Love and Hate

Chapter 9

It took Heart . . .

Victoria Pena woke up early on the 29^th. It was the day of the Travers Stakes with Butterscotch Ruler running against Hell's Fire; his only real competition. She pulled on her jeans and a nice a shirt before grabbing her keys and heading out the hotel door. She jumped into her truck and started to make her way to the Saratoga Racecourse. Serenity had been sent back with one of the grooms to Silver brook Stables to rest and also because she wanted to keep him safe from Richard in case he decided to do something.

She pulled into the parking lot and stopped. Jumping from her truck, she made her way to the barn to check on Butterscotch. Not to her surprise, Cam was already there, grooming him. She smiled when she saw Vicky.

" He's looking good." Vic said with a smile and patted his velvet nose. Cam smiled as she toweled off his back. Vicky came in and checked his forelegs for any signs of heat, just in case. He was fine. She stood and pulled a piece of hay from his mane and patted his neck.

" Hey Cam, do me a favor and wisp his neck and shoulders."

" Ok." Wisping means to massage the large muscles.

Vicky walked out of the stall and went to look around. The guard was still there and she was glad that she could feel safe leaving the horse for a little while. People were there, but not a lot. There were still a few more to go before it started to get really crowded.

Michealangelo smiled at his second painting of one of Silver brook's horses. He had received the pictures of Serenity a while back and had painted it in no time. But he missed Cam. He often talked to her on the phone, but she was in New York and he was back in Florida. The only reason that he had said no to going with her was because he was afraid of seeing Leonardo, April or Casey. He didn't want to see them. He felt as though he weren't ready. It was strange how he had felt before. He had never wanted to befriend a human and he had told himself that he wouldn't talk to April or Casey again, but here he was talking to Cam like there was nothing wrong. If only she knew what he really was.

Leonardo, April and Casey were looking forward to seeing Butterscotch Ruler run in the Travers Stakes that day. They quickly hurried to get themselves ready to go. When they were dressed, they rushed out the door. They wished they could see Mike or Don there, but it was obvious that it wasn't going to happen.

" Whom do you think will win?" Leo asked Casey as April started the van and left the parking lot.

" Well I got my money on Butterscotch Ruler."

" You're really betting money?"

" No. It's just a figure of speech. Besides there is no point. He is almost the guaranteed winner and he is the favorite. If I bet on him, I wouldn't get much money. I'd have to bet on a long shot and win to get a whole lot of money."

" Oh." Leonardo looked a head of them and waited quietly to get to the race.

Now the track was busy and full of people. Vicky checked Ruler one last time and had the groom take him to the saddling paddock to be tacked up. Cam was dressing in the Silver brook silks and would meet them out there. Vic looked at her horse and smiled.

" Run your heart out boy." She whispered as she gave him one last pat before he went.

Leo walked with April to the stands again. Casey had already taken off to get there before them for some reason. When they found him through the crowd of people, they sat in the seats he had saved and waited. The post parade began and the horses were being led to the starting gate.

Mike watched with excitement as the race was about to start. He was glad for his big screen television. He was also recording the race. He spotted Butterscotch Ruler prancing about to the starting gate. He had pulled the 5^th slot and Hell's Fire had pulled the 4^th. He didn't like the fact that the two rival horses were so close to one another.

Vicky waited patiently for the race to start. This race would determine a lot. She wasn't sure who to race in the Kentucky Derby or the Breeder's Cup Classic. She was thinking about both, but she didn't like to run two of her own horses against each other. But that was a while from then and she wanted to look at what was happening now. There were nine horses in the field and every one of them were good, but it was Hell's Fire that was one of the best. Then the horses were loaded and in a split second the gates flew open.

" And they're off!" The announcer cried. Hell's Fire was close to Butterscotch Ruler and suddenly, her colt bolted away almost in fright. She gasped as she saw her colt stumble to the ground.

Mike jumped up in shock.

" No!" But Butterscotch Ruler managed to get his feet under him and start running again. He was so far behind, and it was almost useless.

Leonardo and April starred in shock.

" Did you see him jump like that?" She asked astounded.

" Ya! And I don't like the way it looked . . . " She looked at Leo to see his glare as he watched the colt try to catch up. Something wasn't right.

Victoria watched her colt run as fast as he could to catch up. Cam wouldn't let him run himself all the way or he would loose strength and fall back when it was time to close in on the pack.

" Hell's Fire is in second and moving up on Give me Something who is in first. Sassy Boy is in third and Butterscotch Ruler is in last. He is five lengths behind the pack and after a stumble like that, his chances are very slim." Cried the announcer. Vic didn't understand what made him bolt like that and she hoped that he was all right.

Butterscotch began to move up. He was pouring his heart out to run and win and it was starting to pay off. He moved up on three of the fading horses and made his way to the next five. But something still wasn't right. Vic starred at her horse and wished she had remembered to bring her binoculars. Coming around the last turn, her horse pushed a head of two more and made his way up to the third horse. Cam saw an opening between the second and third and went through it and gained on the first. But suddenly, Cam felt Butterscotch waver. Something wasn't right. He started to groan and she began to pull him up.

" What's happening here?! Butterscotch Ruler had moved up on the leaders and his jockey Cam Russo is trying to pull him up!" Vic jumped up and realized that her horse was injured. Then Butterscotch jerked his head forward and pulled the reins practically from her hands. Having the bit between his teeth now, the pressure Cam put on the reins wouldn't matter. He would still be able to do what he wanted. Vic couldn't believe it when her horse lunged forward and suddenly took the lead. Now it didn't matter if her horse won, she worried about his health. Butterscotch Ruler flew under the wire and the crowd cheered.

" Butterscotch Ruler is under the wire . . . wait a minute! Butterscotch Ruler is down!" The announcer cried. Vic screamed in horror as her horse stumbled to the ground, causing Cam to fall over his head.

" No!" Mike cried as he watched in horror.

Vicky jumped the gate and ran out onto the track as fast as she could. The track vets were already headed their way and Cam knelt over him to calm him down as he was looked over. Vicky quickly took his saddle off and rubbed his neck. It was covered in white sweaty foam. She looked at his legs and noticed his foreleg had heat and his hind leg had a large rash like mark on it. She touched it and the colt jerked slightly. Cam starred through her tears at it. She whirled around to look at the stands where Richard was standing. Suddenly she bolted toward him and gave him a good hard punch to his face. He fell back in shock.

" You son of a bitch! You had your jockey whip my horse's leg so he would fall!" She came at him in anger and hate. His nose bled and she wanted to make sure it hurt. The track officials grabbed her and held her back.

" You son of a bitch! Is that what it takes for you to win a race?! Is to cheat by whipping my horse?! Just like when you tried to cheat four years ago when you shot Silver brook Champ and killed Nancy Pena instead!" The track officials paused long enough to look at him. By then, the crowd starred in astonishment at Richard. Leonardo, April and Casey also looked just as shocked. Richard got up and glared at her.

" I didn't do that!"

" That's not what she said before she died!" She lunged at him again, but Vic came and helped to hold her back. Richard left without another word. He disappeared into the crowd. Then they heard the announcer speak and everyone stopped to listen.

" According to the video taken of the race, Butterscotch Ruler was indeed hit in the hind leg, causing him to jump and stumble. He is the official winner of the Travers Stakes and I regret to inform you that he will not be standing in the winner's circle." Cam cried as she turned to see her beloved horse being loaded into the vet's van. Vic looked at her.

" Cam, go to the vets' clinic with him. I am going to go back to Silver brook. I have a bad feeling about something. Butterscotch has a fracture to his foreleg. They are going to do surgery to see if they can fix it." Cam nodded through her tears and one of their grooms walked her to the van. A reporter came up to her just then and asked her questions.

" Have you found out how he is?"

" He has a fracture to the foreleg, probably damaged it when he stumbled, but it must have gotten worse when he started down the stretch and that's why Cam tried to pull him up."

" Do you believe what Cam Russo said about Richard Claymond? About him killing your mother?" Vicky took a deep breath, it was out now so she might as well confirm it.

" Yes. It is true. 4 years ago, he had taken aim at Silver brook Champ, but as it is known, my mother jumped in the way to save him. She told me of this before she died. It could never be proven and it was kept under raps. I'm sorry the world didn't get to see their champion in the winner's circle and I am sorry that this had to happen." The reporter looked as though she felt just as bad. The crowd also seemed sad. Vicky noticed a little girl crying next to her mother about the accident.

" Ms. Pena, it is obvious that he won't be racing in the Breeder's Cup or the Kentucky Derby, but will you ever race him again?" Vic had thought about that briefly, but she remembered what had happened to Fire Light.

" No. As of now he is retired from racing and if he survives the surgery, he will be turned out for stud."

" One last question before you go. What do you think kept this horse going even with his injury?"

Vic smiled a little and she felt tears burn her eyes.

" It took heart . . . "