The Paradise Stakes

Chapter 2: Trot To the Gates

Before I could enter him in any races I had to name him. I decided to name him Prince Shadow. As a foal he was always his mother's shadow and as a yearling he always followed me around. And keeping with the royalty theme he earned the title of Prince. I entered him in a small stakes race at Aqueduct. I trained him on how to run the 12 furlong race. It seems like a long race for a maiden race but, Prince loves to run and he loves to chase down the field. So I figured it would be a good challenge for him. I was unsure of where he liked to run so I was fine with any post position I drew. We ended up in post position 1. And we were picked as the 4/1 favorite. I hated being a favorite that meant that there was so much more pressure on me and the horse to win, because everyone bets on the favorite. I had faith that Prince could win but my fear was that if he didn't then I had no chance of a career as an owner. I suited up in my teal silks that was embellished with purple checkers. And I fitted Prince with his purple and teal checked blinkers. He loaded up quietly and didn't bobb or buck. When the gates opened he took off and sped for the head of the pack. I held him back so he had some horses to chase down in the home stretch. We settled into 4th on the outside. As we came to the final turn to home I let Prince have his head and he took off to chase down the leader who had a 2 length lead. Prince chased down the field and was slowly eating up the leader's lead. He passed him in the final few strides for home. Prince won by a head. Once again my horses and I had made the headlines. "The Son Of Famed Derby Winner, King Nothing Shows Champion Potential At The Aqueduct". We made the front page of the sports section in our local newspaper. After Prince won his first race I got a call from an old friend. I got a call from Randall, my dad's jockey. He and I had been good friends. The only human I could really trust with my feelings. He and I were about the same age, he was a year older than I was. He and I carried on a long conversation that evening. We agreed to meet up because he wanted to talk to me about working for me because my father's days as an owner were numbered. I agreed.
He and I sat down for a nice dinner and he asked if I needed a jockey. I politely declined his offer as a jockey but I did need a groom. I brought up the idea, and even though it wasn't ideal but he accepted because he needed a job and he prefers to stay with my family. He started work for me the next morning. King and Queen recognized Randall immediately. They were happy to see a familiar face besides my own. I told Randall to not worry about Prince Shadow. I told him that I would care for him. I was preparing him for the Santa Anita Handicap which meant I had to do some major exercise to be required weight for the race. Each morning paper sported Prince's picture along with his mother's photo finish from a couple years prior. I knew that we were going to be quick favorites. I knew that I was going to have to step up Prince's work outs to get him ready for the stiff competition this year offered. For post positions I drew position 3. When we trained I was impressed with Prince's speed, and his power as his long legs ate up the track as we pounded away down the rail. Randall was very impressed with my jockey skills and Prince's running. He and I grew close quickly. We became fast friends. And I soon had feelings that I couldn't explain. I supressed those feelings because I had more important things to focus on. On race day after Prince was tacked up and I was in my silks we trotted for the gates. When we stepped onto the track it was muddy from the rain that we had gotten earlier that morning. I wasn't sure how Prince would run. He had never ran on a sloppy track. He didn't seem to mind walking through it. When we got in the gates Prince was restless because his hooves were sinking in the mud under the 120lb Handicap plus his own weight. I got him to be calm but not in enough time. The gates opened and we shot forward and I was almost thrown. I regained my balance and we took of trailing the pack. Prince caught up in no time. We were moving up among the leaders in the back stretch. Prince had a three length lead by the time we came out of the final turn for home. Prince won with a 4 1/2 length lead. He had broken his mother's time and margin of winning record. Again the newspapers were strewn with Prince's and mine's photo finish. Our purple and teal checked silks barely covered with mud still shining against the dim gray sky.
**Prince Shadow's POV *
I noticed that my human seemed more stressed out during our last work outs before the Handicap. I wasn't sure exactly what had her mind in a haze but I was sure it had something to do with the new groom. Every time I saw my human I knew I wanted to do anything I could to please her. When we ran I ran with all my heart. I loved the thrill of running and chasing down a pack for a victory. I loved the feeling of the soft dirt of the track under my hooves as I pounded away down the track. I often look forward to my turn-outs with my mother and father. They gave me great advice for racing against the kin of their former competitors. I was always taught to be kind and loving to our humans. My human had a profound love for me and my parents. In my young lifetime I had seen some horses in terrible condition but we're still forced to race. I've seen them abused for losing races, and I've seen them drugged. I pity them. I see how they were once bright, and brilliant runners, now gone dull with poor care and training. Being a race horse can be rewarding under the right owners but it is very taxing and can be dangerous. On the day of the Handicap the groom came and tacked me up. My human came out in her racing uniform with my blinkers in hand. She fitted it around my bridle and she mounted up. I trotted to the track. When I stepped out onto the dirt I sank in mud. I obediently continued for the gates. In the gates I tried to focus on the track ahead but I was constantly changing positions because I was sinking. And I felt my human trying to calm me. I did stop moving but when I did the gates had opened and I had to gather myself beneath me and launch forward. As I launched forward I felt my rider pitch to the right and she almost fell. Once she was realigned I reached out and pulled the slop under me as I rallied to catch the pack. I caught the pack and was in 3rd by the first turn. I fought to keep my position and in the backstretch I found a break in the leaders and I took my opportunity. I surged forward into a 3 length lead. As I hit the wire I was alone with a 4 1/2 length lead. That night I was treated to a warm bath and rub down. And a couple sugar cubes were slipped my way after dinner. I basked in glory for that night and the next day my training started once more for the Kentucky Derby.
**Owner POV**
Since my horses were becoming famous I decided to take another mare under my wing to be a broodmare. I had planned to run Prince in the Derby but I decided not to. I decided to pull him from races for a while to breed him. My new broodmare was named Lady Dread. She was a 3 year old dapple gray. She had a good racing career in small time races. She had a feisty temper. But she had good racing blood. I decided to breed her with Prince. The breeding was successful and Lady Dread was in foal. 4 months later Lady Dread gve birth to a healthy black dapple colt. I raced Prince a couple more times and he raced both with flawless victories. With a break in racing I spent time with my veterans, King Nothing and Killer Queen. They were still in prime racing shape and were still young spirited. Randall and I took them out for a trail ride and they enjoyed being ridden again. On that night I once again felt unignorable feelings. I knew that I was falling in love with Randall. But I knew that I was too busy for a committed relationship. But I couldn't fight the feelings.
**Randall's POV**
With the arrival of the new foal I had more work ahead of me. I enjoyed spending time with the horses. I just wished Penelope wouldn't work herself so hard. I wished I could tell her how much I loved her, but I couldn't, I was too afraid. On the night of the trail ride Penelope and I realized our feelings for each other but neither of us acted upon it. I knew I would have to tell her eventually. I missed getting to ride in races but I didn't miss risking my neck. I enjoyed watching the races from the stands. With the break in racing Penelope and I spent more time together and even though most of the time was spent with the new foal but I did get time with her. A couple weeks later I eventually confessed my love for her. She did admit that she loved me. We both understood that it would be hard for a relationship to work because of her schedule. We worked out a time for dating though. It was demeaning but our love was the big scandal in the horse racing world. Big tabloids sported our picture with the headlines of "Big Shot Owner In Love With Her Groom" I didn't see what the big deal was. Yeah she was a big time owner and I was considered the lowly stable boy but love can be found in any place with any combination of personalities and status. We ignored the tabloids and soon enough it was time for Penelope to return to work training.
**Jenny's POV**
With the colt turning a year it was time to get back to work. He loved to run, much like his sire, and grandsire. He was a sweet tempered horse off the track, but on the track he was like his dam, he was feisty. He had a bad temper. I decided to name him Jekyll And Hyde. Much like the fictional Victorian scientist he had a night and day difference in personality on and off the track. He was different from his family. He hated being in the gates and he would fidget and fight me. I feared for Hyde's racing career.