Belmont Invitational:
1-Wickedandwily
Sire: Wicked strong
2-Runready
Sire: Magician
3-Followthemdown
Sire: Footstepsinthesand
4-Great Expectations
Sire: Albert the Great
5-Impelled (GB)
Sire: Giant's Causeway
6-Channel It (IRE)
Sire: English Channel
7-One To Remember
Sire: VE Day
8-Wave Goodbye
Sire: Normandy Invasion
9-Showyouhow
Sire: Curlin
"After a slow break, Wave Goodbye has settled in as the trailer. The early lead goes to Showyouhow and Channel It. Impelled is right up there fighting it out with Runready... Entering the final turn, here comes Wave Goodbye waving goodbye to the dirt in her face! Wave Goodbye launching a bid for first going 4-wide around the turn! Entering the stretch it is Impelled, but Wave Goodbye is running him down! The American Wave Goodbye takes command with 300 yards left! One To Remember is coming up, and Channel It is moving up on the outside to challenge! Wave Goodbye repels Channel It and holds on for first by a length! Channel It second, Impelled third, Great Expectations barely fourth over One To Remember, followed by Runready, Followthemdown, Showyouhow, and Wickedandwily. Well, the European invaders didn't get it this time! Wave Goodbye earns a turf win for her dirt-running sire Normandy Invasion!"
The win was fantastic, and Wave Goodbye earned a 123 Beyer for it, a "sensational accomplishment", as DRF proclaimed the next day. It was an exceptional race, and I decided to keep her on the turf. She could make it to the Breeders' Cup, so that would be the focus for her...win the BC Turf!
The next weekend was Joey's race. Joey, the allowance winner to Grade 1 winner, the one who started at the bottom and worked his way up. I really hoped he won this race. He was my baby, my Riva Ridge to my Secretariat. He had tough competition, though. It seemed half the field had the same idea: take a break from Grade 1 races. Pillar 2 Greatness was the best of the field, being a 2-time Grade 1 winner. Rum Runner won this race last year, and won at Grade 2 level frequently. He was a full brother to the wickedly fast Breeders' Cup champ Bayern. Comradical Salute was a top-class sprinter, just like his sire.
Suburban:
1-Whattodo
Sire: Afleet Alex
2-Pillar 2 Greatness
Sire: Corinthian
3-Free To Go
Sire: Any Given Saturday
4-Rum Runner
Sire: Offlee Wild
5-Done Deal
Sire: Eskendereya
6-Allidoiswin
Sire: Nobiz Like Showbiz
7-Joey
Sire: Nicanor
8-Comradical Salute
Sire: Salutos Amigos
Joey was extremely calm, as usual, but when he saw Rum Runner, he tossed his head and snorted loudly. He never did anything like that, and I got worried. There was nothing I could do but hope it was just a random occurrence.
"Aaaand they're off! Comradical Salute goes to the lead, wouldn't expect him anywhere else! Done Deal is a length back in second, and then it's Rum Runner, Joey, Allidoiswin, Free To Go, Pillar 2 Greatness, and Whattodo. Entering the first turn and Comradical Salute is drawing away. He's leading by 4, with Run Runner fighting Joey for second, then it's 2 back to Free To Go, Done Deal, Allidoiswin, Pillar 2 Greatness in his prime spot, and finally Whattodo. Halfway down the backstretch, it's still Comradical Salute, but Rum Runner and Joey, still neck and neck, are gaining ground! Free To Go and Allidosiwin are battling it out 3 lengths back, then it's Done Deal and Whattodo...Pillar 2 Greatness has unleashed his speed and is gaining on the leaders! As they start on the final turn, they're four wide! Comradical Salute is dropping back with nowhere to run, and now it's Joey, Rum Runner, and Pillar 2 Greatness...but Pillar 2 Greatness is drifting outward...he's chucked the bit! Pillar 2 Greatness as fading fast as they hit the stretch and Rummmmm Runner has it by a length! Joey refuses to give up and is at his neck! Those two are drawing away from the field in a furious dogfight down the stretch! Rum Runner, looking for a repeat win is edging Joey out, but Joey sticks his head back in front as the wire passes overhead! Joey wins the Suburban, denying Rum Runner a repeat in a gutsy performance! Contadical Salute will be third 6 lengths back, with Allidoiswin fourth, followed by Pillar 2 Greatness, Free To Go, Done Deal, and finally Whattodo, who was never really in it today."
The stable, Third Magnolia Farm, was now 2 for 2. I realized why Joey had acted weird in the paddock: he found a rival in Rum Runner. My attention was now turned to Total Takeover and Theworldisahead.
At 3:30 the next morning, my phone rang. I scrambled for it and picked it up, thinking it was Tag, which it was.
"Taylor, I need you to come down here now. Total Takeover has had an accident."
Crap.
YOU ARE READING
All Her Own
AventuraTaylor has loved horse racing since she was 10. She never had a chance to really get into the business, despite watching horses train at her uncle's farm, until she gets an odd, rare opportunity at her uncle's funeral. After buying a foal, it is Tay...
