Faceoff

 The J.C. Monthly Show | August | Bernard Baruch Handicap
 Horse: Off Key Anthem
 Rider: Sabrina Gallegos
 Starting #: 31
 Purse: $250,000

[ribbon]
Winnings: $?

---

Aaaaand again. Maybe he'll place something other than 2nd this race!

Featuring AS Cardinal Blaze

---

After his start in California, Off Key Anthem and Sabrina shipped off to New York for a race with bigger stakes - and a purse five times that of their Santa Anita race. Sabrina's hopes were high, though the colt wasn't exactly working with her. He'd almost injured a handler attempting to unload him from the plane, and if Sabrina hadn't been there to step in, might have been lost down the runway. Ever since then, he'd been a handful, stepping on toes and tearing hay nets and splashing Sabrina with his Kool-aid water (her favorite green tank top was now officially ruined).

Even now, as the race was set to begin, Dante was throwing a fit. The chestnut colt did not want to be bridled, and the whole stable block was going to know it! He shuffled around the stall, nearly pinning Sabrina against the wall, squealing at the top of his impressively large set of lungs. She ran her hands down his legs and inspected him all over, inspected the stall, inspected his tack for any and all possible physical causes, but she could not figure out where this terrible fit was coming from, but she hoped it wouldn't affect his running. They really needed a win here, just like always.

By the time she got him bridled (with the help of some of the other stables' jockeys!) and out to the track, they were already setting the horses up in the gate. Sabrina and Dante were loaded on one side of a deep black horse with an evil gleam in his eye and red tack that seemed to suit him, symbolically. AS Cardinal Blaze, his saddle pad read. Sabrina had heard about this horse. He was wicked fast, unbeaten, and didn't play nice. More than one horse had gone down on the track due to this stallion, and the Jockey League was apparently hearing nobody's pleas to ban him. Suddenly her focus turned from winning to just keeping Dante safe near this colt. Of course, if they could win as well, that would be ideal.

She got him successfully loaded into the gate (her struggle provided plenty of fuel for the giggling commentators) and did her best just to stay on top of her mount, who was doing his best attempt at a jig. Finally the bell rang, the gates sprung open, and Dante did what he was born to do - he ran. He shot out of the gate like someone had lit a fire under his tail. And someone had - the black stallion was on their left, stampeding beside him. A bay filly on his other side, wearing the same silks, was also giving him a run for his money, but the stallion seemed focused on Dante. Adrenaline flooded Sabrina's veins. This would be a good match! She saw a fire in Dante's stride that she hadn't seen since his first race. They thundered down the turf track, side by side, nosing ahead of each other. It was a faceoff that was going to come down to a photo finish.

Word Count: 513

---

Reference: Racehorse Stock 116