Arepas Racing Stables | Literate | Thread | OPEN

     "Oh uh thanks. You too." Diva said when it was time for Snow's race. Diva's was right after her's, and Hernando was getting her ready. She was anxious, and nervous since it was a few months since she raced. You may be different, but you were still born to race. She kept thinking in her head. Diva cheered her friend on before, during, and after her friend's race.

     Snow dashed out as fast as she could as soon as the gate opened. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a chestnut stallion nose-to-nose with her, but she paid no attention and focused only on herself. For the final stretch, she put on a burst of speed and came first with the chestnut stallion a close second. Snow congratulated the racers as she trotted by. 

     "Good job Snow! You won your first race!" Diva exclaimed as Hernando got on top of her. Charlotte led the two to the track, and gave the reins to another rider. In this race, Diva definitely did not have the best odds of winning. Nobody thought she would because of the accident, but she was going to show them. She could hear the announcer announce her race name, Grey Phantom, and Hernando Garcia. She was a bit agitated when she heard him call out what had happened to her these past few months. The accident and her old owner who was hopefully still in jail. 
     A handler grabbed Diva's reins, and put her in the second to last starting gate number 9. She focused blocking out any distractions as the gates opened. She had a bad start, and was at the clear back of the pack. So far, the race wasn't going so well.

     Snow trotted to the fence happily. She thanked Diva and wished her luck with her own race. Her rider dismounted her and tied her to the fence, which she neighed her complaints about. Her rider apologized and said she couldn't let Snow walk around before she was taken away by one of the stable hands. At least I can still see Diva from here, she thought as she turned to look at the ongoing race. Diva doesn't seem to be doing very well but I know she can do this, she just needs to focus. 

     Diva tried to focus on the thundering of her hooves against the dirt track. She focused ahead as they were heading for the final turn. She was still near the back of the pack, and when Hernando commanded after the turn, they went full speed ahead. One horse, 2 horses, 3 horses, and counting. They passed one by one from the outside as the finish line grew closer and closer. Diva gave it all she got as she crossed the line first by a nose. She did it! She proved to everyone that she still had what it took! The beginning may have been bad, but they pulled in the end. 
     As she walked by those she raced she walked tall and proud. She may be different, way different, but she was still a Thoroughbred through and through. Her scar gave her strength, and it kept her to believe and focus. She was on the right path. Everything she fought through had come for this moment. Nothing was going to stop her, not now, not again, not ever.

     Snow neighed loudly and tugged at the rope tying her to the fence. She wanted nothing more than to run up to Diva and congratulate her, and she wasn't going to let a fence get in her way. She tried nibbling at the rope and when that didn't work, she resulted to force again. Although she wasn't the strongest, nor the biggest horse, it was enough to untie the rope from the fence. Ha, trying to keep me still and she can't even tie the rope correctly, she thought as she trotted over to Diva triumphantly, pushing her way through the crowd of horses and people. "Diva, I knew you could do it!" She shouted loudly once she reached the mare. "That was so cool. I didn't doubt you, even when you started off bad. You've been working ahrd and you really pushed through. Proud of you for that."

     Diva was getting a bit agitated when a crowd of people and horses surrounded both her, and her rider. All the flashy lights was starting to blind her a bit. She looked up noticing some of the people were moving out of way. "Snow? Please tell me you didn't catch one of Vinn's tricks?" she said surprised and and chuckled a bit. "Thanks Snow. It was definitely harder this time since they've been racing far longer than I have. I honestly don't know how I won."
     Once Hernando had enough, he unmounted Diva, and grabbed her reins. He grabbed Snow as well, and led them out of the crowd even though they followed them a bit. "I'm about to give up some taste of their own medicine," Diva said about to live up to her name.

     "Ooooh, is the Diva doing to do something out of place" Snow teased as she glanced behind her at the smaller crowd following them, careful not to trip as she continued walking. "This should be good" She muttered, coming to a halt and turning to face the crowd. "Do your stuff, Diva" She nodded, taking a few steps back. 

     Diva was clearly not like the other racers, so why act like em'? She glanced at Snow with a smirk, and turned around pulling her reins out of Hernando's hands. She walked to one of the people in the front of the crowd who appeared to be a woman. "Don't these people know not to go behind a horse?" she said before she grabbed the woman's camera. She turned back around still holding it in her mouth, and dropped it before she walked past a mud pile. "Oops. My bad." she said with a snort as well as giving a sassy tail swish to the woman behind her. Diva trotted back up to her rider, and Snow walking with them not having to have Hernando hold her to have her follow.

     Snow snickered as she turned around to keep walking alongside Diva. "Okay, okay, not bad. Watch this" she pulled the reins out of Hernando's hands and walked towards one of the women at the front. She smiled at Snow and snapped pictures. Snow posed for all of them and then lowered her head, letting the woman pet her. Grinning wildly, Snow stomped the woman's foot with her hoof. She snorted in amusement as the woman tried lifting the mare's hoof off her own foot. Finally, when the woman got so mad she begun to shout curses at Snow, she lifted her hoof up and trotted back to Hernando. "Everyone hates getting stepped on by horse's hoof" She threw her head to the side in a sassy manner. 

     Diva turned around to watch. "So your a horse model now?" she chuckled watching. "True true. Haven't lived up to my name since I met you and Vinn." she said looking at Snow. Diva realized Vinn was back, and she didn't realize it when she was talking to Vinn earlier. "Wait when did Vinn get back?" she asked feeling a bit foolish she didn't even realize.

Vinn
Vinn, still on the loose, decided it best to go up and congratulate the new 1st placers. “Well, well, well, what have we here? Two hotshot fillies proud of a fluke is what I see.” Vinn said in a snobby horse mockery and laughed, then congratulated them for real. “Nice runs, Snow had them the whole race. I didn’t doubt you for a second.” Vinn lowered her voice, acting as if Diva wasn’t right there. “On the other hand- I had a lot of doubts about Diva.” Vinn laughed again and congratulated Diva for real. “You did good.” Vinn nodded her approval and continued. “I’ll have to tell you about my race later- for now, it can wait.” Vinn snapped her head up to the angry groom that was thumping his way to grab Vinn, and Vinn shouted, “Gotta go!” And took off around the middle of the track. Vinn snorted happily, and attracted the attention of a few other foolish men trying to catch her- thinking she was some wild bronco or something. “Pfft, I could take you all on a Sunday morning with my eyes closed.” Vinn took off again, towards the pond this time, and barreled right past the men. “Ought to show those lowlifes.”

     "Yeah yeah," Diva smirked, "Actually Vinn today is also my birthday. Welcome back by the way, and thanks. It was harder on that one, I honestly don't know how I won. They are more experienced than me." she said still proud of herself. As Vinn ran off she could only imagine what her rider was thinking. Why are all of em' fillies getting loose? This is not the day for that. He thought. Charlotte took Diva, and untacked her giving her a good grooming.
     Charlotte put Diva in the pasture once finished. All the racehorses who were there were also staying for the next couple of days. Apparently there was 3 days of racing, and this was the first. Diva heard Charlotte say it, and she immediately had one goal. Show them. Show them it wasn't a fluke, and that she had what it took to win. Because today was not a fluke, it was the start of something great.

Vinn
Vinn had had her rest day, and the next two days would be jam packed with races for her. Vinn was better at short tracks, and while she still performed very well in long stretches she excelled in short ones. So, Vinn would be competing 3 times tomorrow, as tomorrow was the short distances day. Vinn was delighted, because she knew she did well with short sprints. Vinn was ready to protect her undefeated streak, and take 3 more wins in the process. The only thing that stood between her and the finish line was a few other horses- and Vinn had no doubt she’d leave them in her dust. 

     Diva had another two races the next day according to Charlotte. How did I not know about any of this? She thought. So, she relaxed and grazed in the pasture. She needed all of her strength and energy for the next couple of days. Apparently there was a race only for those who did the best in all three days. Diva had to be one of those few. She had to show them what she was capable of. Some of the other visiting Thoroughbreds had started to respect her, and left her alone. This was her home, and she did have an advantage. The advantage of home turf.