A Horse From Nowhere

Chapter 16 Run For The White Carnations, Storm And Bring Them Home

Belmont Park was bustling with excitement today. Important Glory just won yet again, and it was Belmont Stakes day. Parents brought their children to the track for them to witness a Triple Crown. Many celebrities were here, too. In the paddock, Storm was in his paddock stall getting tacked up. He was running from the number nine gate, and the team was fine with it. Gary did not bring a hat with him today, and he said he was sitting with the team.

The jockeys soon make their way out to their horses, and when Victor gets to Storm, Gary tells him instructions for the race.

"Today Victor," Gary started. "I want you to just let him run. If he wants the front, let him go to the front. It is his day to shine. If he doesn't tire, you know he can run away from the field and most likely beat Secretariat's record of 31 lengths in 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

Victor just nodded his head. He knew what he has to do. But over at Dynastic Future's side, his owners gave their jockey, Mike Cage, different instructions.

"Stick with Chasing The Storm if he goes to the front. He may want the front. Try to tire him out. Then Future can go on for home. But watch out for LoveARainyNight, Smokestack and Saviour. They are the three to beat."

Mike nods. That team was up to some trouble. If Storm goes to the front with Future, it may as well be Secretariat and Sham all over again.

"Riders up!," was called, and each jockey got a leg up.

"Safe trip boys," Gary called out to Storm and Victor, though only Victor could hear him. Sara, Luis, Gary and Doug went to the owners box and watched as Storm pranced out of the tunnel alongside a black pinto. He was ready to run. He knew what time it was.

As they walked to the starting gates, a quote kept replaying in Sara's head.

"Do you give the horse his strength?
Or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?
Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray.
He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing.
He does not shy away from the sword.
The quiver rattles against his side, along with the flashing spear and lance.
In frenzied excitement he eats up the ground.
He can not stand still when the trumpet sounds."

As the horses are making their way to the starting gates, Sara looked over the field and odds one last time.

1. Dynastic Future 2/1
2. Smokestack 3/1
3. Dusk Riser 5/2
4. LoveARainyNight 1/9
5. Dubai Bird (UAE) 14/1
6. Counting Stars 2/1
7. Striking Image 5/1
8. Frosty Dayz 24/1
9. Chasing The Storm 1/1
10. Saviour 1/5
11. MySweetRomance 2/1

And soon, the horses were loading in. Sara bit her bottom lip and took a side glance to her right where Luis was standing, very calmly. He took a look at her.

"Sara," he said. "It is going to be fine. We have one hell of a horse who is going to beat all of the others."

Sara smiled at the thought, but put her hands into fists of frustration, which made her knuckles turn white. Luis took Sara's fists and unclenched them. He looked at her, those striking brown eyes going right through Sara's bluish-grey ones. He then took her right hand in both of his and squeezed it softly.

"It is all going to be fine," he repeated. "Don't you worry. This colt is going places. He is going to win the Triple Crown."

Sara nodded her head as she felt a blush slowly creep up her face and she looked down to hide it. Luis then let go of her hand and looked ahead as Storm was loading up, second to last. Sara looked up as the last horse to load, MySweetRomance, loaded up. Then, the quietness started. Sara's heart started thumping wildly against her chest. Then, that familiar ring rang out through the stands and everyone started cheering.

"And away they go in the Belmont Stakes! Unexpected start for Chasing The Storm! He goes right to the front! Dynastic Future is right there with him! Dusk Riser is holding back, two lengths off of those two in front of him. Then it is a gap of four to Dubai Bird in fourth and Saviour in fifth. And then it is a gap of six back to MySweetRomance, LoveARainyNight, Smokestack, Counting Stars, Frosty Dayz and Striking Image is last of them all! Dynastic Future and Chasing The Storm are blazing into the first quarter mile and they have opened up eight lengths on Dusk Riser in third!"

Sara watched the race unfold. Dynastic Future was not letting Storm get away too easily. And Storm wasn't letting Dynastic Future get away too easily. Sara could hear Gary yelling about the race right now.

"They are going way too fast!" Gary yelled. "Someone is going to get hurt! I shouldn't have told Victor to let him run! And even if it didn't matter I shouldn't have said to let him go to the front if he wants!"

Sara was stressing out. Her colt was going way too fast. She was afraid he was going to break down. Luis looked at her and seen how bad she was stressing out.

"Sara," he said, taking her right hand again in both of his, giving it a gentle squeeze yet again. "He will be fine. Remember how fast Amber went in her first few races before we trained her not to race that fast?". Sara didn't answer. She just kept looking ahead at her blazing fast colt. "Sara, she was going faster than this. She never got hurt. Do you understand what I am saying, about how I know he won't get hurt?". No answer. "Sara, if you understand, just give my hand a tight squeeze letting me know.". And she did just that.

"Do I have to let go?" Sara asked in a hushed voice.

"No," Luis said. "No you don't. Keep your tight squeeze with your hand on mine for the rest of the race."

She gave a faint nod and her eyes went wide as Storm came into the final half mile. He was drawing away effortlessly!

"Into the final half mile! Chasing The Storm has shook Dynastic Future loose! He is suddenly five in front! He is racing away from the field! He is drawing away effortlessly! He is not going to let anybody near him! He has lengthened his stride to an amazing degree and is covering so much ground! He is in front by twelve! Fourteen! Sixteen! Now twenty! Twenty two! Coming into the final quarter mile of the Belmont Stakes, Chasing The Storm has the lead by twenty nine lengths! Chasing The Storm by thirty! Thirty two! Thirty three! AND HERE IS A NEW RECORD HOLDER! CHASING THE STORM HAS WON THE TRIPLE CROWN! HE JUST BROKE SECRETARIAT'S WIN MARGIN AND TIME! CHASING THE STORM HAS WON BY 33 ½ LENGTHS IN A TIME OF TWO MINUTES, TWENTY TWO AND FOUR FIFTHS SECONDS! CHASING THE STORM, A SUPERB SUPERSTAR!"

Sara let go of Luis's hand and jumped up from the owners box. Luis did too, along with Gary and Doug. They ran down to their colt who looked like he barely even broke a sweat. The track announcer came back on.

"Sorry folks that I took so long. I was catching my breath. The final order of finish in the Belmont Stakes is as follows. Chasing The Storm finished first. He was followed by, in this order, Smokestack, LoveARainyNight, Dubai Bird, Counting Stars, Striking Image, Frosty Dayz, Saviour, MySweetRomance, Dusk Riser, and Dynastic Future faded to last."

Sara, Luis, Doug and Gary walked in front of thousands of flashing cameras towards the winners circle. There, a blanket of white carnations were placed over Storm's back and over Victor's legs. Cameras kept flashing and stopped once the team was situated in the winners circle. Then there was one single flash. Quickly after the blanket of carnations were removed, Victor dismounted and took Storm's saddle pad, saddle towel and saddle and walked off. He went to go weight out.

Storm had a blanket quickly draped over his back and it was fastened. It was a "BELMONT STAKES CHAMPION" blanket. When the Belmont Stakes trophy and Triple Crown trophy were revealed, a blanket with the words "Triple Crown Champion" and "CHASING THE STORM" was given to the team. It had the words stitched into the blanket a few days prior to the race, nobody knowing if the Triple Crown would be completed. A sign with the year, Storm's name and silks, was put up next to the sign for American Pharoah in the line of Triple Crown winners.

Once all the interviews were finished, Sara, Luis, Doug and Gary led Storm back to the stables and gave him a wash down. The horse racing world got what the were craving. A Triple Crown winner. And it took forty years to happen.