"People are losing faith in us, Bella girl," Reese crooned as she rubbed the pure white face of her filly. Things had changed dramatically in the couple of years Reese had raced her filly. The Sea Struck filly had grown from consistent two year old to absolute brilliance at the age of three and now to an adult with a solid campaign. Reese wanted to do better for her filly. Bella Luna was a champion. She was Reese's champion and her heart. This would be Bella's last year of racing and they had to make it a good one. Hall Of Fame was potentially waiting for them if they just accomplished more. It always required more. More toughness, more heart, more bravery, more confidence, more speed, more stamina. That was what the Twilight Stakes was for. It was a true test of all of those traits and more. Bella Luna had others. She had tactical speed. She had back class. She had the ability to cruise for as long as necessary and still have punch at the end. Eleven furlongs awaited for the beautiful creature and her rider. At the end, the mare could join legends and have her name proudly featured alongside the likes of greatness past. "Then show 'em that they must never give up on you," Laura said as she passed with Dirty Diana. "Show them your grit and your heart. Show them that it was a mistake to let their faith fall by the wayside." Reese's brown eyes glinted at Laura's words. Sometimes the prickly red-head could tap into her rare soft side. The horses brought it out of her that was for sure. Dirty Diana pranced at the end of her shank, dark eyes glowing with knowing. She wasn't an outright brilliant mare by any means. She didn't have the prestige of Bella Luna's bloodlines or the overwhelming three year old campaign. She had something else. She had true grit and power. Dirty Diana had yet to finish out of the top two and she was three victories away from grade one. The roan mare had a shot at the big time, just like Whipped Cream and Feline had in Year Thirteen. Laura wanted to give her that chance. Lord knows, they both deserved it as badly as Luna deserved a win in the second biggest race of her career. Second only to her Turf Triple Crown clinching win in the Belmont Turf Classic. Ripley nodded to the riders as they walked out of the barn. Her green eyes were glowing with pleasure at the sight of the two horses. Bella Luna and Dirty Diana were spectacularly muscled and lean. Both of them were showing all of the good health that they had carried throughout the season. "Di's got her first shot over the turf. We'll see how she does against an old hat like Bella Luna." "Old she may be, but I like to think she's a classic," Reese teased. Ripley smiled, patted the mare's dappled butt. "She's nothing less than classic, Reese." Ripley could feel a wave of emotion pouring through her. This would be her last season of riding for a year or so. She wasn't just saying goodbye to the likes of Mastermind and Cross My Heart. She was saying goodbye to an astonishing training spree over the last three years. She was going to make a return, but she could sympathize with Reese. Reese was going to be losing her champion too upon the year's closure. Laura's face set into a stony look as she turned Dirty Diana to the track. It would be Diana's job to set Bella Luna up for a race of the ages. She'd been galloping over the turf better than she galloped over the dirt. The hills made her focus more, but Laura swore the pink roan mare was more fluid over the grass. Perhaps, Bella Luna would be facing a tougher workmate than any of them thought. Laura nudged the strong mare into a hand-gallop, pleased at the grace that surged out of the oddly colored mare. Bella Luna flowed into a gallop, black tail and mane framing her elegant face. The pearly mare looked absolutely ethereal against the emerald grass. She was gorgeous and she just moved so elegantly. Reese tucked her fingers at the mare's wither's, smiling as the horse took them past Dirty Diana up the hill. She trucked up the hillside, snorting through her nostrils in absolute excitement. The rider leaned close to the mare's neck as she took them up and over the hills. Dirty Diana tucked in neatly behind Bella Luna as though she'd been running the turf her whole life. The mare had a confidence now that she hadn't had in the beginning of the year. Now she was an absolute fox. Now she knew she'd catch the front running horses and beat them. The mare skipped down the hillside with consummate professionalism, switching leads to give the other one a break. Bella Luna was moving so strongly that Diana fell back a couple lengths despite her own powerful strides. Reese was sitting as chilly as can be at the crest of the final hillside. She let a finger touch the silky neck of her mount, a smile touching her lips. "Game on," she called to Laura before sending Bella down the hill at a canter. Diana followed like a hound to a rabbit, ears pinned as if she took Reese's words seriously. Laura was impressed by the mare's intensity, choked a laugh when she leaped as Bella had from the hillside. The reins soared with a soft whistle through Reese's fingers as Bella went from contained to flying. The Sea Struck filly roared away, kicking up clots of turf that hit Di in the chest without mercy. Reese heard Laura swear as her pink mare ducked out, skipped over Luna's heels and went head to head with the pure white mare. Bella kicked on marvelously with the sudden competition, matching her enemy's strides. Di was gritty down to the bone, but on the grass she was something extra special. The mares stormed through the wire at a fast clip and galloped out nearly as impressively. Ripley clicked the watch as the horses disappeared from view. "Game on," Ripley murmured. "Absolutely game on."
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