Post by Snowflake on Jan 19, 2009 15:08:08 GMT 10
After his fantastic first start to the season, a win in the Lucky Penny Stakes, Split Second was just about ready to run his second race of his four year old season. I warmed him up slowly, giving him plenty of time to work out his kinks before we moved into gallop. Split had been his usual self this morning, letting me sprawl in the dust twice before allowing me to straddle his back. Now he was the nutcase he always was. I remembered back to the night before when Split had thrown his dinner at Jake Bailey and stifled a laugh. The younger exercise rider had fortunately found it quite amusing himself, despite having grown a rather large lump on his head where the feed bucket had hit.
We coasted now into canter, moving to the center of the track as we drew closer to the psycho filly ahead of us. She was giving Sarah a rough time, absolutely refusing to remain at walk. Sarah rolled her eyes at me when I passed, and half halted the filly in an attempt to bring her back to walk. I grinned back, taking my left hand off the reins for an instant to give her the thumbs up.
We cantered a whole lap, then moved into the inside, ready to breeze a half mile. James was sitting on the rail, holding a stopwatch in his hand. He was watching Split critically, waiting for us to pass the half mile marker where he would begin timing us. Split fought my grip on the reins, raring to go. No, buddy. I gritted my teeth. There was only half a furlong to go - couldn't the horse just wait? Apparently not.