Top Jockey
By Syrinx
Disclaimer: All rights to the Thoroughbred series belong to Joanna Campbell and Harper Collins.
Summary: Her Kentucky Derby horse has arrived, but with him comes unwelcome ghosts of Cindy's past. As the big day draws closer, Cindy comes nearer to those that drove her away and to the memories that haunt her. Sequel to The One Who Remembers. Cindy/OC.

"The One"

Belmont Park was shrouded over with a thick mist as Cindy McLean drove her expensive black Mercedes through the gates and parked by Lucas Simm's barns. She killed the purring engine and leaned back in the car, stretching and running her hands over the tan leather seats. She had had a long night out on the town, taking her friend Jessica to a club for her twenty-seventh birthday. Cindy had insisted on getting back by midnight, since she had to get up at five the next morning to take a look at Mr. Simm's newest charge.

Cindy pushed open the door and stepped out, smoothing over her jeans with her worn hands, and reached back inside to grab her crop, hard hat, and chaps. She slammed the door closed and locked it, smiling at the gleaming luxury car. It was her newest toy since she had won the Malibu Stakes a few weeks ago.

"Cindy!" Lucas Simm called, walking out of the barn and toward her car. Cindy turned, catching sight of the stocky trainer, his mousy brown hair ruffled by the wind. "Good to see you back at Belmont. I heard about your win in the Malibu. Congrats."

"Thanks," Cindy smiled, walking up and shaking Lucas' hand in greeting. "It was a piece of cake. That colt has a special spark in him."

"Brushed Black is on his way to being a champion in the sprints," Lucas said, nodding his head in agreement. "You think you've got a deal worked out with his trainer?"

"My agent will be the first one he calls, if they don't retire the colt this year," Cindy laughed, walking into the barn and setting down her things on the stool next to Lucas' office.

"You've really risen in the ranks since you first came here," Lucas said, shaking his head. "I remember when you were barely twenty-one when I took you under my wing."

"And what a swan she's become," laughed Micky, the exercise rider for most of Lucas' string. He walked up behind Cindy and flipped her long blond ponytail up, grinning at the young jockey.

"Hey," Cindy said, pushing him. "I don't see you turning into a swan."

"Oh, that was a low blow," Micky groaned, grabbing his stomach as if Cindy had hit him. It was true enough. Cindy arrived at Belmont Park a year after setting out on her own.

That year had been disastrous. Even as the Dubai World Cup winner, she couldn't get rides. Everyone had thought she had won solely because she had ridden Wonder's Champion, the Triple Crown winner.

Depressed and nearly broke, she headed out to New York and became an exercise rider for Lucas. He saw the talent in her and got her riding half of his Belmont string only months later. Soon Cindy wound up winning the Acorn Stakes on Bosta, a long shot in her first grade one stakes. That race catapulted Cindy to the top and she had stayed there.

Cindy smiled at Lucas, who was almost ten years her senior. She owed him so much.

"Well let's get going," Lucas said, walking down the barn aisle. "I want to show you the new colt you'll be riding. Champion material, I'm telling you."

Lucas brought Cindy to a stop in front of a young red chestnut colt. The chestnut was tearing at the hay net, back turned to them both. Lucas clucked to the colt and the young horse turned his head over his shoulder, glancing at them oddly. Cindy laughed.

"He's a beauty!" She exclaimed as the colt abandoned his hay net for a little attention. Cindy ran her hand over the colt's crooked white stripe that ran down his forehead and looked down at his correct legs, each hoof covered in a white sock.

"His pedigree is even better," Lucas added, reaching in and patting the colt's magnificently arched neck. "He's by Red Army and out of Shining."

"What?" Cindy asked, astonished. "You said Shining?"

"That's right," Lucas said. "Townsend Pride filly, half-sister of Ashleigh's Wonder."

"I know," Cindy said excitedly. "Shining was the first racehorse I ever rode."

Lucas rose an eyebrow and chuckled, shaking his head. "You Whitebrook kids. Always so advanced."

Cindy smiled, then got down to business. "Okay. Tell me all about him."

"He's a three-year-old," Lucas said, ticking points off on his fingers. "Born at Whitebrook Farm, he was sold at a yearling auction to Mr. John Dearhart and his wife Maggie. They sent him to a training center to get the basics done with and last week he was sent here after a nonexistent two-year-old season."

"Why no two-year-old season?" Cindy asked, looking in on the finely made colt. She just knew had he run early he probably would've clinched a championship. The two-year-old champion last year didn't look anything like him.

"The Dearharts don't believe in running their horses at two. Each one starts at three, and this one they have Triple Crown hopes for."

"The Triple Crown?" Cindy asked, grinning. She had only been on one Triple Crown prospect, even with all her acclaim. Recently during the summers she went to England to ride in the big races and somehow when it came down to Triple Crown time the trainers overlooked her when she was in the country.

"Exactly," Lucas said, a smile spreading over his face. "Now, you know I trained his sire to a Kentucky Derby victory. Red Army was one of the best colts I had."

"Where are you going to start with this one?" Cindy asked, rubbing the colt's neck.

"With a light gallop," Lucas said, patting Cindy on the back. "Let's get his tack."

Cindy nodded and then turned around, watching Lucas walk eagerly down the aisle. "Hey, Lucas?" She called, letting the colt go back to his stall, munching on his hay. "What's his name?"

Lucas stopped and turned around. "The Dearharts named him Watchmaker."

Cindy raised an eyebrow and looked back in on the colt. "Watchmaker," she murmured under her breath. "I wonder what Samantha would've named you."

Cindy stopped and thought about her sister. Samantha McLean, now Samantha Nelson, had moved to Ireland and stayed there with her husband, Tor, for nearly twelve years. When she finally returned, she had a talent at riding jumpers and shared her husband's passion for the warm bloods. Cindy knew Samantha owned her own farm now with Tor. Not a racing farm, like Samantha previously would've dreamed, but a farm of jumpers and eventers.

Cindy unconsciously smiled, watching the sweet brown eyes of the colt. When Samantha had come back she and Tor stopped in New York and stayed with her for about two weeks. It had been just like old times. She wondered what Samantha would have done with Watchmaker, had she kept the beautiful red colt.

"He's got talent from both his parents," Micky said, walking up beside Cindy and running his hands through his cropped brown hair. "Red Army's looks for sure, and his running style. Hard hitting and explosive. But his temperament and raw speed come from Shining, I think."

"Shining was fast," Cindy said, looking over at the exercise rider. "She beat colts in some prestigious races."

"He's got stamina written all over him," Micky said, laughing to himself. "Honestly, this is the horse Lucas is most excited about. He's got that other Derby prospect at Aqueduct, Well's Station, but this one is going to be his baby."

Cindy nodded. "With looks and bloodlines like his I don't see why he wouldn't be Lucas' favorite."

"Okay, Cin," Lucas called, walking down the aisle with Watchmaker's equipment. "Let's get going."

Cindy sat straight and tall in Watchmaker's saddle, settled on the colt's back. The red chestnut colt snorted and stood firmly on the outside of the track, arching his neck and blowing, pawing at the soft dirt with one white hoof.

The colt's muscles quivered under Cindy. He pricked his ears at the breezing horses and whickered eagerly, shaking his red mane. Cindy felt like she was sitting on top of the world, the colt was so tall. She had ridden many champions in her time, but she was sure none of them held themselves as well as Watchmaker. Even March to Glory, her favorite horse at Whitebrook, wasn't this regal. And Wonder's Champion, the Triple Crown winner several years ago, wasn't this sure of himself just coming onto the track.

"Take him around once at a slow gallop. Take it nice and easy," Lucas said, standing at the rail. "He's a gentleman, so I wouldn't expect any hard handling out there."

Cindy nodded and buckled her hard hat on, then heeled Watchmaker out to the track. The chestnut picked up the trot easily, bouncing eagerly forward, chewing on the bit. Cindy quickly put him into a canter, as if sliding a manual transmission into third gear. The colt bounded forward and Cindy glided over him, not even feeling the rocking motion of the canter.

Watchmaker jerked his head down and up, trying to loosen Cindy's tight grip on the reins. Cindy knew better, and gripped harder, easing the colt into a gallop. Watchmaker lowered his head and strode forward, floating by the railing as he pounded into the far turn, working his way around the huge mile and a half track.

The colt was all business, Cindy was pleased to discover. Watchmaker galloped past nervous two-year-olds, merely flicking an ear at them, and by trouble making colts, rearing and dumping their riders. That sort of thing happened every day at the racetrack, and it had happened to Cindy more times than she could count.

Two horses sped by on the inside of them, their heads down low in a breeze. Watchmaker only huffed and went on at his pace, patiently waiting for Cindy's signal to slow or speed up. Once Cindy got him back to the gap she was awestricken.

"My God, Lucas!" Cindy exclaimed jumped down from the red colt's back and patting his neck. "You've got a real racehorse!"

"He did look good out there," Lucas commented, a smile of pride on his face as he glanced around, seeing other trainers taking an interest in the colt.

"Tell me what you're aiming him toward," Cindy demanded, leading the red colt off the track and stopping him by the older man.

"Well," Lucas crossed his arms and looked the colt over. "I was going to head him to the San Vicente at Santa Anita the first week in February, but we need to get a maiden race in before that."

Cindy nodded eagerly. "I'm waiting."

"Okay," Lucas nodded his head. "I've already got him entered in a mile maiden race two weeks from now at Aqueduct. He's got distance blood so I'm not worried about the mile."

"So, I should be going to Aqueduct in about a week?" Cindy asked, an impish smile crossing her face.

"You know you are, Cindy," Lucas shook his head, laughing. "I'm having you up on Watchmaker this entire year if everything goes well. No going to England this summer. I want you here for the Belmont, if he gets that far. The Triple Crown is what the owners want, and I'm not going to deny them anything."

Dave, one of Lucas' grooms, took Watchmaker's bridle and led the colt back to the barn, where he was due for a rinse and a rub down.

"What are you going to nickname him?" Cindy asked, watching the colt follow Dave to the barn.

"How about Red," Lucas said. "Simple, and I know more than one great horse that was called that."

Cindy nodded her head. Secretariat and Man O' War both were big red chestnuts with the same nickname -- Red. Cindy wanted to include Watchmaker in that category.

"I should call Samantha and tell her the news," Cindy said, looking out at the track. She had no more appointments today, since it was the off season for the track. No races were being held and she already knew who she was riding up at Aqueduct in a few weeks. The horses she usually rode at Belmont had exercise riders to work with them over the winter break.

"I should get back," Cindy replied, glancing at her watch. "I've got to call Rick so he'll book me for that maiden and the San Vicente."

Rick Langley was Cindy's agent, and was one of the best in the country. He handled many important jockeys and got them the best mounts in the most prestigious races. Because of Rick, Cindy had ridden in the Breeders' Cup Sprint last year and won. It was her third Breeder's Cup win. Cindy wanted to start handling her bookings herself, but Rick had helped bring her into the jockey's world, and she owed him for it, as she did Lucas.

"Okay, kid," Lucas said, walking Cindy out to her car, which he eyed speculatively. "A new one?" He asked, walking up and looking at it from all sides, huddling in his coat as the cold January wind picked up.

"Yeah," Cindy said, smiling as she unlocked the door and tossed her things on the passenger seat beside her.

"What happened to that Beamer you had a few months ago?" Lucas asked, raising an eyebrow at Cindy.

"I put it in storage," Cindy said. "I'm going to use this one for a little while."

"Okay, Miss Rags to Riches," Lucas laughed, shutting the door after Cindy got in. He waved to her and she pulled out of the parking spot, heading back to the gates and into New York traffic.