Initially, I was shocked. I didn't expect to race this kind of a horse. This obviously wasn't a friendly sister competition, this was more a bet to the death. But I stuck along with because I owe Jessica one.

I remember when I first met Jessica. She was very young and seemed likely to get fired the first day. But when an uncontrollable horse of mine named Runaway, ran away, it was Jessica riding off into the early dawn to find my horse. She rode bareback down a winding trail into the forest that borders my barn. You could see Jessica never really rode horses, more studied their behavior, which is a trainer's job. She only grabbed a rope and she sped off. Bumping on the back of a race horse, she looked like a five year old that was in a rodeo. About a half an hour later, she came back with Runaway firmly on the rope and fully under control. Today, she looked older. Her years of training made her look wiser beyond her years.

This horse had those cute eyes, that you can't resist. I can see his urge to win, and the good and the nervous vibes spread to me. This was a horse that was still well taken care of, so I asked the name of the horse. " Um, well, funny you should ask." She seemed to give a big sigh, neglect her humor, and put on a face of shame. "Win Big." That heavy horse in the newspapers. I couldn't refuse to ride so I took one look and gave a deep breath. He was heavy, round, and stocky. But Jessica's grooming showed some of his best qualities off. He shimmered in the morning light, his muscles were glistening, his coat was a golden amber that seem to bring out his eyes. His chocolate brown, melty eyes, eyes of understanding, devotion to winning, desire, and love for Jessica. I can see what this horse means to Jessica and I will do everything in my powers to help him win. I just wonder, who would challenge this beautiful horse to a race for something more than a win? And who is my sister riding?

" Night Runner." It's the last horse I want to hear race Win Big. Why? Night Runner is a vicious mare that is fast and furious. And one of the best jockeys is going to be riding Night Runner. My sister.

I took a walking lap on Win Big to get a feel for this horse. Jessica agreed to ride with me so she rode on a horse that is friendly to almost anyone. I could tell how much Jessica changed. She had obviously been riding since I first met her. Now she was tall, and she fell into the movement of the horse. She should be the one riding Win Big not me, but I can't let her know I think that.

Win Big's gait is not that of a bred race horse. His gait lopes a little more than the usual. I asked Jessica to take a break because I was going to take him for a jog. I clucked twice and he went into a slow jog. That wasn't fast enough for me. I clucked three times and he went almost into a canter, but hard to tell since some breeds of horses don't tend to have a fast and a slow trot. But he was right where I want him. This is where I can usually tell how long he will last before he tires. And it wasn't too long before I saw the first beads of sweat roll down his silky fur. At one and a quarter laps, his breathing got louder and heavier. The actual race was two full laps. Long laps for Win Big. We have to make the best of what we got. And this is what we've got.

I walked Win Big up to where Night Runner was waiting. Night Runner was circling. She wasn't in a good mood today. She soon steadied for a split second and the gun went off. Night Runner started to bolt off and I got Win Big going good. They were matching for the first turn and I saw drops of sweat making his coat shine. He was trying his best, but who knew if that was good enough for the win. On the first stretch and into the second turn I noticed Night Runner set a solid pace, and I could hear her hooves setting a rhythmic pace growing more confident and more solid with each stride. Going into the second stretch Win Big finally set a pace with hooves beating down onto the dirt, you just wondered how long would it be before you hear a steady rhythm break and a set of hooves fade into the distance.

It was the second and final lap. Soon I heard ragged breathing from both horses. Night Runner looked determined to beat a plow horse. I could feel Win Big starting to grow tired and less confident. Over the first turn, first stretch, and into the final turn, Win Big was straining, and slowly losing it. On the final turn, he got pushed away from the inside rail, and he broke. He tried to keep up, but he couldn't. He kept right behind Night Runner, still fighting. I took a quick glance at Jessica, but she was already walking toward the barn with her head held down in shame. With each stride, Win Big muscles burned from the effort of running. Sweat streaked down his body. His golden coat lost it's luster and had the off glow of the sweat gleaming in the harsh rays of the sun. His eyes turned to stone as he felt defeated, determined, and letting down the one he loved from the heart, more love than he could ever have for any horse, only to a devoted human.