Foxs First Race - The Devils Mile Maiden

Results: 1st Place!

Horse: AS Foxfire
Jockey: Amalie McKenzie 
Stable: Antrium Stables 
Race: The Devil’s Mile Maiden
Featured Horses: ERS Call of the Wild (story), CS Distortion Of Admiration (story) 
Word Count: 1,188

 After Victory Story Added! 

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‘AS Foxfire’ - it was almost surreal to hear that name being announced over the microphones. For the last two years Amalie’s little white colt had been known as simply ‘Fox’, his full name never having occasion to be used. Shed favoured the little one, given him special attention as the favourite son of Abyaz, the champion of Antrium’s Racing thoroughbreds. He was the apple of her eye, the jewel of the stables, her absolute pride and joy - and he hadn’t even raced yet. 

However, that fact was about to change. 

She’d been focusing intently upon his training over the last few months. Fox had not taken to trainings as easily as his father had before him, but Fox was not a carbon copy of her father - nor his mother - and had his own personality and quirks. He was named after the fire of a Kitsune, for their trickery and pranks, and Fox often lived up to his name being the spoilt little Prince. Now was his debut race, his first appearance on the track and Amalie could only hope he listened to her and didn’t become overwhelmed by all the excitement. She desperately wanted her little colt to do well, wanted the absolute best for him. 

She could already see the photographers camera’s flash from the stand even as she guided him up to the starting gate. She wondered if any would ask her to comment on why she chose The Devil’s Mile Maiden as Foxfire’s debut race. Truly, she had a good record with her horses on this track and it was a sound decision on her part even if only for that reason but that wasn’t the only reason: relationships between Devil’s Night Downs and Antrium had been somewhat strained given the past few years and, although they had resolved all their differences and once more retained their friendly relationship, this was yet another way that Antrium was showing there was no bad blood between them, that Amalie was choosing to let her precious colt debut there. 

A flash of a camera went off far closer than Fox had been prepared for and he startled, rearing, squealing loudly as he pulled away. Amalie has been caught off guard but hadn’t fallen from the saddle, though she did worry that perhaps she’d pulled a little too hard on the colt in an attempt to keep her balance. Having gotten the spooked colt back under control she crouched forward, stroking him soothingly, patting his neck. “Easy boy, you’ve got this. Just listen to me and let everything go. I got you, Fox. We can do this.” She continued to talk to him, knowing Fox liked it when she talked to him, and he calmed down, going up to the starting gate. 

Fox was anxiously chomping his bit, head lifted high as he eyed the other horses wearily. On one side was a filly, CS Distortion of Admiration, a flashy chestnut with black and teal tack that she wore well. The filly had a look of absolute concentration in her eyes and Amalie knew at once that she’d be a fierce competitor for a two year old. She nodded respectfully to the jockey, Elaine Lewis if her memory from earlier introductions served her correctly, wishing her good luck with a smile. She chuckled inwardly to herself as she realised that since being with Harley she’d improved greatly in her social skills. She gave Fox a quick scratch as another horse was loaded in right at his other side, ERS Call of the Wild, a young bay colt who looked nervous and a little skittish. His jockey - Amara? Mari? Amari? Amaris? Oh no, now she’d have to go up and talk after and hope she didn’t get the name wrong - Thompson was dutifully trying to keep him calm. Fox, showing himself to truly be his mother’s son, lifted his head curiously, nerves seemingly forgotten or at least postponed until he’d finished making a new friend, pressing his muzzle up against the bars in way of greeting, ears forward, tail up. The two seemed to find some sort of kinship in each other as they greeted each other until their jockeys pulled them back to attention. 

Fox tensed as he recognised the telltale clicks Amalie made that signified the impending start of the race. Somehow he could just tell this race was important. His human had been near constantly putting a stray lock of hair behind her ear even since they arrived, which was a classic tell that she was nervous. Not only that, but she was wearing very bright clothes, like what his father often described as the official Racing silks. This meant that this was his first official race - he wasn’t just going out for a training lap with big brother Argo or big sister Juliet, he was racing actual horses, other two year olds fresh and green and he had to be faster! 

“Your Mother was always faster,” said his father, Abyaz, a few nights before they’d left for America, “but she was always kind to other horses too. She was nice to them, encouraging them, always making friends.”

“Were you like that, Dad?”

“No, I usually just left them too it. But you are your own horse, Fox. You don’t need to be like us but I want you to always be kind, like your mother. Remember, you’re not the only fresh racer there, others might be nervous.”

“But if I’m nice to them, they might beat me?”

“If they can beat you they’ll do it whether you’re kind or mean. No one likes a mean horse. Better to be kind and still make them eat your dust than bite and cheat to win. Be above that, son, you’re better than that.”

Fox looked to his side as other horse was loaded up. He looked nervous and took deep heavy breaths as his muscles visibly twitched with anticipation. Fox felt sorry for him and lifted his head up in greeting. “Hi there! I’m Fox! Nice to meet you!” 

The look he got in reply was enough to make him chuckle, the bay colt looked at him like he’d grown a second head. Still, he swallowed heavily and nodded back, wearily looking at the strange white colt that seemed perfectly content to hold a conversation in the last few seconds before their first big race. “Hey... Wild Thing,” he answered, “nice to meet you, too.”

“Cool name. Exciting stuff, huh? Our first real race!” He grinned. “We’re gonna make our humans so proud!” He cheered before Amalie patted his neck to reel him in. “I’ll see ya on the track, huh?” He said with a crooked smile as his head was pulled back. A few more last minute preparations went on before everything went quiet. Suddenly the gates burst open and Fox lunged forward, determined to impress his big brother and big sister back home, two of Abyaz’s children that had each made first place in their first races. 

‘I have to make them proud, I have to make them proud.’ 

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Refrence: Here - I wasn’t able to find from where ^^’