Reese eyed the big shining white thing in the sky with trepidation. It wasn't often that workouts were passed over from morning into the chilly night, but earlier had been semi-crazy. Bella Luna and Cross My Heart had been the final workout set, but a shout from the grooms had alerted the riders to a massive break in the fence. It had taken three hours to locate all of the weanlings and their dams. Luckily, none had been hurt tramping through the deep snow and they had eventually been found on the snow-covered hills of the turf track. That had been a day of frustration and irritation. Things that should have been completed had been pushed into the late afternoon and now, at seven o'clock at night, the last thing would be completed. Reese patted the ghostly mare beside her, enjoying the warmth that the thoroughbred provided. Bella Luna looked every inch a night time dream. Her coat had gone pure white as she she aged, silver dapples covering her entire frame. Her black mane had yet to lose its color and lay long and beautiful down her neck. Her soft brown eyes were covered by her fore-lock, giving her a distant, knowing look. Bella Luna was as beautiful a mare at a stand-still as she was when she was running. Her light colored colt would be useful in the dark. Reese looked forward to this ride, though she wished she were in bed instead. The wind hollowed as Ripley open Cross My Heart's stall door and pulled the midnight black mare from her haven. Cross' white star gleamed in the dim lighting and her eyes flashed nearly as brightly. The willow slim mare pranced alongside Ripley, nickering at Bella Luna. Both mares knew something was up as both of them had a routine set in stone. Cross was really the agitated one though. She needed routine while Bella Luna tended to flow with the change. Ripley tightened the mare's girth, shaking her head when the horse clacked her teeth irritably. Some things hadn't changed this one had been a yearling. Reese climbed aboard, buckling her helmet as she waited. Bella Luna dipped her head, chomping at the bit with a controlled eagerness. The champion mare was a bevy of excitement and calm. She had this odd combination of traits that seemed to blend like a melody. On the track, she was one of the most sensational turf mares in the country. Her wins were incredible and the ease at which she achieved them, history making. She would face her final starts in the next two months. The Tropical Rainforest Invitational and the Breeders' Cup Turf beckoned Bella Luna with every turn on the clock. Reese was both saddened by the way time flew and eager. Eager to prove that her filly had held her awesome form for the span of two years and had put the turf nation in a chokehold. But she wasn't the only mistress of the turf to call Witch Creek home. Cross flirted with dangerous speed and had become one of the iconic representations of courage and toughness of a thoroughbred. Headed only when nipped at the wire, Cross was a well-loved figure for her ferocious speed and daring temper. She never lost without a fight and was known for quick recovery while her foes toiled in tiredness. Ripley had grown to love the mare because never once had she been a let down. There was never a time when her "A" game was not brought to the starting gate. Cross was the quintessential warrior. Ripley patted the mare and pulled herself aboard. The lean filly quivered with power and excitement, her ears pricked at the moonlit track. Two shadowy humans rested on the rail, lit by a lantern at their feet. The mare snorted as they passed by them, suspicious of their intent. Ripley patted the mare and acknowledged Malcolm and Brooks with a tip of her head. The men nodded back, Brooks adding a wave. "Not too crazy Ripley." "Oh stop." Ripley rolled her shoulders, turning the mare in a circle in an effort to get her to pay attention. The mare blended in with the winter night, a shadow beside the light of Bella Luna. Cross let out a whinny and was surprisingly, mirrored by Bella. The gray's barrel shook with her call of longing, giving Reese a brief massage. She laid a hand on the gray mare's neck, and said, "What will it be?" "A five furlong breeze should do it." Reese was surprised by the shortness of Ripley's tone, but didn't bother to ponder on it. Bella Luna swiftly moved into a jog and from there into a long-legged lope. The atmosphere was powerful tonight. The night seemed to affect the horses differently. Cross was quiet in her flight over the dirt track, her ears pricked and her nostrils flared. Usually she snorted and made a fuss, catcalling to her opponent and egging herself on. Not tonight. The fiery mare was quiet as a mouse and seemed to dance over the track. The pair of thoroughbreds cruised through swift fractions, staying abreast of one another. The riders were lost upon their backs, their eyes focused on only the silver rail that dashed by to the inside. Bella floated Cross to the middle of the track down the backstretch, shying away from something in the infield. Cross pinned her ears then, bared her teeth and would have connected if not for Ripley's rebuke. The black mare straightened with a wild light coming into her eyes and lost it. Suddenly, the black flipped into a wild run, legs blurring beneath her hidden body. Bella Luna was lost behind the black as she soared down the track. Ripley could only grind her hands against the mare's neck helplessly. There were only two furlongs left to go and Cross was hurtling through relentless fractions around the turn. Reese was stunned by Cross' blistering pace, knew that Ripley could not truly pull the black up unless she wanted to botch the workout. She nudged Bella along, relieved when the gray mare picked it up on cue. Most horses would have surged off, but not Bella. She was the Mastermind of the turf and she rolled, as he did, on his rider's command. It was ironic that both of them were two of the greats to hit the track. Yet, Cross was equally as great. And she was alone down the lane. A shadow in the moonlight that the men could only see when she passed the railing. Her dark form was incredibly parallel to the ground, her long stride extended as she blitzed through the line three lengths ahead of Bella Luna. The gray mare looked just as full of herself, but even she hadn't been able to keep up with an unfair play on Cross' part. She would be ready for her race though after this refreshing run that, Reese thought, there was no doubt.
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