Test Your Strength: Arcane, Asperitas, Bronze Star & Veiled Threat

“And the award for the nastiest group of the crop goes to…” Malcolm began, his lyrical Irish voice sounding loud along the otherwise quiet training track.

Ripley shot the black-haired, blue-eyed man a look, but otherwise held her tongue. She knew he was half-joking, as he was won’t to do from time to time as her honorary brother. However, she also knew that there was a hefty dose of truth to his words. This was not a kind-hearted crop of colts. In fact, on several different levels, this could be her most difficult group yet. It could also be her most talented crop so who was she to judge until they started racing?

Part of her blamed it on the mated pairs that had produced these colts. She could take full responsibility for Arcane, Asperitas and Veiled Threat. She’d bred Asperitas after all prior to selling him. It wasn’t her fault that the gray colt’s home fell through and she’d felt obligated to bring him home, especially once seeing the comparisons to his muscular sire, Ashes to Ashes. And Bronze Star… well she couldn’t pass up her chance at a Stalker’s Fury son, especially as Ripley’s ability with Night Stalker lineage was well-written about in the racing industry.

If Malcolm would blame anyone for bringing in these belligerent colts, it could only fall on Ripley’s shoulders. However, if these horses proved to be of any success, she would happily take the blame.

The sound of scuffling feet behind them had Ripley & Mal turning. Maggie, Laura & Reese all walked up to them, hands cradling cups of coffee or hot chocolate, in Maggie’s case. The women met their boss’ eyes imperiously before settling beside them on the rail. “We’ve come to enjoy the show,” Laura said smartly.

Ripley just shook her head and turned to the track. The air was just crisp enough that there wasn’t any fog hanging overhead, which was perfectly fine because Ripley wanted to see everything today. She would not be working all four colts together this morning. She knew better than that, especially when it came to Bronze Star.

Arcane and Veiled Threat would go off first, followed ten minutes later by Asp & Star. While Arcane and Veil had their moments, she didn’t want to expose them to the nastiness of Asp or Star before they began their careers. Asp had a mean streak as wide as Texas and was the only horse who would tolerate Star’s intensity.

David Carter and Kendall Williams finished out their warm ups aboard Arcane and Veiled Threat. Arcane was a towering colt, the biggest of this bunch at 16.2 hands, and was was muscled to the nines. He wore blinkers that hid a small star, but his dark brown coat was otherwise unmarked. He wore a more excited gaze than was his norm and pricked ears to listen out for galloping horses. David patted the colt’s neck, but he didn’t even acknowledge his rider. Disdain was the perfect word for how Arcane felt toward his human connections.

Although not as imposing as his stablemate, Veiled Threat was a sight to see. While he wasn’t as muscular, the dark bay, nearly black colt carried himself arrogantly. He had a perfect star on his forehead and was otherwise a very balanced looking animal. His big shoulders, deep chest and fine head gave him a closer appearance to an Arabian than a thoroughbred. Kendall sat quietly in his saddle, not daring to touch him except through the reins. Of this group, Veil was the most sensitive animal and wore ear stuffies to counteract noise as well as to garner his focus.

The pair of horses shifted into long legged lopes, Arcane a bit heavier on his feet than Veil. She loved his hulking body and inwardly congratulated herself on snagging the breeding to Amarillo Sky. A long time from now, it would be great to get some of that Augusto breeding into her breeding barn.

Veil was a naturally faster horse, immediately assuming the rail and a slight lead, even at this contained lope. His full attention was focused on staying just ahead of Arcane. Kendall remained up in the saddle, her hands on the reins, but not quite bracing against a willful horse just yet. This son of Speak Easy and Lethal Dose was highly intelligent. He knew the routine and could sense the moment things would get serious. Of course, he also was more relaxed because the last time he’d worked, he’d come out of that crazy gate contraption.

David kept strong hands on Arcane as the duo moved around the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch. While the big horse wasn’t begging for rein, he would be a little more apt to go with Veil than he would out of the gate. Today, the goal was to get Arcane to settle off Veil’s cruising pace and ask him for his best shot. Veil would be running full steam by the time they got into stretch and David wanted to know how his colt would respond.

Kendall cued Veil to pick up the pace, shaking the reins a little bit and getting a world of response. The near black colt leaped into the bit, his ears shooting backward in determination and he was quickly in full motion, putting four lengths between himself and Arcane in the blink of an eye. Kendall was keen to keep a good pace, but not a blitzing one. Although Veil was a mean animal at the barn, he was a kind horse to ride and he settled when Kendall rated him.

David shook his head at Veil’s ready speed. Arcane grunted in surprise when the Speak Easy colt took off, but he didn’t pursue him right away. Rather, the big colt unfurled his massive legs and leveled out over the ground. David shook the reins slightly at him and got the expected gradual quickening. Arcane reminded him a lot of a giant slayer. You didn’t expect him to be able to take down the legends until he suddenly was one himself.

The pair moved through the backstretch, setting up the work just the way Ripley had wanted. Arcane was tracking Veiled Threat, his powerful body moving in a contraction and release of muscles. Veiled Threat was still going easily, perfectly in Kendall’s hands as he waited for the cue to drop into another gear. His ears were actually pricked now as he galloped over the loamy surface, relishing his job as he got brave on the front end.

At the start of the turn, Ripley saw David drop his hands and start pushing Arcane. The lumbering colt responded slowly at first, but midway around he was rolling. His big strides carried him a little wide, but otherwise he was fully and completely involved in running down Veil. However, Veil wasn’t about to make it easy for him. Kendall released the colt and it was like setting fire to a keg of dynamite. The colt bounded forward effortlessly, kicking clear away from Arcane as if that colt wasn’t even moving.

David was urging Arcane a bit more excitedly now and the colt was responding. He was almost parallel to the ground by now, fully extended in his chase of Veil. He made up ground slowly at first, but then faster, as if someone were pulling Veil backward, but that wasn’t actually the case. The dark bay horse was still clocking an impressive final furlong, but Arcane was making money moves now.

Two hundred yards from the wire, Arcane roared up to Veil’s outside and now that colt responded with pinned ears and flashing eyes. As a pair they launched themselves through the wire, a neck apart. Ripley kept the clock going as they headed back through the clubhouse turn, neither of their riders pulling them up as Ripley asked.

Veiled Threat simply refused to let Arcane get by him, but once Kendall asked he pulled up nicely. Arcane was a bit of a different story, but her barn foreman, Al was there to help David pull the Amarillo Sky colt up.

Ripley hummed in approval, committed the time to her mind and then deleted the evidence.

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Within moments, Asperitas and Bronze Star were finishing off their warm up jogs and coming down the homestretch. Asp was a looker, although he was the smallest colt of the bunch. For a horse so young, he was a perfectly, soft light gray. He had a super savage head. While Veil had a tendency to look like an Arabian, Asp’s look was clear as day. He was a muscular piece of horse flesh and carried himself like Adonis. Brooks moved with the colt, but he was otherwise unneeded as Asp was a true professional, even at two.

Bronze Star mirrored Asp’s perfection. His bay coat gleamed like copper in the morning sun as he drew up alongside his workmate. His dark eyes, small ears and perfectly sculpted body drew Ripley’s attention. While she wouldn’t say this to anyone else, his fiery composure reminded her very much of Silent Game and of his sire, Mastermind. Star just had something a little extra special, even though Asp was on par in terms of talent.

This pair would definitely be at each other’s throats as they were both very swift, graceful and more competitive right from “GO”. Justin Santiago and Brookson Wells would really be riding to make sure that this pair didn’t do too much as both of them had a tendency to get bullish.

Asp and Star moved in tandem toward the railing, Asp just a little quicker with his shorter frame. The gray horse was quick on his feet and definitely was getting amped up, his ear fully locked on Star when that bay horse threw his head excitedly, testing Justin’s coordination and confidence. Justin had handled horses like Casualty of War in the past and while Star was a bit more lithe, he knew how to deal with Star’s intensity.

The colts fed off of each other’s energy as they moved from clubhouse turn into backstretch. The moment Brooks dropped his hands on Asp, Star was leaping into the bit. Justin had his feet up in the dashboard for a few seconds until Asp was fully into stride. Star was exceedingly intelligent and could pick up rider cues nearly as well as he could a rival’s energy level.

Asperitas swiftly took them through the first quarter, his ears pinned back against his head. Bronze Star was imperious at his side, a thorn stuck in Asp’s side. Normally, he wasn’t so fully into the bit, but he also wasn’t worked with another horse often because of this. Gradually, Justin was able to coax Bronze Star off of Asp a little bit. When Star’s ears started flicking around on his head, Justin breathed a bit better. No use killing them both off before the homestretch.

Brooks slipped a pat on Asp’s neck as they headed toward the far turn. While Star could apply pressure like Red Herring himself, Asp wasn’t fully as invested in having the lead. The gray still had a wealth of power left and when Star backed off, he took a deep breath like he was amping up for more.

Brooks shook the reins at the colt midway through the far turn and smiled when Asp responded with a burst of speed, temporarily surprising Star enough so that he could take a two length lead. It didn’t matter much though because within seconds Bronze Star was on him like a hell hound. The bay horse looked ever so menacing as they whipped from far turn to straightaway that Brooks felt only Asperitas could match this demon.

The duo poured it on down the lane, speed for speed & sprint for sprint. Ripley did not even want to look at the clock so impressive was this move. Their ferocity continued past the wire as neither rival would give the other an inch. Ripley held her breath until she looked at the time, promptly deleting it.

At so many moments, Ripley felt like she back on the edge of Year Fourteen, when she was bringing up Sun King, Casualty Of War, Vagabond and Saintly Touch. All she could think of was this: by some luck, lightning definitely could strike twice.