The Race Begins,to the Top

[TX Rebel Belle]

Chapter 1 The Race Begins

June 21, 2007

Summer always seems to be the best couple months of the year. Lazy days that are warm and free of school, friends to hang out with. Mine i would say is bit different here at my parents racehorse farm Tall Oaks. Through it's not all boring. I finally get to ride my racer for the first time Morning Glory. I love that filly to death, i raised her becuase her mother died when she was just 2 weeks old. She's my favorite 2 year old filly this year, and my favorite colt is Shameless Thunder. He's my moms pride and joy. I'll tell you a bit about him Diary. Thunder is out of a Man O' War stallion and our own mare Jamin Slew who's out of (Settle Slew). She and thunder are both black, but Jamin has a white blaze while thunder doesn't have any white at all. I'm not sure about his Sire though, jamin was sent to the stud farm. Mom says if thunder does really good next year in his 3 year old season we might run him in the Triple Crown. How excited huh, our very own horse a triple crown contender! Glory is just started out since she was a late foal, that doesn't bother me though. She's going to her first race in about 3 weeks i think. I'll have to check the calender later. My little gray filly colored almost like Eight Belles...oops there's mom calling me to come on since Glory is ready. Till later tonight Diary


Cheyenne closed her book while calling to her mother "coming mom". Grabbing my boots after tugging my boots on i rushed down the stairs into the morning fog. I practically ran to our mile training oval track. "hay gurl"i said patting the filly before getting a leg up on her back.
"Alrighty Chey i want you to jog her out a mile then when you come back up to me. I'll have my hand up the minute i drop my hand break her into a breeze i want to get a time on her today." Rachel Ransome to her daughter.

"yes mam" i answered back to mom. Tighting up the reins on her, i nudged the filly on to the track. Getting over to the rail i rose up into a crouch over her withers and ask her for a jog. Glory went to the jog without a look back, other than the slight tug as she pulled a bit wanting to run. "easy babe, save it for the breeze this is just the warm up". I relaxed a bit more now over her as we came up to the end of the back stretch. I watched my mom for her signal. Seeing her drop her hand, i kneaded my hands along Glory's neck.

Glory flew forward into a full out gallop. I smiled as the wind rushed by, thuds from her hooves, and even breaths let out. It sounded like music to my ears. She was powerful, fast and strong, nerveless the filly new it. Standing up in the stirrups i pulled her down to a walk back up the track. My mom was smiling also.

"Great job Chey, she runs good with you. And clocked a great time for her. Run up to the house real quick and grab my binder so i wright it down while i get Thunder ready". I nodded to her and rushed to the house with thoughts running through my head. We had done great.

later that morning

Hay diary guess what, i rode her and we did awesome. I just can't believe it. Glory is so fast and strong. Mom's proud of me and her both. I can't wait till the race now. She'll smoke up the rest of the horses for sure. talk later gotta get the binder to mom.

Walking back down to the barn i looked out among the other horses milling around in the Kentucky bluegrass pastures. One of our 4 stallions happened to be out at the moment. Dixie Champion, our only stallion we have from down south. Well Texas anyway he's out of Dynaformer i believe. Something like that anyway. The chestnut stallion was the pride and joy of the farm. One of our first racer's and our first stallion. Walking up beside mom i gave her the book. Just as Thunder broke out into a even collected gallop. "He looks good mom, are you gonna just breeze him a bit?" i asked watching the black stallion start to lap the track almost.

"Yes, just a half mile. I don't want to work him out to hard before i send him to Churchill Downs for his Junvile race."she said answering. Clicking the stop watch as the exercise jockey let Thunder out full speed almost. The horse looked like he wasn't even touching the ground. The ground seemed to rumble as he pounded over the turf. The colt was like a blur almost. People who had seen him race said 'hay its another Curlin'. Even after the jockey had pulled him up,and headed him over the fence. He pranced tossing his head wanting to again.

I grabbed his his bridle to let the jockey off. While mom checked his legs for any warmness of some sort. "good boy thunder. you looked like a champ. Wait you always do."i said giving him a kiss on the nose. Thunder bobbed his head as the jockey said "he felt good Rachel. He wanted to keep going thats for sure." Cheyenne smiled as her mother nodded and laughed to what the jockey said. Leading Thunder forward i started to cool him out.
Wow today had been so busy for all of us. Mom got a call from a owner who wanted to her train a horse. And guess what it's a 1 year old filly out of a stallion from Storm Cat. Her names Gray Storm, through she''s really not gray. But a bay with some white. I can't wait to see her, she should be her in about a week or so. Anyway back to the farm, Thunder looked absolutely amazing today on the track. He clocked 43 seconds for a quarter of a mile. That's really fast for a 2 year old. I'm not sure what the half mile time was though. There's mom calling for dinner. catch yah later dairy.

[TX Rebel Belle]

Chapter 2 Shipped

July 8, 2007

Well were leaving today for Churchill Downs track for Thunder and Glory's race. Mom decided to do her maiden race there with Thunder. I'm excited my favorite jockey is riding her. Jilly Marcus, she may be a girl jockey but boy she can ride! I think her and Glory should do great together in her race. Mike Smith his riding Thunder in his. Mike is top jockey, mom says were lucky we got him to ride thunder. Even through thunder's a handful when the bell rings and guy says 'and away they go' he just wants to run full blast. Just like Jamin did ha ha. I'm flying up here with mom while dad,Jilly, and my big brother are already at the track. Mom wanted to leave later for something I'm not for sure yet. She may be buying a new horse who knows! Well were about to land Dairy so ill tell you how the track is after i get back. Till later.

Looking down at the airport i wondered how Glory was doing. I missed her so much at the farm. Scarlet - glory's half sister- was my job while Glory was gone. Scarlet was a broodmare now and was expecting her first foal in about a month. She was bred to Champion, i was excited to see what the foal would look like. Chestnut like him or bay like Scarlet. Would it have white on it like both parents? I bounced lightly as the plane touched down. I was ready to be at the track and see my girl and my family also. Sliding into our retail car i said, "mom what happens if Glory wins this race, is she going to race in Florida too?" i asked.

Rachel thought for a moment. "I'm not sure Chey, it depends if she comes out of the race ok. Not if she wins, remember she was a late foal, and racing against mares that has already race before not won. She'll have a challenge in front of her. But no doubt she'll do good if she's like her mother..."Rachel said dragging off. Glory's mother had been Rachel's little filly her parents had owned and raced. When the mare had gotten hurt she had taken care of her. From then on the two of them had been close. It had been a blow after the mare had passed away from compilation's after having Glory. The filly was her mother in every way other than the color she was.

Cheyenne nodded to what her mother was saying. "Thats true mom. I hope she wins, she had put in hard work from when we started working her on the track. She's got speed and knows it" i said with a smile. Remembering the first time the filly had gotten on the track. She fought through and through wanting to run. Looking up i saw the signs as we pulled into the Churchill downs backside were the barns were at. Bouncing out of the car i raced to our barn aisle was at.

"Glory" i said swinging my arms around the filly's warm neck. "I missed you so much girl" i said walking into her stall. The gray filly perked her ears forward to the voice she knew so while and nickered to me. I smiled grabbing a her grooming kit from the outside of her stall and started cleaning her up from the hay that was in her coat. Till the color came up the smokey gray that it was. Cheyenne's mother smiled seeing the two together. Making her remember Shining(Glory's Dam) at that very moment. It just seemed to be Shining standing back in her race stall, and Rachel grooming her.

Snaping a lead chain on Glory i lead her out to a empty place along the backside of the barns. The green grass was cut to profection pretty much. Plopping down under a tree i opened my book while i let Glory graze a bit and relax. The gray mare's coat gleamed with the sun hitting off of it. Glancing up about 20 mins. later she saw a exericse rider and trainer standing near by pointing at Glory. Then she heard what they were talking about.

"Thats the grey filly we'll be racing agaist. She's out of the mare Shinning and last foal out of her also. I'd have to say though, she's got the best confomation out of a much of horses i'v seen here." the trainer had said. The exericise jockey nodded,"yes sir, thats true. Tall Oaks is the farm were she's from. Along with that black colt Shamless Thunder. The superstar 2 year old colt this year. From what i'v heard the owner is wating to run him in the Triple next year if he does good."

" Yes, if he does good. Come on Carson, we have some horses that need worken" the trainer answered back. The jockey nodded and headed off. Looking at the horse once more and noticing the girl also looking up. Giving her a light wave he followed the trainer infront of him.

That Night

Dear Dairy hello again. Today was much fun. After getting to the barn. I love the smell of it. Hay,horses,leather and everything. It's just refreshing after being in that suck up plane for 3 hours. Trust you don't want to ever ride a plane. To crowd and people just shove you around. Once getting the track it was like getting back to normal again. I literally ran to Glory's stall when she saw me and whinnied. I noticed just how much i really did miss her. I didn't get to see her work out this morning since we didn't fly in till the afternoon. But i did get to a watch one of the races. There one horse named UMightBeARedNeck. Odd name huh. After that race i stayed with Glory mostly. I let her walk around and graze on the end of her lead rope while i was readying some. She seemed to like the outting a bit. A trainer and ex. jockey also showed up and started talking about Glory and Thunder also. I wonder if there watching thunder's race tomorrow. oh well, aleast they were speaking of Tall Oaks nicely. Whew I'm tired, i gotta get up at 5:30 to help with Thunder since his' race is tomorrow. good-night Diary

I closed my small book with the racing Throurghbred across the front of book. It was time to catch up on sleep since i had a big day tomorrow with Thunder racing that after noon. Mom told me i better get ready for bed if i want to be at the track bright and early in the morning to help with Thunder. Then after his work out clean up him and chill till the race. Sliding the book into the bag i walked over to my bed in the hotel room with mom. Dad and Wesley my brother shared the next room. Clicking off the lights i slid under the warm blankets and fell alseep. Dreaming about Glory and Thunder winning the Kentucky Derby.

[TX Rebel Belle]

i know. i was gonna go through it with spell check in a few. i was in a hurry lol. but thanks.