Fantasy--bad news -- Fantail Creek

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Date Posted: 12:45:17 07/22/02 Mon
Author: Saddle
Subject: Fantasy--bad news

It had been a week since Saddle has started to seriously consider retiring Fantasy. she had been worked with Missy every day, but her will to win seemed totally lost. "Can i ride her today, Mom?" Mikki asks on the way to the track. "Yeah, i don't see why not. unless she shows a dramatic improvement today i will retire her completely, or sell her to another trainer" Saddle tells him firmly. Mikki frowns and looks away. when they get to the track he unloads the filly from the trailer, grooms her already shining chestnut coat and tacks her up. she dances in circle around him "Why can't you just act like this when you're running with other horses?" Mikki asks her sadly. he liked the firey chestnut filly alot, despite his dislike for her when he first met her. The two had formed a strong bond over the 9 months Saddle had owned her. Saddle appears from the other side of the trailer, leading Missy. they walk to the track and accept leg-ups from the officials, then warm the horses up. Fantasy is as calm as an old school horse as Mikki trots, canters and slow gallops her. they go to the gate and Fantasy loads expertly and Missy follows with the calm ease typical of the well trained racehorse she had been. Mikki leans into a racing position and grabs a handful of mane so he wouldn't lose his balance as the horse sprung foward out of the gate. the bell rings and the gate flies open. they did the same drill they had been running with the filly all week, rating her until she was running on Missy's flank, then letting her go 3/4 of the way through the work. Mikki fights to keep Fantasy within a length behind Missy, the filly wanted to slow down and get off the track finally they are 3/4 of the way through. Mikki kneads his hands up the filly's neck, asking her to run. she extends her gallop a little, then drops down again. Mikki brings the whip down on her hindquarters and she gives another small burst of speed, only lasting 3 strides. he brings it down repeatedly on her hindquarters and she finally starts to move, galloping half her normal stretch speed. Mikki continues to hit her, but she refuses to pass Missy, or any of the other horses working on the track. she was satisfied to gallop along in last place. Mikki yells at her in frusteration and she shies towards the rail, scraping it with her side. Mikki gives her another whack with the whip, hoping to get her off of the rail. Finally she moves back off the rail. Mikki gives her one final hit with the whip, hoping something would kick in, then sighs and moves her away from the inside rail and slows her down. Saddle looks back under her arm and seems Mikki slowing the filly down. she sighs and shakes her head, then brings Missy down to the slower pace. Mikki slows Fantasy down to a trot, then a walk then rides to the gate, dismounts and leads her off the track to the trailer. he untacks her, hoses her, then walks her off. Saddle does the same with Missy. "Well, i see what you mean. she lost everything" Mikki says sadly. "Yeah, its a shame, she had so much potential. she's got good lines, we could use her as a broodmare in a year or so, she's almost 3 now, but we don't have the funds to support a useless racehorse for a year until she's old enough to breed. i have Silver, Trent, Shining, Stormy and Angel to worry about and you already have HC and Colonel. neither of us have the time to give her the training she needs. you kids will be starting school soon, so i don't see how any of you will be able to work her. Jessie's got enough horse in Rose, Maggie would be too nervous on her, Hannah has Dusty and Heaven already and Michelle is too young. We'll start advertising her online as soon as we get home" Saddle tells him. "But mom... i want to train her, she'll be a great broodmare, she's so pretty and her conformation is perfect" Mikki protests. "Mikki, we're selling her. you won't have time when school starts up again" Saddle tells him. Mikki sighs and loads Fantasy, then sits in the truck while Saddle loads Missy and puts all the tack in the trailer. He turns on his cd player and turns up the volume as Saddle gets into the truck. they drive home in silence and Mikki helps unload the horses, then walks up to the house and locks himself in his room, looking at pictures of the chestnut filly sadly. she had so much potential, they just couldn't get her to bring it out.

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