstretch, chest pumping in and out. His muscles were turning into those belonging to a stallion, not a young colt. He powered along confidently where he would have been unsure going in Year Thirteen. Mastermind was changing into a beast with a future to be potentially great as a four year old. Ripley could not wait for the wild ride that was all but certain. She leaned close to his pulsing neck as he butted his way to the lead. Diana cruised along the rail, not minding that Mastermind was bidding for the lead. She took back actually. Ripley glanced back curiously to see if Laura was doing the backing. She was. The contrary filly was responding and was now settled two and a half lengths behind the lion that was Mastermind.
The colt grew wings when he was on the lead by himself. Laura knew this, but she would pit her filly against a horse that preferred to play cat and mouse. Di didn't mind one bit. She covered the ground with her efficient strides, ears bobbing over her head. Her eyes flashed every now and then, hinting at an interest in the horse soaring ahead of her. But never once did she challenge Laura's demand. She just accepted it. Laura wondered if the gray filly was really maturing into herself both physically and mentally. Laura slapped the filly's neck, bending close to the heat as they galloped strongly through the homestretch. Mastermind was in catching distance, three and a half lengths in the lead. Laura bided her time and wondered over Dirty Diana. Would the cinder gray filly be able to catch the top three year old male sprinter?
Ripley did not have to tell Mastermind twice to pick it up. The colt wrapped his frame around the turn, legs curving to fight the centrifugal force. Cold wind whipped Ripley's face unbearably as the speed increased. Mastermind dashed over the course, eyes glowing with adrenaline and ecstasy. This was where he was meant to be, putting on an exhibition. Free on the lead, Mastermind was the hardest horse to catch. Stalking, he was the predator in hunt of his prey. The colt was a dangerous horse and he was coming into his own. He would be a handful for whomever showed up in the Breeders Cup Sprint the last week of December. The colt raced well in control up the homestretch, ears pricked over his head. He amazed her with the ease at which he performed. He was a refreshed animal compared to his sprinter contemporaries. He would be ready for anything off of his first prep race back in the End Of Year Dirt Sprint.
For the first time Laura wondered if she might actually be in trouble. Dirty Diana had allowed Mastermind to slip away to a five length uncontested lead. She was a completely different animal from the front running Feline Frenzy and the punchy mid-pack stalker that was Whipped Cream. She coasted along ears gradually going from bobbing to pricked. There was no doubt that she was keen, but she did not respond to any urging to go after Mastermind. Laura's eyes flashed as Mastermind headed into the final turn alone. He had two furlongs left to complete and was still unscathed. Dirty Diana marched steadily into the turn, legs moving in a confident rhythm beneath her growing frame. Laura shouted middle of the turn, shaking the reins furiously to give a command that Di could not ignore. Laura had a second to grab a hold of dark gray mane before she was tossed clear of Di's back.
The cinder gray All For Glory filly hurtled off of the far turn three wide. Her ears were so tight to her neck that they were nearly buried by her trimmed mane. A look of hot fury had overwhelmed her futures. It was mixed with disgust, but she was not aiming it at Laura who had forced to work. Rather it was aimed toward the towering Adonis racing uncontested up the homestretch. Laura was shocked by the speed at which Dirty Diana swallowed up the distance between herself and Mastermind. Her once efficient, coasting strides had turned to long and powerful ones. She covered the ground with a style that was hard to ignore and quickly, she was a length behind Mastermind two hundred yards from the wire. Laura shook the reins again, grinning at the stunned look upon Ripley's face as Di raced by Mastermind who was stunned.
Ripley could do nothing but watch as Dirty Diana cruised to a half-length win. The trainer pushed Mastermind on for another furlong. The colt was teeming with anger. His muscles were bunched with absolute fury as he swept through a brutally paced match against the clock. His hooves pounded the surface beneath him as he rounded back into the first turn. His eyes were alight with something dangerous and deadly as he roared away from his hunter. Ripley pulled the colt down to a hand-canter the second he passed the furlong pole. She glanced under her arm and gasped. He'd put a seven length gap between himself and a still fighting Dirty Diana. Mastermind was not one for hiding his talents. And after this defeat, they would not find an unprepared horse in the final furlong of his next few races.
Ripley smiled, stroked her horse's neck from her position on the ground. Mastermind's eyes were burning with an intensity that Laura only had seen twice before. Frozen Motion and El Sol del Mar. Laura wondered if the chestnut colt was going to be a handful for his competitors in his first race back since September Week Four in the King's Bishop. Ripley's eyes met the dark look of Mastermind. A tension snapped between the three year old colt and his only mount since he'd been able to carry a rider. Ripley sucked in the punch of heat and fire. The colt was ready to go. His muscles moved powerfully beneath his copper-colored hide. Mastermind had been sending signals that he was ready to get back to racing for weeks now. Ripley just hadn't been able to find a race suitable for the Speed Demon son. Now the time was coming. He would run the last two weeks of December and then start off in January without a break. He had been absent for nearly three months and that absence would prepare him for the long haul of Year Fourteen.
Laura felt a flicker of jealousy at the intense connection between Ripley and Mastermind. She had a connection with Whipped Cream, but it was not the look of partnership. It was Whipped Cream simply tolerating a rider on her broad back. Laura felt a nudge on her arm by pink muzzle. She turned around to face Dirty Diana. The cinder colored filly nickered, eyes soft as Laura turned her attention her way. The filly's ears were pricked, her muscles pulsing beneath her coat. She was a completely different story than Mastermind. Dirty Diana had not lived up to expectations from a rocky two year old season to an early three year old season. Laura knew a thing or two about disappointing those people connected to you. She could see where the filly was coming from, knew why she had the issues she had. Perhaps, Di would be the connection Laura was hoping for.
Ripley led the way out of the barn into the winter chill. Laura sunk down into her thick winter gear, cringing away from the breeze. Di just faced it like a man, head high, mane blowing back from her face. Laura patted the filly's strong shoulder and swiftly launched herself into the saddle. From watching Lane tackle the filly earlier in the season, Laura knew not to keep Dirty Diana waiting for long. She instantly nudged the filly into a jog down the path to the dirt track. Di lifted her head high, eyes bright with excitement. Her muscles were pulsing with energy and it traveled rapid-fire up the leather and into Laura's gloved hands. Laura could feel the electricity passing into her. Now here was her kind of filly. Di through a tough buck, nearly sending an unsurprised Laura over her shoulder. The filly had the tendency to be difficult, but it didn't make her unique from other mares. It was just a matter of channeling it into running.
Ripley could see that Laura had Dirty Diana well in control. Her own mount was as excited as a yearling in spring. He pranced proudly down the track, neck bowed, nostrils flaring in and out. Mastermind had been galloping constantly by himself since October. This was the first time he would be working out with a horse since he'd gone on break. The colt wanted to run and he wanted to run now. He tossed his head, neighing with command after the fast-moving All For Glory filly. Ripley let the rein out, grinning when the Hall of Fame bred colt immediately took advantage of the slack. He bounded mightily over the track with dominating gallop strides. This colt had done a world of good for Ripley's self-esteem over the last two years. He'd done everything right, making Ripley look like a world class trainer. She sent a loving hand down his soft mane, eyes glowing with contentment. They had started the season together and they would finish it together as champions.
Dirty Diana greedily hogged the inside rail going into the first turn of the mile and a quarter gallop. Her legs whipped beneath her, pillars of gray and white. Laura didn't have a doubt that this filly was going to turn into something special with the right training. Laura had conditioned to grade five mares to grade ones by the end of Year Thirteen. She would attempt to do so with this filly with better management and higher class races. All Dirty Diana needed was a confidence build up to make her believe she was damn near invincible. When you were invincible, you could not accept defeat. The reins were taunt as the filly expressed her hidden strength. Di had grown a lot in the past months she had been at Witch Creek. Her muscles were tough and thick. Her stamina buildups had helped her last longer in her speed workouts. From what Laura had seen, Di was just waiting to exploit her harbored speed and power.
Today would be her chance to show it against one of the top dirt sprinters in the country.
Mastermind rolled alongside Diana through the backstretch, chest pumping in and out. His muscles were turning into those belonging to a stallion, not a young colt. He powered along confidently where he would have been unsure going in Year Thirteen. Mastermind was changing into a beast with a future to be potentially great as a four year old. Ripley could not wait for the wild ride that was all but certain. She leaned close to his pulsing neck as he butted his way to the lead. Diana cruised along the rail, not minding that Mastermind was bidding for the lead. She took back actually. Ripley glanced back curiously to see if Laura was doing the backing. She was. The contrary filly was responding and was now settled two and a half lengths behind the lion that was Mastermind.
The colt grew wings when he was on the lead by himself. Laura knew this, but she would pit her filly against a horse that preferred to play cat and mouse. Di didn't mind one bit. She covered the ground with her efficient strides, ears bobbing over her head. Her eyes flashed every now and then, hinting at an interest in the horse soaring ahead of her. But never once did she challenge Laura's demand. She just accepted it. Laura wondered if the gray filly was really maturing into herself both physically and mentally. Laura slapped the filly's neck, bending close to the heat as they galloped strongly through the homestretch. Mastermind was in catching distance, three and a half lengths in the lead. Laura bided her time and wondered over Dirty Diana. Would the cinder gray filly be able to catch the top three year old male sprinter?
Ripley did not have to tell Mastermind twice to pick it up. The colt wrapped his frame around the turn, legs curving to fight the centrifugal force. Cold wind whipped Ripley's face unbearably as the speed increased. Mastermind dashed over the course, eyes glowing with adrenaline and ecstasy. This was where he was meant to be, putting on an exhibition. Free on the lead, Mastermind was the hardest horse to catch. Stalking, he was the predator in hunt of his prey. The colt was a dangerous horse and he was coming into his own. He would be a handful for whomever showed up in the Breeders Cup Sprint the last week of December. The colt raced well in control up the homestretch, ears pricked over his head. He amazed her with the ease at which he performed. He was a refreshed animal compared to his sprinter contemporaries. He would be ready for anything off of his first prep race back in the End Of Year Dirt Sprint.
For the first time Laura wondered if she might actually be in trouble. Dirty Diana had allowed Mastermind to slip away to a five length uncontested lead. She was a completely different animal from the front running Feline Frenzy and the punchy mid-pack stalker that was Whipped Cream. She coasted along ears gradually going from bobbing to pricked. There was no doubt that she was keen, but she did not respond to any urging to go after Mastermind. Laura's eyes flashed as Mastermind headed into the final turn alone. He had two furlongs left to complete and was still unscathed. Dirty Diana marched steadily into the turn, legs moving in a confident rhythm beneath her growing frame. Laura shouted middle of the turn, shaking the reins furiously to give a command that Di could not ignore. Laura had a second to grab a hold of dark gray mane before she was tossed clear of Di's back.
The cinder gray All For Glory filly hurtled off of the far turn three wide. Her ears were so tight to her neck that they were nearly buried by her trimmed mane. A look of hot fury had overwhelmed her futures. It was mixed with disgust, but she was not aiming it at Laura who had forced to work. Rather it was aimed toward the towering Adonis racing uncontested up the homestretch. Laura was shocked by the speed at which Dirty Diana swallowed up the distance between herself and Mastermind. Her once efficient, coasting strides had turned to long and powerful ones. She covered the ground with a style that was hard to ignore and quickly, she was a length behind Mastermind two hundred yards from the wire. Laura shook the reins again, grinning at the stunned look upon Ripley's face as Di raced by Mastermind who was stunned.
Ripley could do nothing but watch as Dirty Diana cruised to a half-length win. The trainer pushed Mastermind on for another furlong. The colt was teeming with anger. His muscles were bunched with absolute fury as he swept through a brutally paced match against the clock. His hooves pounded the surface beneath him as he rounded back into the first turn. His eyes were alight with something dangerous and deadly as he roared away from his hunter. Ripley pulled the colt down to a hand-canter the second he passed the furlong pole. She glanced under her arm and gasped. He'd put a seven length gap between himself and a still fighting Dirty Diana. Mastermind was not one for hiding his talents. And after this defeat, they would not find an unprepared horse in the final furlong of his next few races.