The Long Race Home (Being Rewritten)

Pressure

The horses were lined up at the gate. In those tense moments, the pressure to win was building. The bell rang, and the race had begun. Within the first lunges the leaders emerged. A horse named Bound To Win, one named The Horse, and Win Big managed to be of the three fastest horses. Through this first stretch the leaders had secured decent positions along the rail. Though after the first turn, The Horse was breaking. Then by the second turn, The Horse was broken and was slipping fast. By the third turn it was down to Bound To Win and Win Big. At the final turn, Win Big started breaking as a few horses slipped passed him. Soon more horses were passing Win Big. Even though Win Big wanted to win in his heart, his body refused to let him gain any ground. By this time, all but two horses had passed Win Big.

The home stretch was long and painful. Win Big's breathing was ragged and heavy with defeat. Sweat glistened on his body as his muscles screamed with tiredness. His desperation to win was seen in his deep chocolate eyes, but his hooves hit the dirt with a hollow sound of pure loss.

The jockey's shoulders hunched down with the weight that he had lost a great lead. Even the jockey had sweat rolling down his face as it mingled with the few salty tears he revealed as he saw his family leaving with their heads down in shame. He'd lost the chance to earn some prize money he so desperately needed. Win Big and his jockey were the same hollowed images. With each hopeless stride to get ahead, both hearts broke more and more.

After the race, Win Big and his crew started to pack up quickly for fear the reporters would find them. As they were about to load Win Big into the trailer, a woman walked up to them asking if she was too late. She told them she was a trainer for another barn and she wanted to buy Win Big. Though Win Big's heart was truly pure, the offer she had told them was too good to pass up. As the strange woman lead Win Big down the stalls, hopes were rising. For Win Big, this was a new lease on life, and the former owner could now buy a new successful horse to replace Win Big. But the owner was wrong, because as he counted his money, he turned his back on a chance to truly win big.