Chapter 7

Frank had given the filly 2 days rest and she was back onto her busy schedule of exercising. Though it was more like a race every day for the filly. The Kentucky derby was coming nearer and nearer. They redyed the filly once every week sometimes everyother week. Al and Frank kept track of how each horse that was going into the Kentucky derby ran. They observed races of each horse. Even a Kentucky derby dud could end up winning the derby against the filly. Al now was running the filly 3 times around the track,
1st round she'd run all out, 2nd she'd keep going until she slowed and 3rd and 4th she would just breeze.
It was a hard workout for the filly, but she did it almost effortlessly after a few times. Frank knew with this type of work out the filly would be unbeatable. He knew all about the Hidalgo lines in the filly, probably how she was so endurant. Most Hidalgo descendants had the endurance of the paint mustang sire. She also had Three Bar lines on her dams side

In the meantime of preparing the filly for the races, Cherity continued with Black. He was on his way to the Olympics where he would compete in show jumping and dressage. The Olympics were right after all the races. He got 1st in dressage in the preliminaries and 2nd in show jumping. Once or twice a week Cherity would work black with the filly. However he couldn't do more than 1 round around the track at a gallop,
then she trotted or loped him a second round. Though black was a thoroughbred he wasn't bred for racing. He was tall yes, but he was an english horse all the way.

Cherity soon found out about a Rolex international show jumping competition in which she entered Black right away. There was no day at the park for Memory, Black or anyother horse at the farm the thieves called, Tactful Farms.

The jumping competition was one week before the race. Frank considered entering the filly as well, but it could be to much for her. Instead he entered a 7 year old grey trakehner stallion he called Unbreakable. A horse he hadn't stolen and trained himself. If the stallions colts and fillies weren't marketable and the stallion proved unworthy in the show ring he considered murdering the horse and collecting the insurance money which was 1.3 million dollars.

The day of the international came. Frank was preparing Unbreakable and Cherity and Al were glossing up Black and making sure his clip job was perfect. They had polished their tack. You had to look close or against the pure white saddle blanket to tell he had a saddle on in the first place.

The grey looked great too. You could hardly tell that he wasn't great at show jumping. He had a beautiful black show jumping saddle with a black bridle and breast plate.

Cherity and Frank warmed their horses up in the back waiting for their classes to be called. Cherity and Frank were both up against eachother. If Frank didn't place at all the stallion was to breed to mares, if the foals weren't sold and he didn't have a great breeding season, well we all knew what was to happen.

Their class was called up. Johan Irizkia was called up first on his chestnut hanovarian, Sweet Desert. The hanovarian tried hard but still got 8 faults. Next up was Frank. The grey stallion entered the arena quietly and soon was pushed into a starting trot, circled and began a slow lope. He was weaving through some poles than began to speed up as he headed for the first jump. He jumped clean and headed through the next which were three sets of oxers. One... Two... Three, perfect! They then had to jump over a water ditch. The grey was told to jump early and barely made the jump as his hind legs drove under him to keep him from falling into the ditch. Then the next jump was clipped, but no faults.

Next up was Cherity on Black. The horses ears pricked around as he waited for Cherity. She knew they would win. Black had been prepped for this with endurance and high jump practices. She began with a slow lope, weaving through the poles and sped up Black. He made clear jumps and then came the water ditch. She knew just where to jump Black who was greatly anticipating the jump for he hated water holes himself and knew when he would jump as well. He soared over the water clearing it with feet to spare.
They finished their round with the best time so far and no faults.

Surely they would win. Everyone else went along. The Olympics were soon to come and Black would win it. The announcer had called out the winners. Unbreakable got 3rd and lost 2nd to Yours Truly, a bay Arabian mare who was quite the jumper and first went to Black. Cherity gladly took her place among the cameras and smiled a lot and said her thank you and appreciation/pep talk speech to the cameras. She took the Rolex and the check and was walking off with Frank.

"Well dad, Unbreakable did better than I expected of him as did Black." Cherity said.

Frank nodded and replied, "I will enter him in a few more big money competitions, put him up to stud and when your Black has won the Olympics we will put him up to stud as well."

Cherity nodded in reply thinking of all the horses they've stolen since she was just a little kid till now, now in the big money with big horses people have stopped looking for.

They went home with 1.3 million dollars in winnings from Cherity and half a million from Franks 3rd place.
He would work the grey harder is what he decided to do.

As they continued training the filly they now loaded her up with alfalfa and other finds of energy. She was nicely muscled, newly colored and was beautiful. If no one knew better they'd definantly see the Hidalgo spirit in her. Not once had she given up and she always tried so hard.

The day of the race came, they gave her a very low exercise round for that money. They walked her to the quarter pole and let her lope another quarter than trot out. She was washed, groomed and heading for the paddocks would she would be paraded and people would decide if they wanted to choose her or not.
Despite her winning her first race she was still a filly against the colts. She was still one of the least favorite horses. Frank knew she would prove them all wrong, as did her jockey, Al.

They saddled her and were now doing their last parade in front of the people. NBC, CNN and FOX were doing their sports broadcasts on the Derby. They talked about the filly and how they thought she'd do well at first, but wouldn't have the stuff to be the winner today nor show or place.

They now lined up at the gate, she was gate number 13. Hopefully the number wouldn't be bad luck. All horses were in and they were about to start. The gate keeper nodded and they were off. She had an awesome start and was leading the pack along with 2 other horses. Sunset Express a chestnut gelding and Cigar a bay stallion both had the lead. Cigar was one of the favorites and a very popular horse and the crowd could see why with his long effortless strides. Sunset Express was doing well, but he didn't have the endurance and should have been held back in the mid to end pack if he had a chance. Now he had none. Memory was doing quick and speedy strides that weren't letting up. The quarter pole came and soon the half pole mark. People figured the filly would give up at the homestretch and then that came up.

The filly wasn't tiring, but the horses were all speeding up. Sunset Express lost, but Cigar was ahead by 4 lengths and a black colt they called Sheik was ahead by 2 lengths and catching up to Cigar. Al was urging her faster, but she wouldn't speed up. He couldn't understand how. The filly had such endurance and speed training why give up now? Maybe her peak was lost, as soon as he was about to just let her breeze on home another colt, a dappled grey called Last Resort came eye to eye with her. She pinned her ears and took off. She caught up to Sheik who was neck to neck with Cigar and soon passed both of them. Her tail was straight in the air in a sense of playfulness. She won her race, Cigar placed and Sheik showed.

The crowd cheered and was very astonished at the filly. The news announcers joked about how the filly won just cause she wanted to play and her win was a complete default and a joke and how she had lady luck on her side.

Frank, Al, and Cherity knew best though. The filly was gifted and was a crowd pleaser and a drama queen and boy did she present all right.

They went to the winners circle and again gave their speeches about how they even placed a million dollar bet on their own horse they were so confident. They won $2 million that day from their winnings and the bet placed. The press kept coming up to them to talk about the amazing horse that they had, how they found her etc etc...

Frank answered while Cherity stood there with her celebrity like smile. Frank turned to one of the microphones in his face and held his hands up.

"Heres the big scoop. No we didn't get her at a thoroughbred yearling auction. We found her in a more needy position. Her dam was bred by accident and the owners didn't want her anymore. The mare was a previous racer, but never made it and they didn't want to pass her bad genes onto other colts and future broodmares. The filly was born late and it was a hard start for her, but she was running against her dam as if in a race for her life constantly. She always seemed to win. So we saw something in her, a spark to say the least, the will to win and the heart to run. We gave her a chance and now look at her, shes winning against your guys' colts. She will win against them time and again in the preakness, the belmont and the international. Boys heres your next triple crown winner, heres your next horse celebrity."

Diane had watched the Kentucky Derby. That filly was not like any horse she had ever seen before. She had to go to the preakness and the belmont... She just had too. She had to figure out who this filly was that reminded her so much of her lost and stolen filly Memory... She looked at the picture of her horse.
The perfect single swirl on her forehead that almost seemed like a dimple on her yellow face. The way her naturally black mane and tail ended in a milimeter tip of yellow as if to camouflage her mane into her coat.

She just had to meet this filly and her owners. The fillies spirit and determination gave her hope that she would once again be reunited with Memory. Her determination pushed her to find her horse.

A/N: Okay so Diane is back in the story... Wow a filly who won the Kentucky Derby what a classic eh? But can she be the next Triple Crown and if so what horse descendents will be in the International... If shes not the next Triple Crown winner will she still be in the international, if not... what WILL become of her...

So many questions.. So many possibilities... So to my few, but faithful readers... Till Next Time

- FAFY

Oh yea one more thing... Any good Hidalgo stories out there other than mine of course (I am shunning my modesty :P)

Also would anyone be interested in reading a western I could write on