A Horse From Nowhere

Chapter 47--The Final Race

The day was here.  Storm's final race.  Would he be able to defend his title in the Breeder's Cup Classic?  Or would he not be able to come off of his past two dominations to win? 

It was a very cloudy and overcast day in Elmont, New York, and it looked as if it would rain pretty soon.  But if it was to rain, it would not effect Storm, since he lives to run in the rain.

Soon, the horses were lead from the receiving barn to the paddock stalls.  Steven had a nice hold on the lead rope as Storm was tugging on it.  He knew he was about to race.  But did he know if he was about to run in the last race of his life?  And did he know if something bad would happen to him or not?

Steven got Storm to the saddling area where he was saddled up.  As he was being saddled up, it started to sprinkle, but it wasn't just light sprinkles of rain, it was heavy sprinkles of rain.  As the horse were walking around and when the jockeys came out to get their instructions, it started raining harder, and it was raining pretty hard when the riders were given legs up.  Soon, Storm was led off towards the track. 

When the horses stepped foot on the track, the rain was heavier.  Sara, Luis, Doug, Scott and Sara and Luis's parents were all in the owner's box, so they were not getting soaked from the rain.  But soon enough, after the field as said by the track announcer, they were at the gates.  And they were soon all loaded into their respective gates.

The rain was now very heavy.  It was coming down in sheets of rain, and it looked foggy.  You couldn't even see the horses in the gates.  It was too late to cancel the race now, so the horses had to run in it.  The track, usually normally being dirt, was now like sludge.  It was like wet cement that has yet to harden.  And instead of just hearing the ring of the bell to break the silence, there was a big bang of thunder as the gates opened and the bell rang.

"And away they go in the Breeder's Cup Classic!  And someone took a bad step coming out of the gates.  I can't tell who it is, but it looks like Chasing The Storm took the bad step, but he is up and is back at running.  He will be in last.

"Catch Fire goes out to the lead.  Jammin Jazz will follow in behind him and Slicing Dagger will be third.  Fourth is Important Glory, and he is followed by Jersey Boy.  Sharing Joy is sixth, and he is running okay out here.  Counting Stars is close, too as News Reel is behind him.  Flame Runner will follow them, and he is followed by Smokestack.  Escalator is next, he is followed by Key Factor, she will be followed by Dynastic Future, who is followed by Casper's Ghost, and it is in fact Chasing The Storm who took the bad stumble and is last."

Storm didn't just stumbled.  He slipped.  And he slipped bad.  Victor almost came out of the saddle and over his neck.  In this weather, nobody knew if Storm could recover from the start, when normally he could recover.  Victor got him recovered though, and he was far behind the leader as the rain started to let up some, and you could see the horses clearly. 

Victor was trying to steady Storm as they went into the first turn.  Storm was running awkwardly.  Very awkwardly.  A flash of lightning illuminated the track for a split second before close to darkness fell over the track yet again.  They traveled throughout the turn, and Storm got his stride back and tried to make some ground up.  And he did get closer to Casper's Ghost, but he wasn't traveling well as they turned into the backstretch.  But halfway down the backstretch, that is when something not expected happened.

"And Chasing The Storm, who was making up some ground after settling into his stride is being pulled up!  Chasing The Storm gets pulled up halfway down the backstretch!  And Casper's Ghost is making up more ground.  He charges through the slop on the inside!  Still leading is Catch Fire, but he started to fade!  And Slicing Dagger, who we would normally see not fade this early is already fading!  He is not going on today in the slop!  And here comes Dynastic Future!  He is making a run!  And the filly Key Factor moves with him!  Smokestack is making a run of it as they enter the final turn!

"Important Glory now gets the lead!  He has it by three as he goes on with it!  Dynastic Future is moving like a freight train!  And here he comes barreling down the outside!  Smokestack is there and so is Counting Stars!  Key Factor is next and here comes Casper's Ghost!  And Casper's Ghost is flying down on the inside!  There has been no one on the rail, and he will be the only one on the rail!

"And down the stretch they come in a now very exciting Breeder's Cup Classic!  Important Glory holds on by a length and a half!  Casper's Ghost is trying to run him down!  But the others do not stand a chance here in this race!  Smokestack is now fourth and Counting Stars is fifth!  But as they come to the wire, Important Glory holds on!  Important Glory wins the Breeder's Cup Classic by a length!  Casper's Ghost was second.  He was followed by Dynastic Future, Smokestack, Counting Stars, Key Factor, Sharing Joy, Slicing Dagger, Escalator, Jersey Boy, Jammin Jazz, Flame Runner, Catch Fire, News Reel and Chasing The Storm did not finish."

Storm.  He didn't finish.  He was hurt.  Sara knew it.  Her colt was hurt was hurt.  If he wasn't hurt, Victor wouldn't have pulled him up.  Sara, Luis, their parents, Doug and Scott all went down to the track, where Storm was being loaded up into the track ambulance.  He had a splint put on his front left leg.  He definitely was hurt.  His connections were allowed to go with him to the vets office where he would be checked over.

~•~

The vet came out to the waiting area, and he had to tell Storm's connections exactly what was wrong.

And the news his connections found out was not something that they were expecting.