~one week later~

The field for Tower and I's race was set:

1-Derryfield (Redeemed x Lady Pimpernel)
2-Summer Fling (Summer Bird x Sweet Reason)
3-Swift Current (Bullsbay x Rachel Alexandra)
4-Itsasmallworld (Itsmyluckyday x Don't Tell Sophia)
5-Pounder (Liaison x Iotapa)
6-Tiny Torrent (Flat Out x Belle Gallantey)
7-To Win and Repeat (To Honor and Serve x Royal Delta)
8-Far Flung (Fed Biz x Joint Return)
9-Repossess (To Honor and Serve x Untapable)

When the gates clanged open, I found myself with no one near me. I threw myself down the track, eager to get ahead. My jockey, Gary Stevens, moved me over to the middle of the track. I saw Pounder and Far Flung neck and neck up ahead, then Derryfield and Tower. Someone came over and slammed into me. Swift Current. We went around the first turn, and coming out into the backstretch, he was in front. But nobody was getting away with bumping me!

I chased after Swift Current, pulling against the reins. My mouth hurt, but the pain of letting Swift Current beat me was more painful. I chased him down the backstretch, slowly gaining. We went into the final turn.
"Coming into the turn, it's Swift Currently swiftly outrunning the field! Itsasmallworld is in second, followed by Pounder, Derryfield, To Win and Repeat, Repossess, Far Flung, Summer Fling, and Tiny Torrent has dropped out of it. They're midway on the turn and..oh! Repossess has exploded, looks like he's trying to get back for that bump earlier. They're at the head of the stretch and Repossess is digging in with all he's got! Swift Current is still in front! He doesn't see Repossess coming! Derryfield and Itsasmallworld are battling it out! But To Win and Repeat is closing like a firetruck! Repossess is in the center of track. Repossess and Swift Current come to the wire as one and it's going to be a photo finish! Then it was Derryfield, then To Win and Repeat a head over Itssmallworld, who has greatly improved from last year...."
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. You fuggin win is my question! Swift Current and I are walked in circles. I snort to him "You'll pay for slamming into me!"
"I don't think so. Everyone loves me."
What a jerk.

"The final result is in! Repossess and Swift Current finished in a dead heat! But due to Swift Current's harsh bumping of Repossess, which pushed him into the rail and got him stuck, sending him into To Win and Repeat. Therefore, the stewards have disqualified Swift Current to fourth. Repossess is first, Derryfield second, To Win and Repeat third, and now Swift Current fourth.

"Take that!" I snorted to Swift Current. Of course, he didn't respond. I got my picture snapped in the circle with Miss Charlotte. She was grinning like a madman.

THE NEXT DAY'S HEADLINES:

Repossess Takes the Southwest
Repossess Fishes the Southwest from Swift Current
The Current Wasn't Strong Enough
The Southwest Belongs to Repossess
Julie Charlotte's Repossess take the Southwest
Van-crash Survivor Takes a Stakes