Valiant Effort [Beyond & Knight]

Valkyrie was extremely happy with the temporary addition of two horses with a lot of potential, both on lease from Cold Creek Inc. Both grade five racers, both big, strong colts. The stable had grown a lot in only a few months, and the hope was that horses such as these could give them a strong step into the new year.

Beyond Perfection was the more accomplished of the two thus far, with two wins under his belt and only three races out of the money - none this season. While he didn't have a lot of three-year-old wins, he'd come close a number of times and Kent knew it couldn't be long until he came out on top. With two grade one parents, there was a lot of hope that this horse would make it to the top.

Gallant Knight, though not quite living up to his name in personality, was a strong chestnut horse with a great pedigree of his own. While his dam was raced, her records had been lost in transit. However, his sire was very well known, currently as the parent of Flashy Wings. With a half-brother like that, Gallant Knight obviously had the potential to do some great things.

The two horses were scheduled to work together, as they had in the past, this time in preparation for the Green Cup at the GHF track. The two horses, while not particularly friends, got along well enough to stand relatively docilely near each other while their exercise riders made their way to the track.

"I can't believe you told her. That was between us, jerk! Alexis huffed as he buckled the helmet onto his head, pointedly not looking at the boy next to him. Scotty groaned loudly, startling the horses into looking at him. "Oh come on, it's funny! It's not everyday you literally fall into a pile of horse sh-"

"Yeah, well now I won't hear the end of it. I'm not talking to you. We aren't talking." The fight was juvenile, of course, and they'd be talking by the end of the ride, but such spats were part of what made the two so much fun to be around. Even when they were fighting, they weren't actually fighting.

Scotty got a leg up onto Beyond, who bowed his neck to touch the boy's boot with his nose - affection or curiosity. Either way, it was endearing. The boy scratched the colt's neck, waiting for Alexis to mount Knight. The bigger horse was a little less docile, tossing his head and skittering against the handler. Kent turned away from the rail to give the riders their instructions. "Instead of a hot-headed run, make them relax out there. Take them nine furlongs at an easier pace, and ask them to really push for the last two." The boys both grinned at that. They enjoyed pitting themselves against each other, especially on horses as similar as these two.

Both boys moved their horses to the dirt track, asking them to pick up a trot. They were both well-behaved horses, and neither of them put up a fight. They knew what was coming. Alexis kept a strong hold on Knight's reins, letting the colt know that he wouldn't put up with any rude behavior. With that known early on, Knight handled like a dream. It gave Alexis a chance to put an eye to the bay horse moving slightly ahead of them. Beyond might be the more accomplished racer thus far, but Knight was just as strong. It was hard to tell where the next race would land. Alexis did know that beating Scotty would be just payment for informing their employer of his unfortunate mishap...

The two horses moved into a canter, out of the way of traffic. Here, too, the horses were steady and cool-headed, quite surprising for a pair of Thoroughbreds. Both riders were half prepared for an explosion, but nothing came. Scotty waved his hand to cue the gallop, and both horses eased into a relaxed, easy pace. Knight did have a small moment where he tried to jump into a faster pace, but Alexis kept him under hand and the chestnut settled. The horses moved toward the rail, and Alexis settled Knight a couple of lengths behind the bay.

When they reached cue to start, Scotty pushed Beyond into a faster pace - past, but not searing. Just the right pace for a longer work. The horse under him felt incredibly strong and full of energy, and the furlongs passed quickly as they went. Almost too soon, the time came to unleash the big bay, and Scotty urged him into a finishing pace. The colt responded with a big drive, surging forward against the sound of hooves churning behind him. Scotty spared a moment to look behind him, surprised to see that Knight was now nose-to-hip with Beyond. Hating to be outdone, the young man urged the horse faster, yelling encouragement as they went. Beyond caught sight of the charging horse and responded in kind, trying to pull away again

They crossed the wire, Beyond a nose in front.

"I totally almost had you!" Alexi said after the gallop-out, when they pulled the horses up. Scotty laughed, a devilish smile on his face. "Almost still gets you second. Though, I was surprised by that drive. I guess such a pushy guy doesn't like to be beat too many times." Well, that was it, wasn't it? Beyond had a lot of talent, and so did Knight - it would come down to who wanted it more.