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Daybreak In New Jersey - Part 3

Original article written by The Steward posted 15 years 0 weeks ago

Eric Nalbone legitimately felt as if he had 11 shots to win Steward’s Cup races.

Looking down his pristine shedrow, with polished leather halters hanging perfectly straight from hooks on freshly painted white doors, not a single piece of hay out of place, Eric mused that perhaps his stable was some sort of equine kingdom.

Big fans hung securely from the ceiling outside the stall doors, and the contented Thoroughbreds who had finished their morning training rested their heads over the stall webbing and inhaled the breeze. The tiny, undefeated black filly Rapt looked peaceful in the first stall, a far cry from the aggressive chestnut colt Take the Fall who nipped and bit at the webbing, his ears flat against his head.

The most expensive horse to live inside Eric’s stable was in the third stall. A webcam was mounted in the corner of the stall so that Eric could watch the filly constantly from his office. Her name, Theonethatgotaway, was completely opposite of how her entire life would end up. With constant security and cameras, she would never get away.

An $18.5 million purchase by Laura Ferguson, who recognized that dirt routing fillies weren’t her strong point (although it is difficult to argue that Ferguson had ANY weak points in her barn, as immaculately groomed and presented as Eric’s), traded Eric for an expensive turf routing filly (decisively not Eric’s strong point!). As broodmares, the two fillies would return to their respective owners, but as racehorses, they were earning money for the ultimate rivals of the sport.

The other side of Eric’s barn was quite a bit messier and less welcoming than Eric’s. Dave Shields’ nine Steward’s Cup entrants were tacked and waiting for their sleep-loving trainer to arrive at the barn with only fifteen minutes to go until the break. Most, a gorgeous dapple-gray colt with a pedigree worth millions was circling the barn, the purple saddle cloth highlighted nicely by Most’s coat. Upon each turn of the shedrow, Scream City, a ruthless dark bay sprinter, would lunge at the webbing and gnash his teeth and lips together, ears pinned. The gentle filly Where would stretch her nose out as far as possible to bump against Most’s flank. The two were immediately related: Where’s dam Now was the dam of Most’s dam Wonder.

Dave stumbled into the barn, blearily adjusting his glasses, right at 8 am. Eric was standing just outside his office door, making marks on his clipboard and organizing Thursday’s set list.

“I’m getting you an alarm for Christmas,” Eric said, without looking up.

“It went off,” Dave promised. “It just took a while to get ready to get out the door.”

To fully wake up, Dave walked over to where the dazzling sprinter White Lightning was peering at him hopefully. She nuzzled his hands and he rubbed her nose, then hooked her to the stall wall to wait her turn for the track.

Dave followed Most to the track minutes before it was set to open. Eric followed behind with the last horse in his barn to go to the track, Unfathomed. The strange filly shocked the world by winning the Juvenile Fillies two years ago as a huge longshot. Since then, she tended to baffle Eric, running typical 3rds and 4ths and rarely winning. She came into the Distaff off the best year of her life, including two straight stakes wins (ironically named for horses Eric had trained).

The tractors rumbled and groaned around the Garden State track, churning the dirt and causing it to settle back down, dark and smooth.

**

Ash Halliwell sat quietly in the saddle, letting Black Night do whatever he wanted underneath her. Luckily, Black Night was extremely quiet and never gave her any fuss, unlike his rival Whip, who was bouncing and backing up despite urging from his rider to stand still. The two colts would be competing in the Juvenile Sprint on Saturday.

Chuck Whittingham, who trained Whip, grabbed the dancing colt’s bit and pulled him to a stop. As soon as Chuck relaxed and turned his back on the colt, Whip swung his hindquarters and collided with the shoulder of Bill Oelrich, who was standing on the ground holding the shank of Mikah, his two year old Filly Dash entrant.

Emily Shields and her pony waited at the gap, watching the tractors to roll off and out of the way. At 8:20 they finally did, and she swung back the fence and allowed the cavalry charge of horses and riders back on to the track.

Ryen Hanna’s Knightsbridge Road was one of the first horses to enter, followed closely by Black Night, Whip, Mikah, and then Malibu Charm for P.J. Anthony, a favorite on the backside of Midwest racetracks. Stephen Skaggs stood up in the clocker’s tower watching Blastoff motor down the stretch, having entered from the backstretch gap rather than the chute gap. Rob Kilbourn’s Star Power, a short and lanky Vindication colt, jogged along the outside rail, followed by Nikki Sherman’s gray filly Puccini.
Fleet Feet went to the paddock with Rose Hepburn, his trainer, riding the stable pony alongside him. A cluster of horses charged down the stretch at once, including Life Worth Living, Brianna McKenzie’s Classic hopeful. The solid older horse pulled up heading into the clubhouse turn and willingly slowed to a jog in time to turn off at the chute and start the walk home. An amicable sort, Life Worth Living was perhaps the best pedigreed horse on the grounds.

They came out together at 8:45, the lithe black four-year-old and his burly, aggressive younger stablemate. Atlantis and Sun Raider matched strides, causing the media paparazzi to snap photos like mad. A burly chestnut with a fiery personality, Sun Raider almost overshadowed his freakish, undefeated partner. The two were considered virtual locks to win their respective races, the Turf and the Classic, in an effort that would almost ensure trainer Emily Mitchell the title of Trainer of the Year.

Still, Emily Mitchell herself was a little apprehensive, sitting in the grandstand and watching her two best horses through binoculars. On the far side of the track, defending Classic champion Don’t Mess was warming up, preparing for his final workout. After a long few minutes of jogging, the handsome gray who boasted almost $5.5 million in earnings gave a quick and stout four furlong work, coasting under the wire in a hand ride. Emily Mitchell felt queasy with nerves.

Up in the press box, Bob Oliva felt the same. Watching Don’t Mess’s flawless gallop out did little to quiet his apprehensions. On the backstretch and breaking off separately were the “other” Classic three-year-olds, Derby winner Frisco Kid and the dazzling copper chestnut Looking for Light. Frisco Kid finished his gallop first so that both Emily Mitchell and Bob Oliva could study Looking for Light’s stride.
In all the excitement, they completely missed Midsummer Classic winner Artillery, who finished up his final workout just behind Looking for Light. As usual, Michelle Calderoni’s star sophomore would be ignored on his way to the Classic.


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