“I think you owe Boots a lot more kisses and even an apple after today!” Will laughed as he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the box. “Come on. Let’s get to the winner’s circle!” They stopped by Mo’s box to exchange more congratulations and hugs.
“I am looking forward to our new partnership. Very much!” Mo laughed as he shook Will’s hand.
“I am, too. Between Desert Girl’s spunk and Boots’s drive, I feel sorry for Art!”
Will started forward again and William caught up to him at the elevator down at the track.
“What partnership, Will?” William inquired.
“Mo and I are going to co-own Boots’s first breeding to Desert Girl,” Will explained to his father.
“The filly that finished second at the Oaks yesterday?”
“That’s the one.” Kenna could feel Will’s hand start to sweat in hers. If she didn’t know better, she would've only seen the calm and confident persona Will projected. But she did know him better. He wanted his father’s approval.
“Damn good breeding those two will make.”
Kenna felt his hand relax in hers, and his body began to hum with excitement again. The elevator doors opened and the crowd’s cheers for Boots fell on them. Kentucky state troopers helped clear the way onto the track as Rodrigo finished his interview.
Boots saw Will and tossed his head. He put his head down and snorted against his coat pocket. Will fed him a sugar cube before the reporter descended upon him.
“Will Ashton, two for two! How does it feel?” the female reporter asked.
“Wonderful! I can’t even describe it.”
“Better than your Super Bowl appearance?
Will laughed. “Much better since I won this one!”
“The photo finish showed Naked Boot Leg winning by a nose. There has been some question about Boots was being pushed too hard to win the race as evidenced by the blood on his nose.”
“The what?”
“In the photo finish picture, you can clearly see bright red blood on his nose.”
Will paused. Kenna thought he was trying to remember every moment of the race to see if he noticed the nose bleed. Kenna, who stood with William and Betsy behind the cameraman, waved her arms to get Will’s attention. When Will looked up, she blew him a kiss. It took only a second for Will’s worried look to fade and he burst out into laughter. The reporter who was clearly confused just stood there holding the microphone out toward Will’s face.
“Come here, Kenna.”
Kenna smiled shyly and walked into the frame. “This is my girlfriend, McKenna Mason. In the pre-race, she kissed Boots on the star of his forehead and then the nose.”
Kenna’s face turned red again and Will slipped his arm around her.
“Apparently the tradition works! Will you be going to the Preakness with Boots as well?”
“Yes, she will. We'll all be going, and you better believe Boots will be getting his pre-race kiss!” Will thanked the reporter and led the group to the winner’s circle for the official picture.
The winner’s circle is a strip of perfectly manicured grass surrounded by a horseshoe of red blooming roses. Boots was walked in, and Will reached up to shake Rodrigo’s hand again as he patted Boots on the neck.
Kenna felt somewhat like an outsider among the Ashton family and all those who trained and made Boots a Derby winner. She tried to move to the back of the crowd. But Boots snickered and tossed his head back. Kenna stopped and looked over at Boots who was now stomping the ground with his front hooves.
Boots took a step toward her and Art yelled over to her, “You better get up there to see him or we’ll never make it to the Preakness Stakes!”
Kenna stepped forward and stood next to Will at Boots’s head. Boots gave her a shot with his red nose, and she scratched the white star between his eyes while the Kentucky National Guard appeared carrying a massive blanket of red roses.
The heavy blanket was placed over Rodrigo’s lap, and everyone got ready for the picture. Kenna stood next to Boots who kept nuzzling her for another sugar cube. Will stood next to her with his arm around her waist. His parents completed the first row. Art and some of the other farm personnel stood in the second row.
“Boots, stop it. It’s time for your picture,” Kenna whispered to him. Boots responded with a snort.
“Okay, get ready and smile!” the photographer shouted.
She smiled and felt Boots stop nudging her hand a second before she felt her hat being yanked from her head. She saw the flash from the camera, and laughter filled the track as everyone watching on the jumbo screens saw the official Kentucky Derby win photo of Naked Boot Leg standing tall and proud with his blanket of roses and a beautiful Derby hat hanging from his teeth.