Entering In: Day 9

Word Count: 54,030

Summary of Events:

Hadia's best friends came to visit and discussed the fact that Hadia's family was moving and how they could keep in contact — not that Hadia had accepted the move. Levi had a lengthy solo press conference on the fight he had with Mr. Saville that got more focused on their horses than the fight. Traeton's mind wandered at the preliminary hearing and he was frightened when the judge struck his gavel, which he found rather embarrassing. Levi worked running the yearlings through their paces for the trainers to choose which horses they wanted to work with . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"Smooth and even, the colt trotted around Levi, his head high, his muscles rippling the sleek coat and showing already how well-developed he was. He saw Tom making notes as the colt continued to move.

Levi asked the colt to change direction, which took a little bit of work, but once the colt was around the other way he started up again smoothly and after several more circuits Levi brought the colt to a stop.

It was Picking Day, when Spectaculaire's five trainers surveyed the latest crop of yearlings with some basic groundwork training and decided which ones they wanted to train, and any that weren't picked were worked with until autumn, when a second pick happened just to be sure, and then the still-unpicked yearlings would be sold off for others to work with.

Tom, having been the longest-employed trainer, got first pick of the horses, and if he turned a horse down the trainer who'd been hired next after him picked, and so on until the most recently hired trainer — who'd been hired just five years before — got to pick.

The trainers would then come up with a work schedule to work with the yearlings at the Breeding Farm before they were brought to the Racing Stables after Christmas to get ready for their maiden race.

"Well Tom?" Donald asked.

"I'll take him," Tom replied.

Levi handed the colt off to one of the grooms and accepted the next horse, a gelding, although not officially, considering that neither of his testicles had been removed, but because one had failed to descend, rendering him sterile.

Leading the colt to the centre again, Levi got him started. He wasn't as well toned and took a little more to get going, but he had good action and a willingness to please, not to mention he really was an eye-catching horse, having a coat of the standard penny-copper chestnut, but a mane that was noticeably darker, not to mention a broad blaze split his forehead, but other than that, he had nothing for white markings.

The colt suddenly startled and reared up, thrashing his hooves in the air. Levi tightened the rope at once and got the colt to come down, but he was quite unsettled. Quickly Levi looked around for a bird or something that might've flown through the open door allowing a cooling breeze into the arena to get rid of the heat the previous days had brought and had collected in the arena like an oven.

Levi saw nothing, however, and the colt continued to try and rear, with not even Levi or his father's efforts of soothingly talking to the colt helping. One of the trainers suddenly shouted and made for the viewing stands while all the others startled.

Tom darted at the sand and picked up a writhing snake. "I think it was this!"

"Get it out of here!" the trainer in the stands shouted.

Calmly holding the snake behind its head, Tom carried the snake out into the downpour. With how thickly the rain was coming down, he was quickly lost in the mist for a few moments before returning to the arena soaked to the skin."