Cross Thoroughbred Racing Facility

[Story]

Early morning sunlight seemed to illuminate the mist that loomed over the racetrack. Despite being so early in the day, business had started for many. Equine and humanistic figures stirred and drifted along. It was nearly silent, save for faint birdsong, distant voices, and the occasional nicker or whinny of a horse.

The golden light shone through the mist softly, catching the dirt surface of the track and throwing the deep gauges of hooves into relief, shadows scarring the soil. The rapidly approaching rhythm of hooves to ground crescendoed as a powerful Thoroughbred galloped past a figure on the rail. The staccato click of the stopwatch and soft scratch of the pencil came as times were recorded.



This was the everyday life of the racetrack, as predictable as the course of a swiftly moving river. Everything worked like clockwork. The feedings, training, races. Old railbirds hung about, keeping an eye for horses showing potential and comparing to favorite horses, reminiscing for the old days perhaps. The track remained as untouched as the old days where the only changes were the names, dates, and faces.



As a jockey, you are determined to make something of yourself. You must get that horse and ride to fame. As you study the young Thoroughbred examining its surroundings, you reflect on how this horse might be able to make the cut. Perhaps this horse would ride to fame with you in the irons.



"Hey-are you listening to me?" A grizzled old trainer lightly smacks your shoulder with a Daily Racing Forms paper. Startled, you blink and wait for him to speak.



"This horse is doing well in training but it's time to step up. We're sending the horse to a breeding and training facility located in West Virginia. You're going with the horse to work 'em and when the time comes, race 'em." The trainer spoke in a gruff, detached voice. "Pack up and be ready before noon. You leave today." With that said, he disappeared, leaving you with the horse and a groom.

---

To join, see the Information Section and look for Cross TBRacing Facility Joining Page
For more information on this roleplay and anything to do with racing, see Cross Thoroughbred Racing Facility Info Page.

[Story]

I, Story, declare Cross Thoroughbred Racing Facility to be open!

[Story]

Time passed at Cross Thoroughbred Racing Facility, fast for some and slow for others. For Aiden Cross, the days dragged on, melding into one another. Days melted into weeks, and those weeks became months. The warm, muggy days of summer soon became crisp autumn afternoons. The trees were emblazoned in color; shades of red, gold, and orange accented one another as the leaves danced in a cool wind. Aiden had been surprised by the seemingly sudden change. In all actuality, the young facility owner kept himself locked up in his office, preferring to just focus on facility work. He only came out of the office to care for a few of the horses before returning. He didn't talk to anyone, didn't poke around and watch the jockeys work their horses, nothing. He merely focused on office work and, when he was free, spent the time in his home, playing his violin. He was doing just that, though he was sitting on his porch, playing some slow, mournful song in a patch of shade. A leaf fluttered past and his hazel-blue eyes traced its path as he played.

Alexander Iskander had made himself virtually unavailable each day, either at the racetrack, out of town for some sort of skating event that he either participated in or merely attended, or he worked with The Mighty Fitz. The roan colt had grown to a stunning 17 hands at the withers and his body was sheer muscle. Sasha was proud of the big Thoroughbred. So far, he'd won two more races and come in second over the past few months. Two firsts on muddy courses and a second on turf. Alexander, in the meantime, managed to earn a few months and now and then went across the country to ride these mounts, though he still hadn't made it to stakes race mounts. At the moment, he was merely enjoying some downtime, sitting beneath a tree in the pasture with The Mighty Fitz grazing nearby.

Miguel Mendoza had been travelling a lot between Cross Thoroughbred Racing Facility and Pimlico Racetrack. He'd been successful in earning a spot on board a few horses, including a stakes racer. However, the talented mare was retired following a muscle injury sustained while being exercised. She came off the track, leg hot and sore and was retired shortly thereafter, leaving Miguel to go find more mounts. He'd been called in at six in the morning to find out the mare he rode in races was done. He'd been told to pack up and go home, which he did. He wound up sticking around Cedar Creek Downs for the remainder of the month.

Adam Apparel had had a hell of a year. With his twenty-fifth birthday coming up soon, as well as the 2 year mark since his devastating accident, Adam was taking time to reflect. He sat on the hood of his truck, navy blue eyes closed. A year ago, he'd been diagnosed with cancer. Two months earlier, he'd been told that he didn't have Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome as they'd thought. It'd just been stomach cancer. He didn't care, either way. He'd gone through the testing and treatment over the past year and he had his results, a paper folded in his pocket neatly. He hadn't showed it to Sadie yet, unsure how she'd react. Instead, he mulled it over, leaning back on the truck to gaze up at the deep blue sky. On the edge of his vision, he could see the vivid colors of a maple tree changed for Autumn. Absently, his mind strayed to his upcoming race with Paranormal Vortex. With Celestial Zephyr and Gallant Marines retired and up for stud, as well as Tremolo just a yearling in training, PV was the only horse that he raced, unless he earned mounts. Frankly, that wasn't a difficult task for him. Trainers liked him for his personality and way with horses, not just the fact that he'd shown success on the horses already.

[Horse]

Mercedes Wilde was in the stables at the moment, highlights blonde hair piled on top of her head in a bun. She wore a pair of black riding leggings, and a slightly baggy V-neck t-shirt that hung off of her thin, slender frame. She had just gotten done excersizing LuLu. The jockey was still struggling to cope with riding, after over the summer, she'd had a subdural hematoma, a dangerous head condition that she might be prone to again. She was just cleaning up her grooming supplies before she crossed the stable yard to go and shower. Her shoulders were tense, as they normally were after she got done with a horse, but that was the only outward appearance of her discomfort of being in the stables.

Once, it'd been such a place of peace and comfort for her, but no matter how much she hated to admit it, it wasn't like that anymore. She didn't want her entire demeanor to change, so she was struggling to regain her confidence in the irons, to fight her way back to where she had been. She'd been a respected jockey, got enough mounts to make a living. Sadie was talented, and was excellent when it came to dealing with the high-strung Thoroughbreds, but she wasn't herself anymore. She didn't know what to do anymore, and it was killing her on the inside.

After showering, and letting the hot water release the tension in her sore muscles, she descended the stairs dressed in skinny jeans, her hair in a ponytail, and a sleeveless flowy lavender shirt. She headed outside, unsure what to do at the moment, because she was rather bored. When she noticed Adam leaning against his truck, she bounded over, and pecked his cheek. "Hello Handsome." She said in light voice, offering a wide smile that lit up her pretty features.

[Spotify]

<sub>Serenity Everlyn Faith was happy for a change. She had completely thrown herself into her career. Each day that passed, she became more happy and carefree. She hadn't drank in four months nor had she done anything 'bad', she was keeping on the straight and narrow, and was even back in school. The four horses, three of which were two years old, were all trained and ready to race at a moments notice and one of the two year olds was something else. It was the dapple gray colt which she had rescued from being slaughtered.

Ever's mouth contoured into smile and her eyes lit up as she danced down the bunkhouse's stairs. She had just got done video chatting with her sister, Dez, who had left Cross to purse her bucklist. The spring in her step lasted as she headed into the kitchen and greedily ate an orange.</sub>

[Cloudy]

_{Nameless music roared in Cynthia Leighton's ears, pounding from the ear-buds that were jammed in her ears. She swayed back and forth in time with the tune, nodding her head like yeah, moving her hips like yeah. As she danced and twirled she worked with her racehorse, Tromlui. The jet black colt's blue eyes watched his master sway back and forth, and if he had been human he would have laugh and pointed at her. Cyn ran the brush along Trom's coat, the racing saddle nearby. Her seeing-eye-dog, Meriadoc, was curled in the soft hay of Nightmare's stall, laying on his back. The golden retriever snored lightly, his paws twitching occasionally, although Cyn could not see this. She moved on instinct alone as she finally cut the music off and stowed the mp3 player in his back pocket, reaching out blindly for the saddle she knew was nearby.}

[Story]

<sub>Adam blinked once as a small smile crept over his cheeks. "Hey, yourself," Adam responded, pushing his lanky frame up carefully. He absently brushed a hand across his chest and stomach as if his abdomen were still a source of pain and discomfort. They weren't, or at least, not often. He still dealt with a few issues now and then, but he was able to deal with them after the utter hell that had been chemotherapy. He studied Sadie's features for a moment before sighing softly. "I got my results back from the testing finally." After the results had been delayed due to some sort of lab mix-up, Adam had finally gotten his results a few days ago. However, he had kept them to himself, refusing to share with Sadie. She hadn't even known he'd finally gotten them back, up until just now. He fumbled for the piece of paper and handed it over, explaining what the numbers meant and what they should be. He shifted slightly and faced Sadie. "I'm cancer free. They couldn't find any traces of it anywhere in my body." After the extensive testing, they should know something like that.

Alexander eventually climbed to his feet and stretched, yawning and gently pushing away The Mighty Fitz's nose when the nosy colt trotted over. "No, Fitz. Not right now. I have to put tack away still." Earlier, he'd left his saddle out, along with the bridle and saddle pad while he was taking Fitz to the pasture. However, he'd become distracted when The Mighty Fitz decided to shove him around a bit in play. Alexander had allowed himself to be pulled in and had chased after the colt, allowing a small chuckle to well out as he dodged and bolted with the big Thoroughbred. "You're good horse, Fitz. Good boy. Just stay here." He murmured, patting the colt's neck once more before pulling himself up and merely hopping down on the other side of the fence. He made his way toward the stables, pausing when he recognized Cyn. "How do you ride, totally blind?" Being blind in one eye himself, he was confused how she managed to do so.

Miguel had eventually walked into the bunkhouse, a duffle bag slung over his shoulder. He walked briskly, running upstairs to throw it down on his bed before sidling back downstairs for lunch. He had his kit out and ready to test his blood, already considering if he should have a salad or ham sandwich. When he spotted Ever, a wide grin spread over his face. "Oh, Ms. Faith, look at you. Staying out of trouble, I hope?" He spoke in a soft, quick voice. As lightly accented as ever, he stepped almost into her personal space, happy to see his best friend.</sub>

[Cloudy]

<sub>Cyn jumped a tad, spinning around in Sasha's direction. "Well," she hesitated. "I don't know. You get used to it, I guess. Lost my sight when I was six, so I've had like, twelve years to adjust." She blinked, turning her head slightly as Meriadoc roused himself and let out an odd, growling grunt as he pushed himself to his paws. The three-year-old dog sashayed over, plopping himself next to Cyn and leaning against her leg. Cynthia gave his head a pat.

"Yeah, I guess you just get used to it. I've learned to navigate on sound pretty well."</sub>

[Horse]

Sadie took the piece of paper lightly in her calloused hands. She shifted her weight to her left foot for a moment as she listened to him explain what the numbers and figures meant. It was a moment or so after what he said when she really reacted. From a rather blank expression, her features suddenly brightened, eyebrows shooting up and her mouth twitching faintly, threatening to burst into a wide grin. She also seemed very relieved. Sadie had been extremely worried about her boyfriend during the past year, well, the past two years, with the accident and the cancer. She'd been so scared to loose him, and now, it seemed like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She looked up from the piece of paper and met his gaze. After another heartbeat, she pulled him into a big bear hug. "God, Adam. That is such good news." She spoke quietly into his ear, eyes closing for a moment, and leaned heavily against him, arms wrapped around his neck. Sadie pulled back to look at him, ocean-blue eyes light and glowing as she waited for his response.

[Story]

<sub>"I do not wish to sound rude, but how are you allowed to race?" Alexander asked, confused. Growing used to everything by sound made sense but races were different. The sound of hooves was muddled and everywhere and with the audience screaming loudly, it just added to the confusion. Not to mention the fact that jockeys had to watch their horse as well as those around them. Finding a gap and gauging if it was big enough, if the track was muddy, if there was an obstacle in the way. He didn't understand how Cyn managed so well. He himself took a long time to adjust to losing sight in just one eye. He suppressed a shudder as he recalled the accident that caused him to lose sight in his left eye in the first place. He'd been riding Skya's filly, Resurrected Serenity and a horseshoe from the horse ahead had been lost and kicked up, hitting him on the side of the head, just under the helmet. Nerve damage left his eyesight weakened before it gradually diminished to darkness.

Adam nodded his head but he didn't show the same giddiness. It was hard for him to express the excitement. He definitely was happy to be cancer free, but he'd been through so much and it was hard to believe it was over. "It's one of the best things I've heard in a long time..." He murmured and relaxed as she leaned into him. "Celestial Zephyr approached me today." Since he'd been stolen and finally returned, the Thoroughbred Triple Crown Winner had been almost aggressive toward Adam, merely wanting to be left alone. He'd bitten Adam, something he'd done but twice as a foal and throughout his life.</sub>