Tri Star - by Krystle Yanagihara

The sun beat down heavily on the sprawling acres of Vishtaspa Stables. A red-haired woman had eyes for only horse, the aged bay stallion who awaited her presence eagerly at the far paddock. Brianna McKenzie let out a broad smile, and rubbed her hand over the three-pointed star between his eyes, a rush of emotions bubbling to the surface.

Tri Star, as he was named, always had a special place in her heart. She had picked him up for a mere $10,000, quite a bargain for what he would later accomplish. Although he was small, 15.1 hands to be exact, that never stopped him, as the son of Crypto Star out of the mare, Waltzing Star, consistently outran his stature, to great success.

His young age and low price were the main draws to his purchase, and Brianna was glad she did. Tri Star would bring her some of the biggest thrills in racing the world had to offer, and an epic rivalry that would last in the minds of race goers for decades.

Breaking out into a smile, she could feel the old memories bubble to the surface, and gladly loss herself in them...

-

Her hands clutched the racing program she held, her eyes tracked on the young bay colt working his way up the track. It was almost post time, and this would be the debut of her promising prospect. The race was short, only five furlongs, and would be an indication of his racing ability.

In a dash, it was over. Tri Star had broken smoothly from the gate, taking up a position near the middle of the pack. As they rounded the far turn he had made his move, charging up the stretch with his strides, only to fall short by just the slimmest of margins. It was an excellent start, and she had no doubt he would break through with his elusive first victory in his next start.

Her unwavering faith in him was rewarded, as he easily captured his maiden race a short time later. Brianna received him with a broad smile on her face, a hand on the colt's muscled neck. With such a dominating victory, she thought the colt merited a shot at the big leagues, and for his next start she entered him in the In Reality Stakes. It was much longer than any distance he had covered, a mile, but she had full confidence that he would be able to perform just as well.

The bay colt left no doubt in anyone's mind, as he strode home easily under the hot Florida sun. Brianna was overjoyed and thought it was time to take him up north to contest the major two-year-old stakes to see how he would fare against the top of his division.

After a short rest, he was entered into the Futurity Stakes, where he was slated to face rising star Onwardsilvercharm, who had had won his last two, including a stakes. Tri Star was eager for the competition, his ears pricked in the direction of the other horses. He strode into the gate like a seasoned professional, without fuss and in a collected manner. The gates clanged on the last horse, and they were off!

Tri Star took his normal position, near the middle of the pack. He was free and out of trouble, before making a run at the leaders around the far turn. It seemed he was headed for another victory, but today was not his day as the race favorite, Onwardsilvercharm, surged forward past him, along with another, Graduation Year. The bay colt wouldn't give up as he tried hard till the line, finally finishing a game third.

It was then that despite his good effort, Brianna decided to shelve him for the rest of the year, and start him off fresh. Over the winter, the diminutive bay colt matured, and it was great anticipation that she entered him in the Gotham Stakes to start off his three-year-old year.

The race was never in doubt as the heavy favorite stalked the front runners, moving towards them in a rush as they rounded the final turn. Tri Star flashed under the wire, the easiest of winners. As like everyone who had a good three-year-old at this time of year, Brianna began to have visions of roses, and quickly entered her colt back in the Lexington Stakes.

Among the entrants, a familiar face had appeared, Graduation Year, the colt who had beaten out Tri Star for second in the Futurity Stakes last year. Although the race was his longest yet, a sixteenth farther than he had ever gone, she was confident that her horse would perform to expectations.

But it was not to be, as the result was almost an exact replica of the year before. Graduation Year sailed home in front, with Tri Star trying his best to keep up. A gallant effort that didn't disgrace him none, and it was on to the Derby, where the top colts would do battle for a shot at history.

Around the paddock, the bay colt couldn't have looked any better. His coat shone in the sun, and his three-pointed star stood out on his forehead. Tri Star was in perfect condition, and it was only the reassuring faith that she had in her colt, was Brianna able to calm the growing butterflies in her stomach.

She started to break out in cold sweat as the call for the post rang out. The roar of the crowd was immense and Brianna could hardly contain herself. As the chorus of voices sang along with the traditional tune, she thought that if the race didn't start soon, she'd faint.

With a clang, the last horse was in. Brianna gripped her program, her eyes trained on her colt in his stall. A hush broke out over the crowd and the palpable tension in the air was charged with electricity. In two minutes the world would find out if a future star would make itself known or a proving ground for those who were merely players on a stage too large for them.

In one breathless moment the world stopped, as each movement stood out with heightened clarity. For one second, the eyes of the gods turned towards them, and then it happened. The gates clanged open and fifteen horses exploded out onto the track in front of them, the roar of the crowd immense.

The field raced through the opening quarter and spun into the backstretch, as Tri Star bided his time stalking the front runners. He didn't even stir when frantic horses jostled up beside him, his attention focused solely on his jockey and the race in front of him.

Brianna gritted her teeth as she leaned over the rail, glancing at the screen to check on his position. So far, so good, but if he's going to make any impact at all, he has to make his run now! As they began making the large turn into the homestretch, Tri Star burst forward, dashing across the track to challenge the frontrunners.

He's going to do it! He's going to do it! flashed across Brianna's mind, but that euphoria quickly evaporated as she saw her horse begin to falter, his strides shortening as he flattened out. The distance was just too much for him, and his other rivals easily swept on by, but game as he was, Tri Star refused to fade. He kept moving onwards despite his fatigue, and managed to come under the wire in sixth place. A respectable performance.

Brianna was devastated, but she knew he had a lot more great things to come, and gave him a brief rest after his ordeal. But, in the following races to come, he failed to break through with a win, and despite his respectable finishes, she knew that Tri Star just wasn't performing to his true potential. Upon the suggestion of another trainer, she brought him back down to the sprints, and it was there he had met his true calling.

It was his four-year-old year that brought him his acclaim. Tri Star, Mischief Maker, and Ready for Apremont - names that are forever written down in history as bringing the racing world some of its most epic battles they have yet to see since.

Mischief Maker was a beautiful gray son of Chilito, and the Adam Cochran trained colt had developed a reputation for being a speed demon. He would blaze his way out of the gate, and set blistering fractions, playing a masterful game of "catch me if you can" with his foes. Ready for Apremont, however, was a stone cold closer, and kept everyone on bated breath until the very end. It was a wonder that his trainer, Brandy Carter, managed to avoid having a heart attack, each and every time her horse race. If put in her position, Brianna thought for sure she would have admitted to the hospital countless times by now.

And finally, there was Tri Star, the horse who came in the middle. They were of varied backgrounds and each had their own specific way of doing things, resulting in spectacular finishes. Although, the three colts has all met previously during their three-year-old year when they attempted to contest the Kentucky Derby, but that wasn't a true indicator of their future rivalry, as it was at a distance far longer than the ones they excelled at.

There was a tab kept of who was victorious over the other, and it began with their first meeting. It was the speedy gray colt who strode under the wire first with his rivals close on his heels.

For their next race, all three horses were shipped overseas to contest the prestigious stakes race in Dubai, the Dubai Golden Shaheen. Brianna could barely keep her excitement in check, as she stared at the interesting sights that were presented to her. She felt quite similar to a tourist in a new and exotic location, that couldn't stop themselｆ from staring at each and every little thing that happened across her path.

Her handsome colt was in top condition, and he pranced eagerly throughout the parade in front of the stands. Under the soft floodlights of the Nad Al Sheba track, the horses loaded into the starting gate for a race down the long stretch towards the wire.

The gates sprang open and as usual, Mischief Maker assumed the early lead. Other horses came up to press the pace and force the gray colt to play his hand early, but their efforts were in vain, as he simply switched gears and drew ahead of them. As the race came to a close it was time for the closers to make their move, Tri Star and Ready for Apremont in particular. But just like their previous outing, they were just short and the Adam Cochran runner won once more.

It was a marvelous race and her horse had done her proud. After all, how could one be upset when the show spot garnered a $220,000 paycheck? Not her, that was for certain.

Tri Star was brought back stateside and met his familiar rivals once again. This time though, he was victorious, and people were eagerly looking forward for their next meeting. The racing world had come to expect the heated clashes between the three titans, and they were greatly appreciative of the oncoming rush of adrenaline that arose from their valiant battles down the lane.

Yet, that anticipated match-up would have to wait as Mischief Maker had chosen another race in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Sprint. But the race wasn't a lost as there was another familiar face entered as well, Ready for Apremont.

As expected, they were the competition to beat, so it was no surprise that the race came down to the two of them at the wire. Tri Star was able to capture victory with relative ease compared to the hard fought battles down the lane he had earlier with his missing rival. Badtz Maru completed the trifecta and preparations were set for the final stage, the race where the outcome would matter the most - the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

A parade of nine horses stepped out onto the track, the crowd a loud wave of built up tension as the pre-race excitement reached a fever pitch. This was it. The last chance for them to see their favorite racer before they would retire to the shed and expectations were high for an epic battle fitting for the final match-up. They would not be disappointed.

There was a brief moment of suspense as the field waited patiently in the gate, ears pricked forward in anticipation of what was to come. The doors sprang open and the horses burst out onto the track, the noise of the crowd a deafening roar.

As expected, the fleet-footed gray colt darted straight for the lead, a trail of followers behind him. Brianna left out a sigh of relief; her horse had found a comfortable spot to run in and seemed to be traveling well, as his strides were level and even. The same couldn't be said for Ready for Apremont, as he had stumbled shortly out of the gate and had paid the price for it, getting caught behind a wall of horses at the back of the pack.

The fractional times that lit up the board were blazing, and the crowd began to wonder if the race favorite would be able to hold up under such strain. But Mischief Maker showed no signs of fatigue as he continued to sprint up the track, his legs pounding the ground in relentless rhythm, as he began to head into the far turn.

A loud gasp arose from the crowd when a longshot, Really Honest, who had stuck close to Mischief Maker's torrid pace, challenged him for the lead. The black colt was determined, his ears pinned flat to his head, as he pushed towards the front. But the effort was just too great for him to overcome as he rapidly began to fade once they hit the top of the stretch.

Where was Tri Star? The pounding of her heart resounded painfully in her ears, as Brianna frantically scanned the field for him. There! He had to make his move now if he was going to have a shot at the end.

Just when she thought that things were turning out for the worse, Tri Star bounded forward, his legs reaching out in ground-eating strides. In a second he roared up alongside, and pushed Mischief Maker to his limits. She had hoped the fast pace had softened him up a bit, but the gray colt just kept finding more!

A loud thudding of hooves and frantic shouts announced the arrival of the last of the trio, Ready for Apremont. They flashed across the track three-abreast as they fought for the lead. Tri Star snorted, his ears laid flat to the back of his head, as horse and rider felt the space they had been running in become smaller and smaller. Shoulder to shoulder the rivals ran, and it was just her luck that Tri Star had to be caught up in the middle of them. The poor colt was jostled around as they pushed themselves to find that extra reserve to push them over the line.

There was just no room! Tri Star would become crushed if he didn't take up now! So, in a split second the rider pulled up on the reins as Mischief Maker plunged under the wire, a scant nose in front.

Concerned, Brianna raced down towards her horse, her red hair flying behind her. As she got there, she let out a sigh of relief; he was fine, albeit very tired. Tri Star gave her a throaty whicker, nudging her gently with his nose, as she caressed his sweaty neck. He seemed none the worse for wear, with the exception of his heaving sides, but that was normal after such a hard race.

Glancing at the tote board, Brianna saw that there had been an inquiry after the running of the race and she stood patiently, her nerves racing with adrenaline. Would the result be favorable to them? Shaking the thought away, she grabbed the reins of Tri Star and began walking him around in a circle in an effort to cool him down.

A roar rose from the crowd, which was quite the shock after waiting for ten minutes, as it felt much longer. Raising her head, Brianna glanced up at the board, and frowned. The results remained unchanged, the final order of finish made official.

It was hard not to keep her face from expressing her disappointment, because after all, she thought he deserved to be put up at least another spot. But then, he had run a hard race and how could one be upset after such a brilliant performance by the top three runners? She wasn't sure that such excitement could be topped any time soon, so with her head held high, she led her horse back towards the stables, ready for him to start a new life as a stallion...

-

Brianna shook her head, removing herself from the tide of memories that flowed around her. Tri Star nickered softly, and she smiled, softly patting the three-pointed star between his eyes.

Her storybook purchase had turned out to be a wonderful stallion in the shed too, siring 42 winners, and two Steward's Cup winners. But he was most successful as a broodmare sire, having been responsible for setting up the Villain, Sic Transit Gloria, Tycoon, and many other popular sprinting lines.

Up above, the clouds began to turn a dusky red, and she realized that it was time for the horses to be fed. Grabbing a lead shank, she quickly snapped it to his halter and led him towards the gate. Reaching out, she swung it open for her horse to pass through before closing it gently behind him.

Patting his neck, Brianna smiled. Tri Star had been a wonderful racer for her, and his blood would always live on in his future sons and daughters to come.