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It was time for the last leg of the Japanese Triple Crown and so far Sunday Memory was two for two, winning the Satsuki Sho in shocking fashion over the heavily favored Takenshi, and then turning around and beating Takenshi back once again in the Tokyo Yushun. Now it was time for the Kikuka-sho and both horses looked to be at the top of their game. Takenshi had been training harder and longer, focusing on changing the way he ran and forcing him to move from the front of the pack to a stalker. It was a hard bit of training but the bay was smart and focused and Momori felt confident that the horse would perform better than he had done so far.
But he also worked hard on Nichi, the big black stallion had weaseled his way into his heart with his tough as nails nature and his never take no for an answer attitude. It was something Momori could really respect, and the horse demanded respect from everyone around him but rarely got any at all. His training was much the same as it had been before, nothing too unusual just more of the same, more of what had worked so far.
When they shipped out to the track he watched as Takenshi wowed the crowds with his personality, whereas Nichi seemed to loathe them lashing out and putting the fear of God into them with his teeth. They were so completely different in every way, but the one that mattered. They were horses with heart, champions who never gave up, and he admired that greatly. They trained for a little over the track before the race, and everything looked good.
But something in training made Momori frown, there was something off about Nichi and he couldn't put his finger on it. Leaning against the fence he watched as the horse blew past him, a leg catching here and there with a heaving breath. "What are you trying to say...?" Of course Nichi didn't answer him, but as he came back Momori flagged down the exercise rider to give him a once over. He was breathing hard, but not strangely, of course the two mile run might have explained why he was breathing hard. But that leg catch... "Take him to the vet, have them look him over." The rider nodded and stood up in the stirrups to keep Nichi slow about as they went.
The vet looked over the colt and could find nothing wrong with him and definitely nothing that explained the behavior that Momori had seen on the track. He told the owners and advised that it might be better if he skipped the Kikuka-sho, but they were heavily against it and wanted Momori to keep an eye on him up to the race. If things changed then he could scratch otherwise, he was to run. It wasn't what Momori wanted to hear, but he consented.
Now as he hung his head, eyes closed, hands gripping the rail hard he knew he had been mistaken. He should have pushed the ownership to scratch the now defeated champion. He should have made sure they knew that he wasn't ready, that he was ill and needed a break. Momori swallowed and looked up to see the jockey off the black colt, holding his reins while the colt started to sag. There was blood trickling from his nose, a rich lather over his body, and lots of drool. The horse looked like he had run himself to death, but refused to drop. It was the refusal to drop that had Momori flipping himself over the rail to run across the turf to him.
Memories of what had just happened flashed before him as he ran, the sight of both horses breaking hard from the gate. Nichi taking to the lead as he always did while Takenshi allowed himself to be pulled up and tucked behind the colt, just stalking him and eating his drift the entire time. The rest of the pack moved around, but they didn't matter, not to the betters, to the betters and to Momori it was the black and the bay. The demon and the warrior. As they came to the stretch Nichi kicked that last burst of speed, pulling away for a moment before that leg catch happened.
His head pulled up and he came short a step, tossing his head back and then going right back to stride. His eyes were wide though as he tried to keep the speed he'd had up, but it wasn't enough, the warrior was running hard and whipping to his outside. When they locked eyes Nichi throttled down but his body was not having it. His lungs heaved, burning as he took in deep breaths, and his jockey was doing the best he could to pull him up but he just kept going. They both kept going, a vicious speed battle as they crossed the wire, the bay first the black second.
Moments later the jockey was off the black horse, and Momori flashed forward as he came to his side. Nichi was breathing hard and dancing a bit in place, the vet was coming to him with the equine ambulance. They would get him checked out, make sure it was simply that he had pushed too hard and started to bleed...but the fear Momori had while he loaded up, listening to the yells and whoops of the crowd who were satisfied that the demon had finally lost, was real. How any person could be pleased to see a champion be defeated by another horse, when the champion had proven to be brave in defeat was beyond him. And while he should be in the winners circle with the owners, his place was the vet with his loser. Standing next to the colt he rubbed his neck and sung a song softly, hoping to ease Nichi as they went along.
Featuring:
:origin()/pre07/7d15/th/pre/i/2016/057/b/5/sunday_memory_by_capnrcubey-d95553i.png)
:origin()/pre05/4d38/th/pre/i/2016/052/9/7/takenshi_by_capnrcubey-d9so1ea.png)
Other Story Images:
Wobbly Knees
A Rivalry Begins
Stealing the Glory
Demon's Day
Clipping Wings
Blood Sweat and Tears
Falling Angel
But he also worked hard on Nichi, the big black stallion had weaseled his way into his heart with his tough as nails nature and his never take no for an answer attitude. It was something Momori could really respect, and the horse demanded respect from everyone around him but rarely got any at all. His training was much the same as it had been before, nothing too unusual just more of the same, more of what had worked so far.
When they shipped out to the track he watched as Takenshi wowed the crowds with his personality, whereas Nichi seemed to loathe them lashing out and putting the fear of God into them with his teeth. They were so completely different in every way, but the one that mattered. They were horses with heart, champions who never gave up, and he admired that greatly. They trained for a little over the track before the race, and everything looked good.
But something in training made Momori frown, there was something off about Nichi and he couldn't put his finger on it. Leaning against the fence he watched as the horse blew past him, a leg catching here and there with a heaving breath. "What are you trying to say...?" Of course Nichi didn't answer him, but as he came back Momori flagged down the exercise rider to give him a once over. He was breathing hard, but not strangely, of course the two mile run might have explained why he was breathing hard. But that leg catch... "Take him to the vet, have them look him over." The rider nodded and stood up in the stirrups to keep Nichi slow about as they went.
The vet looked over the colt and could find nothing wrong with him and definitely nothing that explained the behavior that Momori had seen on the track. He told the owners and advised that it might be better if he skipped the Kikuka-sho, but they were heavily against it and wanted Momori to keep an eye on him up to the race. If things changed then he could scratch otherwise, he was to run. It wasn't what Momori wanted to hear, but he consented.
Now as he hung his head, eyes closed, hands gripping the rail hard he knew he had been mistaken. He should have pushed the ownership to scratch the now defeated champion. He should have made sure they knew that he wasn't ready, that he was ill and needed a break. Momori swallowed and looked up to see the jockey off the black colt, holding his reins while the colt started to sag. There was blood trickling from his nose, a rich lather over his body, and lots of drool. The horse looked like he had run himself to death, but refused to drop. It was the refusal to drop that had Momori flipping himself over the rail to run across the turf to him.
Memories of what had just happened flashed before him as he ran, the sight of both horses breaking hard from the gate. Nichi taking to the lead as he always did while Takenshi allowed himself to be pulled up and tucked behind the colt, just stalking him and eating his drift the entire time. The rest of the pack moved around, but they didn't matter, not to the betters, to the betters and to Momori it was the black and the bay. The demon and the warrior. As they came to the stretch Nichi kicked that last burst of speed, pulling away for a moment before that leg catch happened.
His head pulled up and he came short a step, tossing his head back and then going right back to stride. His eyes were wide though as he tried to keep the speed he'd had up, but it wasn't enough, the warrior was running hard and whipping to his outside. When they locked eyes Nichi throttled down but his body was not having it. His lungs heaved, burning as he took in deep breaths, and his jockey was doing the best he could to pull him up but he just kept going. They both kept going, a vicious speed battle as they crossed the wire, the bay first the black second.
Moments later the jockey was off the black horse, and Momori flashed forward as he came to his side. Nichi was breathing hard and dancing a bit in place, the vet was coming to him with the equine ambulance. They would get him checked out, make sure it was simply that he had pushed too hard and started to bleed...but the fear Momori had while he loaded up, listening to the yells and whoops of the crowd who were satisfied that the demon had finally lost, was real. How any person could be pleased to see a champion be defeated by another horse, when the champion had proven to be brave in defeat was beyond him. And while he should be in the winners circle with the owners, his place was the vet with his loser. Standing next to the colt he rubbed his neck and sung a song softly, hoping to ease Nichi as they went along.
Featuring:
Other Story Images:
Wobbly Knees
A Rivalry Begins
Stealing the Glory
Demon's Day
Clipping Wings
Blood Sweat and Tears
Falling Angel
Image size
2500x967px 1.22 MB
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