Heart and Soul (rewrite)

Chapter Two

The excitement at the barn ran like an electrical current. It was the first maiden race of all the fillies who were kept after their first year. Only six were loaded into the massive trailer. Me, a bay mare named Mirror Image, a chestnut named Fallen Angel, a grey called SnowBlindSight, another bay by the name of PerfectParadox, and a black mare dubbed Ebony Pearl. We bonded quickly over the six hour trailer ride, swapping stories, hopes and fears for the upcoming race, and gossiped about the stallions, as mares do.

When we arrived I was one of the last to be unloaded, and I jigged beside my groom, taking in the sights and sounds with fearful excitement. A horse whinnied, a bucket was dropped, the voices mingled, shoes rang on the stone walkways, snorts as horses just run were led to the hot walkers. I reared. My groom jerked the chain. I came back down, snorting and prancing. Finally I was locked securely in my stall, fresh water and green hay within easy reach. Snow, Doxie, Mirror, Ang, and Pearl were all beside me, and we nickered quietly to each other as night fell.

The grooms at a racetrack rose before the sun, and the horses were running before the mists had even lifted from the grounds. I was no exception. A man the grooms called Boss whistled as I galloped past him and my jockey pulled me up.

"Two minutes twenty three seconds! She's on fire!"

To my dismay I was returned to my stall after the hot walker instead of my customary pasture. When afternoon rolled around my groom opened my stall, a soft brush in hand.

"Hello, pretty girl. Ready to run?" I understood nothing, but nudged him softly, expecting a treat. Sure enough he handed me a sugar cube, and I crunched contentedly as he ran the brush over my coat. Next came the light saddle and silk pad, pink with the number eight and my name. Then came the bridle. Finally I was led out of my stall and paraded around a circle while other mares walked behind and in front of me and people clapped. Humans are awfully strange.

Then came the trumpet, a sound I spooked violently at. I was calmed down quickly, a jockey was boosted onto my back, and I was handed off to a buckskin gelding adorned with ribbons and flowers. His rider and mine conversed lightly until I was handed off again to a short woman. She smiled, then led me to the gates. I planted my feet. There was no way out that I could see, and I wasn't about to put myself in danger just because humans said so. My jockey whacked me with the crop and I finally loaded, my head secured by a man hanging to the side of the gates. A black mare was beside me, and a bay was to my left. The bay swung herself side to side, snorting and wide eyed, jerking her head up and down. She would try to back up but her hind end would hit the padded gates and she would lurch forward again, snorting in fear. She upset me. The black mare stood quietly, breathing evenly, ears up. A bell rang. I started forward violently. The gates swung open. I launched myself forward.

Suddenly there was a horse to my right and one to my left. They were pushing against me, crowding me. A horse from behind breathed heavily on my hindquarters. I was trapped. My heart hammered against my ribs, a shiver ran down my body. The horse on my left bumped my shoulder. I swung my head around, mouth wide open, and before my jockey could punish me I bit down hard on her shoulder. She screamed and went to retaliate, but I had breezed past her. Now a bay was directly in front of me, and I had to shorten my strides to avoid tripping myself. I threw my head, snorting in frustration. I was supposed to run, not canter behind a slow horse. When I tried to bite her, though, my jockey was ready, and hit me hard with the crop. I threw back my head again. This time, however, my shoulders went up too, and before I knew it I was on the ground, my jockey between my legs. A hush fell over the grounds.

I rolled over to put myself between him and the others. Several horses tripped over me, one stepped on me. Others kicked me. But I kept him safe. Once he was up, and the other horses gone, I staggered to my hooves, sore and bleeding from a minor injury on my croup, but otherwise none the worse for wear. Until I remembered the race. The other horses were well in front of me now, but I wasn't boxed in, and jockey or not, I was going to win this race. I took off, breaking my dangling reins within a few strides. It hurt my mouth, but I galloped on. I opened my stride, and soon enough the horse hanging in last was in front of me. I breezed past her, then quickly overtook the stragglers until I was galloping on the outside rail parallel to the pack. My ears went up for a moment and I lifted my head, meeting the eye of the horse in the lead.

She pinned her ears at me. My challenge was accepted. She powered forward, and at the same moment my ears went straight back, my head dropped, and my strides opened effortlessly. I passed the dark bay in third, the grey in second, and was gaining quickly on the bay mare in first. She saw me and made one last ditch effort.

It gained her a few strides, but it was all she had left. I overtook her and galloped on, listening as people cheered. I galloped on, but exhaustion was beginning to overtake me. My lungs burned, my legs ached. I slowed to a canter, then a trot, and finally an exhausted walk. Outriders galloped to me and caught my bridle. I didn't care. I was glad to finally walk.

After being walked for what seemed like hours, hosed down, wrapped, walked some more, and examined by a vet, I was finally put in my stall. I sank to the soft shavings, exhausted, and the last thing I heard before I spiraled into sleep was Boss.

"You get one more chance on that mare. Get her out clean, and she'll carry you the rest."