Through the Slop :: WIN

This image has taken so much out of me. But ugh it is seriously one of my best. If I draw something his elaborate again, I will hate myself. I seriously love my shading, it is hard to tell in some spots due to her coloring but Betts here isn't getting the trip of her life.

STORY

Tyler sucked in a breathe, racing program rolled up in his hand as he watched the rider guiding Betty in her post parade. It was the fillies first three year old start. She’d been running wonderfully at home, and turned in a good workout two days ago, but that was well before all of this rain hit. He had spoken to some of the exercise riders this morning, the track was complete slop, and he really wasn’t sure how the grey filly might take to such a condition. With high lifting feet and bit working in her mouth, he could only assume the filly wasn’t even sure of the dense footing.

Still, as he moved from the tunnel up toward the stands, his eyes scanned the televisions until he found a spot just off the rail, near the winners circle where he could just see them reaching the gate, placed only slightly away from him on the homestretch. Shaking his head his mumbled to himself, “Come on, just trot in nice and easy. Its just like at home.” He watched as at first, the filly threw her head, danced in a circle then seemingly decided it was okay to move in. Even he let out a sigh as she settled for a moment, another horse put up a fight and he could see his grey filly get nervous, shifting her feet, she was leaning to the left, trying to move her head to look at what was going on.

Five quiet seconds went past and then the blair of the announcer roared and the bell shrilled through the beating rain. “They’re off.” For Tyler, those first two seconds when the gate opened lasted a full minute. The horses either leapt forward, or reared back and jumped, some swerved one way or another. Today though, Imperatrice was distracted, the footing under her gave way as she attempted to pull herself forward from the gate. Luckily the horse on her inside got away cleaner, and faster. She missed the bump but he cursed under his breath as he watched the grey mare now fight the thick wet muck to make up ground. Biting his lip, as the mare passed him, she was already fully covered in muck.

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