“His name
is Zünden” said Miss Mariska.
Zünden
was out in the paddock and had only come to the stable in the past few days. As
a newcomer he was definitely a curiousity among the other horses.
“A flat
racer! I heard he was the chalk before the incident…” Ebony hollered from the
stall at the far end.
“He had a
stumble and fall. It could have been a blanket finish” said Miss Mariska.
“Yea, but
he bolted and blew the turn!” sneered Ebony.
Since
that race Zünden had been spooked and the next couple of races he was off the
board. His owner had brought him to the stable for help. He’d been on the track
since he was a sophomore, a push button. But now, if you could get him to break
from the starting gate, he was jumping shadows. He’d turned into a real
savage too. Ebony had been in the paddock with him the first few days and was
badly bit. But Amore was still intrigued by Zünden.
They
seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum in their manners but she sensed
that there may be more to the story than Ebony knew anything about. She watched
Zünden from the opening of the barn. He’d occasional flit by kicking and
rearing if there was anyone in his path. They’d left him alone in the paddock
since he’d attacked Ebony.
Amore’s interest
didn’t wane due to obstacles. She was a watcher, and ever so patient. In fact,
she was often drawn to take the path of most resistance. She had an inimitable strength
of character. Her quiet resilience is what kept her alive in those most challenging
times and she knew that one day she would be with her true Amado. Until then, she continued to remain hopeful and would keep him close in that place
where one could linger between wakefulness and slumber. Wait for him where her
dreams were vivid and her love real…
Pushbutton:
A jockey reference to a horse that runs like a sports car. Off in a
flash!
Jumped
a shadow: Horses that jumps imaginary objects on the
racetrack.
Blanket Finish: A term to refer to
a close finish with a competitor.
Blew the turn: Reference to improperly cornering
a turn resulting in a disastrous finish.
Chalk: The betting
favorite.
