People: Charlie Burke Jr., Melanie Mackenzie & Aaron Phillips
Place: Akita Rose Stables Dirt Track
Date: December 14 2013 (January Week Three)
Runaway Wizard
run run run away baby
Charlie grunted as he gave a leg up to the small woman. Melanie rolled her eyes and grabbed on to the reins. "I'm not exactly heavy ya know." Charlie just grunted again and patted the filly on the neck. "Warm up The Wiz pretty good and then we'll have her dual it out with Nancy on the homestretch." Melanie raised her eyebrows. "You wanna dual a sprinter and a miler together in the final stretch?" Charlie just nodded. "You better get out there, Aaron's been warming up Nancy for the last five minutes." Melanie frowned and kicked Wired Loose into gear.
Charlie smirked as he made his way to the rail. He loved pitting Melanie and Aaron against each other in small duals. They were the most competitive jockeys and it just increased with the fact that they were a couple. He knew that Wiz will easily win their little dual since she is used to sprinting but he had a feeling that the Night Stalker filly, Nocturnal Runaway, was not going to be happy to be left behind.
Aaron watched as Melanie rode The Wiz onto the track. He was surprised with today's plan for the two horses but so be it. He patted the energetic filly beneath him. Nancy was not a quitter, in fact she was super competitive. Aaron smiled, Nancy was a lot like him in a race. That is why he loved riding the juvenile. He was curious to see how she does in her first race in a few days.
Melanie clenched her jaw thinking of a plan in the final furlong and put Wiz into her warm up exercises. The bay filly didn't move. "Come on Wiz, stop goofing around." The bay filly flipped an ear back, huffed out a puff of air and started to move in obedience. Melanie sighed and relaxed into the saddle. Suddenly, the Wiz stopped moving again. Melanie nearly flew from the saddle. "WIZ!" She frowned. This filly was so frustrating and too smart for her own good. "Fine I will pay attention to you now get moving!" Wiz shook her mane and started to move again. Melanie sneaked a peek at the trainer at the rail. Charlie watched with obvious amusement. A blush swept across her cheeks. Concentrate Mel.
After another fifteen minutes of warm ups both fillies were running side by side around the track towards the homestretch. It was now or never. Both jockeys let their mounts out at the same time. Wired Loose jumped ahead in a blistering sprinter style. Nancy stretched her neck and tried to catch up to the older filly. She moved faster and faster. Aaron could feel her frustration. Wiz was just too fast to catch up in just one furlong.
They passed under the wire and Nancy kept on running. Aaron stood in the stirrups to pull up the determined juvenile. Nancy pushed her nose down and kept trying to drive on past. Melanie was already up and slowing the Wiz. They passed by them and yet Nancy just kept running. "Whoa Nancy Whoa!" She pressed on.
Finally, after about another furlong of pure strain on Aaron's arms the Night Stalker filly started to slow. He exhaled in gratitude. Once they were down to a slow gallop Nancy shook her mane with pride. Aaron rolled his eyes