Disclaimer: I own nothing from Hidalgo. I only own Memory and any other made up horses I create. Storyline - Its 2004, or modern day. Its been many many years since Hidalgo has been around but now his great great great great, etc granddaughter reigns. But what? She was a famous rodeo horse kidnapped?
What is to happen to her?

Chapter 6

Al had promptly taken the papers to the jockey club. They had began training her as soon as possible. At first she didn't know what breeze meant for a horse and she still had some trouble distinguishing it. She was beginning to love to stretch out over the track even if it was in every which direction. Many onlookers,
mostly track rats watched the filly each day. They were awaiting for the filly to race among the other fillies.
Her first race was soon, but Frank's major question was the filly ready? Could she win against true Thoroughbreds? Well, why not? She was a barrel racing horse before she had come here. It was time to make some big money and leave Black to do the English shows. If the filly could win the races they could move to Europe as they had planned for years, but never found the horse to do it before.

"Al go breeze the filly. Do 15 furlongs and keep her running the whole time. I want this filly running at her top speed for the whole race next month. Al nodded and grabbed the fillies black leather halter. They would have to redye the filly soon just so her color wouldn't wear off just yet. Al grabbed the well groomed filly and put a racing saddle on her along with her new bridle. The reins long and hanging off her withers he led her to the track they established $400,000 later.

He lifted himself up onto Thieven and moved her to the track. She walked calmly though she was anxious to run. "Easy girl.. easy." He walked her into the track 20 feet and towards the rail. Once she got the breeze down she would run in time trials. Frank was planning on a time trial later the following week as it would be a whole month training. He finally leaned forward and the filly began to run. He pulled his crop on her once and she ran faster. He raised it again to urge her and really urge her twice around the track. She was fit enough for it. She got the idea quickly and he only had to raise the crop. She ran as fast as her legs and heart could go. No one was time clocking them. Quarter pole and she continued to run as fast as she could. Once towards the home stretch she began slowing down, but Al raised the crop and she ran again putting her heart into it.

She began sweating now as it was a warm April day. She hit the end of the backstretch and was trying to slow down again, Al didn't allow it and raised the crop again. She ran as fast as she could which was a medium gallop. She again went around the track and saved what was left of her energy for the backstretch where she knew she had to run. The backstretch came and before Al could raise the crop she ran as fast as she could possibly muster. Once past the pole she slid to a stop wether Al had cued it or not. Her legs shook and she could hardly breathe let alone stand. She lay down in the middle of the track,
matted with white sweat. She hadn't broken her wind, but was ever exhausted. Al waited a few moments while the track rats began yelling at him to put her down as she was dieing and useless now. After 10 minutes the filly stood and shook herself.

Al would have to talk to Frank about getting rid of the track rats on their property as he pet the filly who gave it her all. He led her to the barn where Frank was grooming Black. The stud began pawing as he saw the now bay filly. Frank smacked the stud on the neck and looked over towards the dirt covered sweaty filly.

"How'd she do?" Frank asked. Al shrugged and said, "She made the two laps around the track, the first run was all speed and the second was medium and she gave it her all around the backstretch, but she stopped right after the race would be over and she lay down for ten minutes. I think she will be fine.
Theres some time trials I know you wanted to try her in and I think she would do great. Then we can put her in a maiden race and if she wins to an allowance. The Santa Anita is in 3 months. She can handle the distance and maybe she could be the next triple crown winner, the youngest to enter as well and possibly the only filly. In the Santa Anita we will run her against the colts and I've nominated her for the breeders cup in 2 months."

Frank nodded and let Al tend to the filly. He removed her saddle and washed her, he brushed her until she was almost dry and he put in show sheen. He brushed her until she was shiny enough to pass for a show horse.

Each day they breezed her at a slow gallop. Al would test her strength and heart on her time trial in the following two days. They stopped working her that day so she could have a break for the next two days.
The two days consisted of her eating as much grain as her stomache could handle as well as alfalfa hay.
Frank wanted the filly full of energy and spunk. If she could run 2 laps around the track which was well over 12 furlongs at almost a full gallop the whole way who knows what the filly could do when she had more energy in her system than usual. Though it was only a time trial he wanted to see how she performed with tons of energy.

Frank ordered Al to groom the filly for 10 minutes every hour. He had to make sure all dirt was free of her coat and he had her redyed as the red was beginning to fade into her buckskin yellow color. She now was back to blood bay and they added a black spray brush to her legs and mane to make them darker than ever. She was a picture perfect bay, her muscles rippled as she moved. Her eye calm, her mane long and they bothored to not even cut it. It ran past her neck now and her tail to the ground. They did clip the tail so it was at her pasterns so she wouldn't trip over it as she walked.

The day finally came and everyone was excited to watch her perform. Al was to be her jockey and Frank knew he knew the filly as well as he did.

They had exercised her in the morning to loosen her muscles. Al even stretched out her legs, back and neck. She pawed and reared every once in a while in excitement. It wasn't to busy at the track they were at, which was Finales Best Track in New York.

Al had the filly saddled, rebrushed down, checked her shoes and now was on post parade. The filly walked as Al kept her on the loose rein and sat in her saddle firmly. Charity was leading the filly on a palomino quarter horse gelding they used for leading young horses, the horse used to be a reining champion until they "bought" him as well. Though he now had a blaze and white socks with a pure white mane and tail. Charity unclipped the lead rope they had clasped to the bridle and let Al trot the filly to the gates. The filly had a long fast trot and Al decided to let her lope on over. She slow loped to the gates and slid to a stop once reaching the gates. She was led in by the gate officials in box number 3. A good draw for the horse though it didn't matter as long as she broke well.

All horses loaded and she was against 10 in the time trials. It was a mile and a half long, a good tough run for the horses. The filly listened for the outside men and for the hands on the releasing bar. She heard it and a moment later the gates opened, she was ready and broke well. She stayed in the middle of the pack despite Al wanting her to be in the lead. She ignored the crop as she did know best. The quarter pole came and she was at 5th place at the moment, the half mile pole, she was now running 6th. As the 2nd turn past and the backstretch a whole new gear came on. Onlookers watched as the filly went from a medium gallop to this sudden speed queen. She passed each horse within lengths and was now running 12 lengths ahead the lead horse, a gray 3 year old filly, the race was over and the filly had beat the track record for the mile and a half. Frank and Cherity were in awe at the filly. She wasn't even breathing as she walked over towards them.

"Frank, I think this filly will do great in her maiden race." Al said. Frank nodded and pet the filly. He knew she would bring even greater things toward them in her career as a racehorse. She may have been older than 2, but compared to a thoroughbred she looked two years old. The officials never checked her teeth as long as she had the under lip tattoo thats all they cared about.

Long after the race Frank, Al, Cherity and any others involved in Memories upbringing celebrated on her success. "Frank, this horse is worth millions if she wins the Triple Crown... Hell, shes already good at barrel racing,
show jumping, decent at dressage and excells in flat racing... This horse is a true all around." Al said.
Frank nodded and walked to the stall of Thievens... "Yea, well I think a colt out of her and black would be nice or a colt out of an english derby winner or something would be nice. We could sell the foal off as a thoroughbred that will probably excel at racing... as long as its not that buckskin coloring we're okay."

The others nodded in agreeance, but first they had to give the 4 year old a chance to get her triple crown winnings which would be $3,000,000 for the thieves.

The following morning Frank woke up and told Al to breeze the filly twice around the track. There would be no breaks for the filly inbetween then and the triple crown. He would work her harder than any Thoroughbred knew how to work. The filly did the 3 mile runs just fine and soon enough her breathing was normal to it. Frank had Al make her flat run the 3 miles soon enough.

Frank had also changed his mind on the maiden race. The race he selected was a cheap purse, there was another maiden race just up state new york where thoroughbreds with excellent blood lines would contend for a $50,000 maiden purse if they won. Frank could use the money and pay off any debts he had as well as get newer tack for all his horses. Cherity had been riding Black in the same saddle for the 2 years they had him for and she could use a top saddle now and maybe a nicer horse than Black even if he was a $200,000 horse.

Thieven was entered though her Thoroughbred name was Mr. Secretariats Honor, they kept her barn name Thieven. When the press asked about her barn name they claimed its cause she stole their breath away along with their hearts each time they looked at her, though unrevealed to anyone it was her name as she was the best performing horse they ever stole and they were thieves after all.

She was exercised and checked as Al always did, her coat a blood bay, her points black as a shadow in the middle of summer in Egypt. She was splendid to look at, she had it all presence, heart, willingness,
and conformation. She was big boned, tall and everything a man could ask for in his perfect horse.

The press often said she was just a filly just running with the boys. Maybe she'd set the pace as she did look like a speed horse, they just had no idea. She had her week diet of grain and alfalfa so her spirits were up. She did their paddock parade, Al was now putting on her saddle and bridle. They drew box 12 this time. He didn't know if it was bad for her to start out so far, but he knew she had the endurance and speed to win.

They were doing their post parades, the crowd scanning each horses conformation and tempermant. The filly was moving fast in her trot and he kept her at a trot towards the gates. They loaded up, colts banging their heads against the padded sides, others pawing, one even dared rear. She couldn't listen for the movement of the bar. The gate opened and she stalled for a moment, but then she was off.

She started late and already the horses were 120 feet ahead of her. She did two large strides and ran as fast as she could after them. The announcer began to say how the filly was determined, but her speed use now would cost her the race if she had a chance at all. They didn't know this filly. She pinned her ears and had complete tunnel vision. All she cared for was catching up. The boys were moving fast and one dared to even kick at her as she caught up to the rear. She snorted, but ran fast up. There was a hole inbetween the two rear horses, a chocolate brown and a seal bay horse. She took it as Al cued her too.

She could hear a shoe loosening. It was one of the colts. She ignored it and pressed on. As she began passing them the colts shoe lifted off and slammed into her right hind hock. A loose nail ripped the flesh right off. She was determined to beat them though. It was only after all a flesh wound. The crowd saw the incident and didn't see her slowing. The half mile pole was coming up and fast. She was now in the middle of the pack. She continued to press on, doubling her speed as she pressed on. Her leg sent blood flying on the other horses chests, it hurt yes, but she continued on.

The backstretch came and still no sign of lifting her speed. The colts were tiring all except for a light chestnut that was in the lead. She had to catch him now or she'd lose him in the race. She pinned her ears and set her head straight forward and down. Al's cues to stop didn't matter. He saw the blood flying from her when he looked back to see what the other jockeys were yelling about. The filly just took the bit and flew. No one could see her legs, they were blurs. She caught up to the chestnut whos jockey began whipping at her face. She ignoring him and ran as fast as she could. The end was coming soon. They were head to head. Then she got one length ahead, two, three, four... Finish with six lengths in the front.

Her owners had put $100,000 in her betting. They had just won $500,000 plus the purse. The filly came to an immediate slide stop and was directed straight to the track vet. The chestnut was disqualified for incorrect use of the whip on an opponents horse. The jockey was banned from racing in the states as well.
The track vet declared the filly okay, she would just need to rest a bit and let the wound heal, but she was just as durable as seabiscuit and just as reliable as her grandsire.

They were led to the winners circle, awarded with a ring of roses and the check. Frank, Al and Cherity couldn't help, but grin. They had a remarkable horse here. Apparently her last owner knew it as well since the filly continued to be on the news. Though the return amount was nothing near to what the filly would earn Frank and his team in the following races to come.

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Okay so maybe a horse can't do barrel racing, dressage, show jumping AND racing... but come on this is a utopian story of the perfect horse. I wonder though, will her original owner ever find her?