cloud nine

[Ripley Marsh]

Cloud Nine
featuring: Enrapture, Uno Momento & Firestorm

Brooks stomped into the three year old barn, holding a rolled up newspaper. His eyes were full of irritation and anger. Why would Ripley do this without even consulting him? He was the assistant trainer for goodness sakes. The woman was under a head full of steam tossing ideas out to the press, throwing off the trail. Already rumors were flying that Witch Creek was downsizing in the face of their recent success, that perhaps there was a couple horses in the ranks that Ripley did not feel were clicking with the staff or the future image of the stable.

Without knocking, Brooks slapped open the door to Ripley's office. Her cat green eyes lifted from the entry books, brows lifting upward in that typical Ripley look. "Yes?"

"Yes? That's all you've got?" He tossed the paper onto her neat desk, tapped a finger on an article. "So when were you going to tell me that we were selling Uno?"

Fire shot into her eyes as if someone had lit a torch within her body. "Since when do I have to tell you everything?"

"Since you promoted me to assistant trainer."

She shrugged. "I don't have to tell you everything. Don't worry your pretty little head, Brookson."

He glared at the woman, "I'll worry all I want. Are you or aren't you? And when pray tell are you going to let the parasitic press know?"

Ripley leaned back in her chair, tucking her hands beneath her head. "Oh good. Someone else wants to worry about all the press for once. Well have at it Brooks. Kick them out and make them our enemies. Let them chew on whatever the new barns have to offer. We do have fans, Brookson Wells, that the parasitic press informs."

"Usually I don't expect to find out a colt I quite like is going to end up somewhere else."

"Oh? Did the newspaper print out my response already? I didn't know Uno was heading somewhere else?"

Brooks slapped his hands on her desk, felt a grudging admiration for the woman when she didn't even flinch.

"You are a pain in my ass, Ripley Marsh."

She smirked, "And here I was thinking that only my competition thought that."

He let out a sound of frustration that pleased Ripley to no end. She barely could hide her smile and turned back to the racing entries to hide it.

"I'll see you at the dirt track in forty-five minutes, Brooks. Take Uno, Ennie and Storm five furlongs."

He paused, glanced over his shoulder at the woman. "Is that my answer?"

"It's all you're going to get."

A slamming door met her words. Two seconds later, Ripley was laughing like a loon.



Laura and Justin kept aiming looks his way that were driving him up the wall. So he was a little pissed off. He was only trying to match his filly in her anti-social rage. Or that was the reasoning he'd given them. Obviously they didn't believe him. Even Enrapture was giving him a look and behaving for once. The tawny filly usually made it quite clear that she didn't like to be messed with. He ignored the dirty looks she aimed his way as he finished wrapping her legs.

The mealy marked filly had the brain of a champ. You didn't mess with her and she wouldn't mess with you. She was a good filly and she knew it. Her toughness was quite obvious. She'd won a race and finished second in two others. It was only a matter of time until the filly finally got in her races. Everyone knew Enrapture was good. She was a bloody talented filly who already understood the name of the game. Sure Awestruck had made more public appearances and was a great filly in her own right, but Ennie had been the one to stir everyone's imaginations from the start. She'd certainly made Brooks stand up and take notice. For a filly to do that, she had to be something very special.

Uno relaxed in between the cross-ties, hoof cocked and eyelids lowered. He was the colt everyone wanted, according to the newspapers, and he didn't even know it or look the part. Justin and Brooks were sure the colt would be at his best at three and would need all the racing he could get at two. Justin was reminded of Saint when he looked at Uno. The talent was there, but the mind had to catch up. Saint's switch had flipped in the second half of his two year old season and at three, he was becoming a potential force. Uno looked nothing like a force now. He was a beautiful colt with a nice attitude. Nice typically didn't make you stand out when you were in a barn full of hot heads. But Frozen Motion had stood out and so had Bella Luna. Both of them had needed a season before they'd taken off. Brooks had come to Justin that morning, waving that newspaper like a man possessed. Now both of them had a mission: keep Uno Momento at Witch Creek where he belonged.

Firestorm stood on alert down the row, ears pricked and nostrils flaring. He stood as still as a statue while Laura worked around him. Storm could be labeled as a hot head, but one thing the horse would never or had never done was take a chunk out of a human. Disciplined to a "T", Firestorm could not hurt a fly. He had an immense physical presence despite having a big body and immature mind. He rivaled Uno in size, but his body was more muscled. He had a thick bull-neck, a huge chest and powerful hindquarters. He could be labeled chunky, but it didn't matter. The colt was fast and he traveled less ground than Uno's sleek, athletic form ever would. Laura had found her first great miler and she was hanging tough with this one. He was a special boy and her baby.

It wasn't every day you had a daughter of Triple Crown winner, a relation to three Horse Of The Years and a half-brother to a Canadian Triple Crown winner in one workout. To call this a prime workout for the summer would be an understatement.

Brooks led the way out of the barn, being sure to keep Enrapture off to the side while Uno and Storm filed out of the barn. Ennie pinned her ears at the sight of the colts, as if she hadn't just seen them inside the barn. Brooks backed the tough filly up as Storm shied away from her. Storm was a big old baby when it came to Ennie. He didn't know how to react against such a macho filly. There were a whole slew of them here and he only counted Uno among his friends. Note sure as heck wasn't going to be a friend. Note didn't like anybody.

Laura mounted Storm, let him dance beneath her. The colt pranced excitedly, snorting and tossing his head to the beat of his own drum. She patted the bay's neck, circled him while the guys mounted their own horses. Ennie's body gleamed in the sunlight, a brilliant gold that could be blinding in the sun. She was a picture of ferocity, a mount worthy of a God. Brooks allowed her to take command as she was wont to do. She already knew where to head. She worked out almost every day of the week, had worked more than any of the other two year olds due to her lighter race schedule.

Ripley nodded to them from the rail as the trio stepped through the gap and onto the track. Malcolm shut the gate, his eyes never leaving the horses. A more beautiful trio there never was. Ripley called to the riders, not bothering with the headset. "I want five furlongs in 1:00 or 1:01. Run them through the wire, get the six furlongs in 1:12."

Justin let Uno move into his rocking gallop, not bothering to wait for Enrapture or Firestorm. They could keep up with his colt for a change. Uno was a fast horse and he wasn't an easy beat. He may have finished poorly in The Wire Finish Cup Juvenile Dirt, but he was no slouch. He just was a little nervous in a big crowd. It hadn't been the baby's finest hour, but he'd come back barely blowing and had been full of play the next day. He needed to settle down and learn to abide Justin's command. Granted, the colt didn't like much human interference. Get the horse in the clear and let him roll was Justin's plan in every race.

The young guy moved Uno to the rail, patting the horse's neck when he did exactly what Justin asked. Uno pricked his ears and settled into his comfortable stride. He stayed that way even when Firestorm charged up to his hip. Justin could feel the fiercer horse laying all over his. Storm was a furious runner, the type that new intimidation could be a deal breaker for his rivals. Unfortunately, Uno was a hard head and didn't take Storm's presence seriously. Laura was quiet in the saddle and kept the colt on a long rein. By the time they were in the backstretch, Firestorm was loping along as easy as can be.

Five lengths back, Enrapture waited patiently. Her ears were locked on the two galloping colts, her stride long and effortless. She could have been flying and she would felt the same. Ennie simply had the easiest way of moving. She simply possessed that extra zing that could make a horse a great runner. Brooks leaned close as the colts hit the 3/8th pole. His filly was about to make her move.

Laura chirped to Firestorm as they hit the marker and hummed in approval as he kicked on. He swarmed Uno Momento on the turn, running head to head with him by the time they hit the 5/16 pole. Uno battled back without encouragement for Justin had never really given the son of El Sol Del Mar his cue. He galloped along, impressing Ripley and Malcolm from the rail, as if he wasn't being attacked. He just answered the ferocious speed of Firestorm, but never looked like he was going any harder than he'd been all along.

Enrapture cruised around the turn, her legs under herself as she pursued the horses. Brooks was shocked that the filly was taking it so easy. In a race, the filly was furious in her run. It was as if she thought she could reel the colts in down the lane. He wondered at that. Had she measured the colts? She'd faced Uno several times in gallops and workouts, but she'd never faced Firestorm. The filly rounded the turn, still four lengths back. It was then that Brooks asked for more. He dropped the reins, waved the whip and she took off like a bat out of Hell.

Malcolm and Ripley's eyes left the battling colts to take in the hellion that was Enrapture. She'd gone from easy to surging in a matter of strides. Her body was practically parallel to the ground as she extended her massive stride. She was level with the colts in the final furlong, stunning Firestorm with her sudden attack. The green colt swerved then, dropping back. Laura swore at the sudden drop in speed, but swung the colt to the center of the track and sent him home.

Justin was pleased when Uno didn't back off as Firestorm had. Rather the colt finally dropped into his top gear and rebounded on the rail. Ennie pinned her ears as the bay colt fought his way back to run head and head with her. Her eyes blazed at his gall. Who was he to challenge her? Ripley's eyes were flickering with excitement as the trio shot through the wire.

Firestorm made his run too late, powering past Enrapture and Uno in the gallop out. The move had been impressive, showing off the weaknesses that needed to be fixed and the strengths that could be exploited in all three of the young horses.

"Uno loafs on the lead, but at least we know he likes to fight when it counts," Mal remarked.

Ripley cocked a brow at the man, "What'd you think I was selling him too?"

Mal shrugged. "He's not the flashiest."

"No he's not, but he may be the fastest. We just have to get him to run."