Cross Pirate Code
Deceptive Darling
Secret Chance

David let Cody move at her own pace, the reins very slack. Unusual for a racehorse – most were considered hot headed, but Cody would be the definition of a cold racehorse. A bit to the smaller size, she didn’t want anybody fussing with her, and today was no different. David stayed as still as possible when he rode the bay filly, only moving with a specific purpose. He waved off the offer for a pony rider as he joined up with Miranda Jefferson on the way to the track. Miranda had chosen to ride Deceptive Darling today, as she was the official jockey for both the gray filly and Secret Chance, who would be joining them on the track soon.

“How does she feel today?” David, the head jockey, asked the intern.

“Well she narrowly missed getting a pitch fork handle in the face, but unfortunately that meant that Ivy got a crack on the arm preventing it.”

“Ouch,” David winced.

“Yeah. I told her to go to the ER and get it checked but she said it’s okay.”

“Seems to me you’d have been better off dogging at Chloe to ride this one,” David winked at the young apprentice.

“Tell me about it,” Miranda laughed. “She’s a strong challenge for me, but I’m going to handle her,” she added determinedly.

“Atta girl,” David encouraged. A groom trotted up on Madonna, taking hold of Darling’s bridle to help Miranda wrangle the filly towards the track. The gray was not at all amused to be out for a run – but when she spotted Chance something gleamed in her eye. Already waiting on the turf track, doing some loping circles to warm up with his rider Chloe. As a new mom, Chloe was getting back into shape, ready for her first season back from her layoff. Darling let out a screech, deafening everyone’s ears, as she tried to twist out of her pony rider’s grasp. She’d taken to bullying the colt as often as she could, unfortunately for her Chance never took her up on her challenges, much to Darling’s anger. She wouldn’t give up though, and every time she was near the sorrel colt she had to nag at him.

“Okay everyone, we’re doing a good middling eight furlongs today,” Bryce called out, waiting on the fence line with Isabelle. “Let them really run out today, burn them like a real race. Morgan is going to join you at the back to be a closer to make everyone as comfy cozy as possible.”

Two ground helpers muscled a still whinnying Deception Darling, while David eased Cody into her second chute. Chloe got Chance to approach, but he gave a mini rear in his excitement. Circling him around again Chloe drove him forward, and Chance didn’t hesitate when given any slack in the reins. Bumping into his chute pretty hard, the workers gave it a few moments wait. Clanging open, the field rushed out. David rode low and as a stone, unmoving as Cody jutted for the lead unchallenged. Darling hugged the rail, but tipped her nose towards Chance who was beside her, egging him on. Morgan and her rider took the back position, helping give the field a fuller feel.

Cody ran as if she was a machine, every leg firing like a strong piston in exact, even rhythm. Darling was focused all hell fire on the colt next to her, giving Miranda arm burns from keeping the filly held back and under control. Chance was happily flying forward, ignoring the filly’s challenges as he began to sweat. After a few furlongs, Miranda finally got Darling to hook off of Chance, and sneak an ess figure out to get along side Cody. Chance almost lazily agreed to swing wide for Chloe, focused a lot more on the sheer fun of running than of beating the fillies. That seemed to suit the fillies fine – but they didn’t let down their guard in the home stretch.