Repeated Fame

TEASER

The following is a chapter for the updated version of Repeated Fame.  I'm posting this as a teaser to hold you all over as I work on rewriting both books.

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The clouds opened and let loose the morning of that first Saturday in May, making it a drab and dreery one.  By the time of the walkover of the Derby, the rain was still coming down with a vengeance.  Pride was calm and collected, not giving a fuss.

"Now with the trainer of Storm's Pride and Important Fame," the NBC reporter from the day before said once arriving with Scott.  "Scott, this is your second Derby.  You won with Slicing Dagger in 2056, along with the Triple Crown.  Yesterday you got your first Kentucky Oaks winner.  Aside from that, how does it feel to be back?"

"It actually feels great to be here again, even though my horses are the longest shot on the board and the third choice."

"Do you think that Storm's Pride can carry on the legacy of his brother?  That seems to be the biggest question everybody has here for him in the Derby."

"Well, he's been training exceptionally well over the Churchill Downs track here, so I could see him carrying on his legacy, yes."

"Does the post position bother you any?  No horse has yet to win from post seventeen.  How does this affect his running?"

"It shouldn't.  He can pretty much run from any post, though he hasn't won since the American Pharoah Stakes, but I have good feelings about him from post seventeen, especially with the way he has been training."

"Now with Important Fame, the Florida Derby winner.  He's an accidental son of a Derby winner out of an Oaks winner.  How do you feel about him in the Derby?"

"I feel pretty good about him actually.  He's been training just as good as Pride, and his post shouldn't bother him."

"And finally, the track.  How do you think your horses will fair over it?"

"They've both ran over muddy tracks, so they should be fine.  Storm's Pride has actually ran though on a track very similar to this, maybe with a bit less rain, in his American Pharoah Stakes victory.  So I feel fine with both of them on this track."

"Well, good luck to you and your two colts."

"Thank you."

Then the NBC announcer walked towards Bode Baffert, trainer of the favorite, AlwaysADream.

Fame walked just in behind Pride with Scott near the middle of both of them.  He looked over the small, bay colt, shadow roll, nasal strip, four leg bandages and cotton in his ears all already equipped, taking in how collected the colt was.  He then looked behind him to his huge, dapple gray colt.  He looked stunning out there, four leg bandages, figure eight bridle and nasal strip equipped.  He was prancing through the sloppy track, taking in all of the Derby buzz.

Scott's two colts both looked great.

They finally arrived at the paddock, where each colt was equipped with their blinkers and saddled up.  There, they stayed in their paddock stalls until riders came out.  Once they did, Mike and Victor got their instructions, followed by the call for riders up.  Scott stayed at Pride's stall and boosted Victor into the saddle, as his assistant trainer boosted Mike into Fame's saddle.  He then headed to the owners box with Doug, Sara, Hope and Luis, arriving when the horses got onto the track at the sound of My Old Kentucky Home.

Sara watched as the black colt, Locomotive, went first.  He didn't scare her too much in the Derby.

The bay number two, American Psycho, went second.  The Arkansas Derby winner was looking good, and he did scare Sara.