Valkyrie very rarely did things conventionally, but looking at the year eighteen juvenile crop was as far as one needed to go to see that the approach worked. Larsa Entlier was an eccentric human being, and his matings showed it - bluebloods were very rarely mated in kind, though sometimes a horse became unexpectedly proven by the time the foal in question reached the track. Xantalis was a golden example of that, if his stunning, big-boned look wasn't enough. He was by a hot stallion prospect in Crimson Fatalis, a HOTY-winning grade one horse with a solid, old pedigree behind him. Alis' dam, Xalbadora, was also from old stock - but her racing record didn't really match her record, at least according to modern terms. When she foaled Xantalis, her only other foal, Samaritan Hero, was just starting his racing career. However, now, going into Breeders' Cup week, Samaritan Hero wasn't just a good horse - he was a classic winner. A surprise conqueror of the Kentucky Derby, he had paved the way for his burly younger brother, who looked like a mature horse already at nearly two years of age. He had a presence, a charisma about him, that was hard to overlook. A man among boys, as Cole liked to say. With Gallantry an impressive frontrunner in the year eighteen, there were high hopes that Xantalis would take up the mantle. He was ridden by the quiet and sure-handed Vivien, an easy choice by Cole. The colt was a gentle animal, and a heavy hand would only make him timid. But Vivien's easy way of going perfectly made way for a bond between human and animal that could do wonders. They were at the head of the group of three horses moving onto the track, looking for all the world physically and mentally like an old hat. He was a godsend, especially given the young horses coming behind him.

Foreign God was close behind the big chestnut, barely kept under control by the iron control of the jockey on his back. Clarimonde definitely had his hands full with this one, and Minske couldn't help but feel pity as he and Tigris watched them trackside as they walked down the lane. Passionate God had been a handful of a horse, and it was obvious that despite his dam's kind temperament, he was fully his father's son. "Bet he throws him at some point this year," Tigris said with an easy grin, and Minske nudged him with his elbow. None of them had ever seen Clarimonde come off of a horse, so it was a yearly bet amongst some of the riders which horse, and when, he might come off. Minske had always found it rude. The other boy might not be friendly, but that didn't mean he deserved that. "That's a lot, coming from you. Hal think you come off more than anyone."

"First of all, I do not. Second, it makes me human. You'd rather have me than a robot." Minske rolled his eyes at the teasing tone, but he was smiling as the horses went past.

The big bay colt, as mentioned, was the first son of Passionate God. While the stallion had since been sold on to a new farm, they had high hopes that the Rain would follow in his sire's shoes. He'd won eight races in his final year on the track, including the gem of the Winter Dawn Treader Cup* as his last career win. Ideally, they'd love for this colt to take off quicker than the sire, so who knew?

The last horse in the line was an exciting prospect, as Winter and Snow Snake had been the year before. Andromeda jogged off as easily as Alis, but while he was a good-ol'-boy with wisdom beyond his years, Ann was simply a queen grace them all with her presence. Tigris had cautioned, strongly, against giving Hal the mount - he argued that it would give them both even bigger heads, at that they'd be bad influences on each other. Of course, Hal had gotten her way in the end, and the smug look she had from atop the filly made it seem like she was riding some towering charger rather than a 15-some hand long yearling. The filly was an unconventional animal in a land of deep-pedigreed routers, but her lovely conformation and disposition had prompted the staff to bypass the purchase of a more proven line and instead put their eggs in one small-statured basket.

The three of them were an unconventional group of horses, and yet they all fit into the grand scheme of the farm well very well. One couldn't help but be excited for what the new year would bring.