Santana & Stryker; hereWEgoagain

[Melissa]

"Kyle, geez just chill out." I hissed under my breath to the blond trainer as I stepped up to Santana's saddle, and slid my foot inside the stirrup. "Oh so I'm just supposed to believe that Ana is going to win her next big race?" He snapped back from where he was holding onto Folksong's reins, the Prince sister had been worked eariler but since Ana had been led to the track by me Kyle had offered to keep hold to her while Santana was being breezed with Stryker. The bay filly snorted at his sharp words and I glared at him and he rubbed one hand over Song's neck to calm her down. "Yes, you are supposed to do that, because I believe in this filly and I know what she's capable of better than anyone else." With that said I nudged the tall two year old Xenophon filly forward and let her walk on a loose rein as I settled into her saddle. Copper mane hanging like a silky curtain against Ana's soft to the touch neck and forelock shielding her eyes she scanned the track, releasing a sharp whinny. "Easy Ana." I muttered, sliding my foot back into place after checking her girth again. Glancing back at Kyle I groaned, rotating my shoulders and complained to the stunning filly beneath me, "Does he have to be such a grouch? You just lost a big race to an exceptional filly, what does he think you are? A robot who only wins her races and never looses? Impossible." Santana's right ear swirled around to listen to my rant and she swished her tail, chewing a bit on her training snaffle as she stepped lively along showing not a care about what anyone thought of her. I grinned a bit at the filly's actions. Typical Santana, calm but confident in addition to being incredibly competitive but not too competitive, if that's even possible.

Lifting my watch hand I looked at the time and then back at the gap where Kyle still stood holding Song with one hand and his stop watch in the other. "Where's Jewel at?" I called and he shrugged, guess that was the only answer I was going to get. With an impatient slouch in the saddle I let Santana continue along at a walk while I kept a look-out for the Aussie. She was supposed to have come along with us but it taken her longer to bathe SCR Tinkerbelle than either of us had expected. Stryker was a good boy so I was not amused by her taking so long, if it had been Dudley or even Kore VS I would have understood but not the sweet Struck By War son. Santana had already made her way around the final turn and was coming back up the backstretch at a jog before the chestnut Speed of Light son and Jewel arrived. I didn't ask Ana for a faster pace, considering the filly was moving along very nicely and since we would be breezing after breaking from the gates I wanted her to be calm. Once I had gotten a little closer I could hear what Kyle was telling Jewel to do to warm up Stryker. "No walking, trot him once around and then go to the starting gate." were his brief instructions and in the blink of an eye the seventeen year old had tapped her heels into the colt's sides and the pair trotted off, sticking tight to the outside rail for the horses on the inside. Squeezing the leather reins and a few soft words to Ana, I felt her settle down into a walk, dancing sideways a little bit. "I'm going ahead to the gate." I announced and Kyle gave a short nod as I pointed Santana towards the metal starting gates that were at the top of the front stretch. Ana balked a bit when the gateworker reached for her bridle at first but then she walked right in without a second hesitation. Stryker was not that far behind by the time Ana had neared the gate and Jewel slowed the handsome chestnut colt to a walk and pointed him inside the gates. "What took you so long?" I called over the panel while I got ready for the explosive burst of speed that Ana would give at the start. "I'll tell you later." she answered just as the gates burst open.

The pair of chestnuts broke even with each other, Santana on the inside with Stryker on the outside. We were to keep them stride for stride with each other until the final turn where both would be let loose. My hands were tightly holding on to the leather reins as Ana's head bobbed in rhythm with Stryker and each looked one another in the eye. Santana's strides were lengthening with each stride but Jewel was making sure the colt stuck like glue to Ana. She wasn't liking it one bit though, normally her head would be allowed to stretch out a bit more when she was in a actual race. "Steady." I said under my breath to the two year old as she pressed up against the bit, head tossing a bit as she fought my hold and attempted to nip Stryker at the same time. The seventeen hand colt flattened his ears and fixed the younger racer with a cold glare. "Let him out!" I called over the wind that was whipping through the tiny amount of space between us and the pounding of hooves. "Now? Don't we have to wait until the final turn?" Jewel yelled, her eyebrows furrowing and I shook my head. The blond girl sighed and leaned forward, clucking to the colt even though I couldn't hear I could see the massive Thoroughbred picking up speed. Following Jewel's suit I leaned forward over Santana's withers, and letting a few inches slip through my fingers. That was all both colt and filly needed to sprint forward, hooves digging roughly into the track and flinging it behind them. Stryker was, in a nice way, not the greatest racer but he was darn good if he could keep pace with Santana. Not that every good horse had to keep pace with Santana, it was just that Ana was the best two year old in the WB racing string. Very few showed as much fire as Santana, even as a two year old, Prince had but it had been much later when he hit his stride as a racer.

Stride for stride, eye to eye the two chestnuts battled it out around the far turn and into the backstretch. I could hear nothing but the dull pounding of eight hooves against the track. Glancing sideways I saw Stryker starting to labor, his coat glistening and turning dark with sweat but the Speed of Light son was hanging on for everything he had. Jewel was really encouraging him along and the colt was responding, he had enough of Stormwing and Struck By War in him to not want to give up. Santana didn't seem to be the type to be easily beaten down and she faced the sudden onslaught of speed Stryker gave without slowing down, instead she rocketed ahead. Burrowing my head into her whipping mane I held tight to her sides with my legs and went with her head, I was seeing the sweat that was staining her neck where the leather was rubbing against it and the froth that flew back from her mouth. Flying past the point that would end the workout before either of us knew I stood back in my stirrups and Jewel did the same. The filly locked eyes with Stryker and she snorted but the exertion of running so furiously had wearied her and she obediently dropped down to a lope and then a stiff walk before easing out. "Well that was interesting." I remarked to Jewel once Stryker had fallen into step beside us and our cool-out began.