The finish line.
Excitement slithered through his veins. He turned toward Harper. “I got it,” he said.
She tilted her head. “Got what?”
Laughter exploded from his chest. He picked her up, swinging her around in a tight circle, enjoying the easy way she leaned in and allowed her body to trust his. “The answer to our big problem! I can’t believe I didn’t think about it before. We don’t use them in Ireland, but in this case, it could make a huge difference.”
“Use what?”
“Blinkers.” He let her go and stared down into her face. “Blinkers, love. I think they could help Phoenix focus and not be distracted by the chaos around him.”
Her eyes widened. “It could be a game changer,” she breathed in wonder.
“Let’s hope so. I’ll talk to Elmo. I may be able to get my hands on some today. Come on, we’ll tell the others.”
Aidan prayed this was the answer they were all looking for.
The next day, they all gathered around the track.
Phoenix had been fitted with blinkers, and so far, the horse had easily accepted the change. The headgear was a black nylon hook with plastic eyecups attached, forcing his vision to focus ahead of him and blocking out any distractions.
Ophelia, Kyle, and Ethan were all mounted on their horses. Harper decided to join them on a strong stallion named White Knight, a temporary boarder from the farm down the road until they finished their barn addition. He was comfortable racing and would be a nice pacesetter for Phoenix.
Her belly fluttered with excitement. If the blinkers worked, they’d be able to attack the next Saratoga race with confidence. If not, they’d run a few more experiments and try something else. Taking a deep breath, she settled her horse next to the others and waited for Aidan’s signal.
The buzzer screeched.
The horses leaped.
White Knight had a smooth, graceful gait and battled Phoenix for the lead. They flew over the track, quickly leaving the others behind after the second turn. Attention on her own mount, she managed to glance over and check Phoenix, noting this was the location where he usually began to slow, as if frustrated by the other horses looming up behind.
Not this time.
She urged her horse into a full extension, guiding him with her body and her words, wanting to give Phoenix a decent competition. As the final turn loomed, she watched Phoenix kick into full gear, his body a flash of black as he flew ahead and left them in the literal dirt.
Phoenix passed the finish line in record time.
White Knight crossed six lengths behind.
A complete blowout.
She pulled her horse up, easing him into a trot, then a walk, and met Elmo’s gaze. The jockey pumped his fist in the air, patting Phoenix as the horse seemed to almost prance with pride, as if sensing he’d won on his own terms.
The blinkers had worked.
Kyle, Ophelia, and Ethan rode up to them. “Looks like we solved our problem,” Ethan said with a grin.
Ophelia shook her head. “Harp, that horse was on fire! Did you see him kick it up at the finish?”
Aidan walked to meet them at the finish line, face carved with a deep satisfaction. “Elmo, did you push him hard?”
Elmo grinned. “Nope. Gave me a pure breeze, not even a race.”
“That’s what I thought. Which means we have a champion on our hands.” He stared at Harper with pride. “Just like you always believed.”
Surroundings faded away under the sting of those golden eyes. He’d believed, too. Believed in her and Phoenix, enough to drop everything to stay and train him. Slowly, he’d become a fixture here at the farm and in her daily life.
Slowly, he’d become a man she deeply cared for.
“Come on, capalleen, let’s get you some cookies,” Aidan said. “You deserve a reward.”
Harper watched man and horse walk away, and she wondered when the stakes had become so much bigger for all of them.
Chapter Fifteen
“And they’re off!”
The announcer’s voice rang over the speaker system, and a shout rose from the crowd. Tingles crept down Aidan’s spine. It never got old. There was a piece of his soul buried in the dirt of the racetrack, now being pounded by dozens of horses’ hooves. Aidan watched Phoenix break clean and head to the front. With his newly fitted blinkers and a solid breeze under his belt, he was ready to tackle Saratoga one more time.
Harper clutched his hand and stared through the binoculars. She realized how important this race was to indicate the horse’s skill. There could be no more excuses. After months of training, and with fall closing in with big stakes races ahead, coming in last was no longer an option.
Aidan raised his own binoculars and watched the horse careen smoothly around the first turn. No lack of focus yet, but that’s not where his problem usually peaked. It was all about that final stretch and the cavalry ready to threaten the horse’s lead. The pace was unusually fast for such young horses, which told him the season might hold strong competitors. Still holding solid, Phoenix completed the final turn and headed down the backstretch.
Aidan’s gut clenched with the familiar nausea and adrenaline. His gaze held tight to the fast-moving horse and jockey, bonded together as one as they raced down the backstretch and toward the finish. Elmo scrubbed his hand up and down the horse’s neck for a final push, and Phoenix gave it to him. The other two horses threatened, then died five and a half lengths back. The lone closer never fired. As if it were just a normal workout session, Phoenix breezed over the finish line and won the race in a stunning upset.
Oh yeah. His odds were 50–1, and Phoenix had just made some long-shot lovers very, very happy.
Harper turned to Aidan, eyes wide with joy. “He won,” she breathed. Gripped his shoulders. “He won!” she screamed, shaking him while he laughed and spun her around.
“Yes, he did. And damned if he isn’t going to get a whole packet of cookies.”
She laughed, hugging him tight, and a sense of rightness settled inside of him. The lure of the win was like a drug, always calling horse trainers to the road, to the next horse, to the next possible victory. He’d celebrated a few, and mourned many, but nothing felt as good as being with Harper during both.
They visited the winner’s circle and posed for pictures. Phoenix mugged for the camera, sensing he’d done his job well and happy to revel in the pride of the win. When Aidan rubbed under his chin and praised him, he caught the look in those soulful brown eyes that stared back into his.
Let’s do it again.
Yeah, the horse was hooked. He had the Thoroughbred heart pounding loud and true, and now that he’d gotten a taste, he wanted more. Emotion rose up and squeezed Aidan’s throat. How many obstacles had this horse battled through to stand here? How much hurt and pain had he suffered, somehow never losing hope there’d be something more if he could just hang on? He was a beautiful spirit and survivor who made Aidan believe in all the good things in the world.
Like Harper.
He relished her smile and the light dancing in her mineral eyes. “I think he likes the attention,” she said, laughing as Phoenix bobbed his head with a haughty delight.
Elmo snorted. “Champions like to win.”
“He looked good at the final stretch,” Aidan said. “What about the shake-up? Did you have to push him hard?” God, that was the most important. A horse couldn’t make the Belmont if he didn’t have the staying power of a marathon.