blue eclipse
Dec 26, 2013 10:05:55 GMT 10
Post by Snowflake on Dec 26, 2013 10:05:55 GMT 10
PASSIONATE FLYER WORKS FOR THE ECLIPSE STAKES*
BLUE ME AWAY WORKS FOR THE UNICORN HORN TURF CLASSIC*
Riding the five year old stallion now, Sarah would never had known otherwise that he wasn't yet a grade one champion. He'd taken time off racing since the end of October and gone into a completely different training program to try and get the best of the colt for his final year of racing. That training program involved daily gallops in heavy sand down at the beach to build stamina and mold muscle. Passionate Flyer now resembled a quarter horse more than a thoroughbred, but he had the stamina that quarter horses didn't and the speed that they did.
Next to him, Blue Me Away looked like the athlete he was next to a body builder. With long legs and lean muscle, Blue was built for distance but still had the speed there for the final furlongs. Blue was in spectacular form and was ready to put in a great first start to the season. His last race in the Breeder's Cup Mile had ended in second place and the colt was determined to win next time out. Blaze smiled proudly from his back, knowing he rode a champion. This year, Blue would win the majority of his races. This year, he would dominate the turf.
After a lap of trotting, the pair moved on into canter. Sarah was enjoying the feel of pure power cantering along beneath her, while Blaze was deep in thought about the Unicorn Horn Turf Classic. The eleven furlong turf race had drawn a tough field, which included two of Blue's former stablemates, Canadian Triple Crown Champion Italian Ice and Triple Tiara Champion Paradise Island. There was also Merry Bay King sired A Royal Legacy, Infinite Warcry and Hokum. Blue cantered gracefully, strength evident in his strides. He wasn't built like Passionate Flyer, but he could definitely give the older colt a run for his money. Blue had after all run a spectacular second half of the season, after so many second place losses. The Universal Cup and the Tropical Rainforest Invitational were the most notable, but there had been several other big wins last season. With there being many front runners/stalkers/preceders and a few closers, Blue could relax until the straight in preceder position.
Passionate Flyer was entered in the Eclipse Stakes on The Wire track. It was a field of three, so he only had two other horses to beat. The big threat was Turf Triple Crown champ Bella Luna. The other entrant was Ode To Glory, who like Passionate Flyer had had some time off racing. He'd already made his first start of the year though, for third place. Bella Luna had also already raced this season, running fourth in the extremely competitive Dubai World Championship after beating Blue Me Away to the post in the Breeder's Cup Mile. With no front runner in the field, Passionate Flyer would be holding back the speed in the early stages of the race so Bella Luna or Ode To Glory would take the lead.
And with their race strategies planned out, it was time to gallop. Both colts sprung forward right on cue into their favourite pace. As they headed into the turn, they remained nose to nose. Both were preceders, but Blue also favoured pace setting. Predictably, midway through the turn Blue took it up a notch and began to inch ahead of Prince. Sarah smirked. The pair of colts were the same height, but Prince was now built like a freight train and he could go almost as fast as once. Blue was in for a speed duel. Prince tugged on the bit and Sarah let him go right as the turf straightened out before them. Blue was ahead by a half length, then a neck, and then they were head to head again. One look in each others eyes and the colts took flight, pounding down the stretch as if their lives depended on it. They flashed by the finish and it was a dead heat - neither stallion had taken the workout. They were ready to win in their first starts of the year.
BLUE ME AWAY WORKS FOR THE UNICORN HORN TURF CLASSIC*
Riding the five year old stallion now, Sarah would never had known otherwise that he wasn't yet a grade one champion. He'd taken time off racing since the end of October and gone into a completely different training program to try and get the best of the colt for his final year of racing. That training program involved daily gallops in heavy sand down at the beach to build stamina and mold muscle. Passionate Flyer now resembled a quarter horse more than a thoroughbred, but he had the stamina that quarter horses didn't and the speed that they did.
Next to him, Blue Me Away looked like the athlete he was next to a body builder. With long legs and lean muscle, Blue was built for distance but still had the speed there for the final furlongs. Blue was in spectacular form and was ready to put in a great first start to the season. His last race in the Breeder's Cup Mile had ended in second place and the colt was determined to win next time out. Blaze smiled proudly from his back, knowing he rode a champion. This year, Blue would win the majority of his races. This year, he would dominate the turf.
After a lap of trotting, the pair moved on into canter. Sarah was enjoying the feel of pure power cantering along beneath her, while Blaze was deep in thought about the Unicorn Horn Turf Classic. The eleven furlong turf race had drawn a tough field, which included two of Blue's former stablemates, Canadian Triple Crown Champion Italian Ice and Triple Tiara Champion Paradise Island. There was also Merry Bay King sired A Royal Legacy, Infinite Warcry and Hokum. Blue cantered gracefully, strength evident in his strides. He wasn't built like Passionate Flyer, but he could definitely give the older colt a run for his money. Blue had after all run a spectacular second half of the season, after so many second place losses. The Universal Cup and the Tropical Rainforest Invitational were the most notable, but there had been several other big wins last season. With there being many front runners/stalkers/preceders and a few closers, Blue could relax until the straight in preceder position.
Passionate Flyer was entered in the Eclipse Stakes on The Wire track. It was a field of three, so he only had two other horses to beat. The big threat was Turf Triple Crown champ Bella Luna. The other entrant was Ode To Glory, who like Passionate Flyer had had some time off racing. He'd already made his first start of the year though, for third place. Bella Luna had also already raced this season, running fourth in the extremely competitive Dubai World Championship after beating Blue Me Away to the post in the Breeder's Cup Mile. With no front runner in the field, Passionate Flyer would be holding back the speed in the early stages of the race so Bella Luna or Ode To Glory would take the lead.
And with their race strategies planned out, it was time to gallop. Both colts sprung forward right on cue into their favourite pace. As they headed into the turn, they remained nose to nose. Both were preceders, but Blue also favoured pace setting. Predictably, midway through the turn Blue took it up a notch and began to inch ahead of Prince. Sarah smirked. The pair of colts were the same height, but Prince was now built like a freight train and he could go almost as fast as once. Blue was in for a speed duel. Prince tugged on the bit and Sarah let him go right as the turf straightened out before them. Blue was ahead by a half length, then a neck, and then they were head to head again. One look in each others eyes and the colts took flight, pounding down the stretch as if their lives depended on it. They flashed by the finish and it was a dead heat - neither stallion had taken the workout. They were ready to win in their first starts of the year.