04/21/2025
"Star of the Barn"
6:00 AM – Race Day Dawns
The morning sun spilled into the barn, casting golden stripes across Sam’s stall. For once, he was already awake, pacing.
TERRI: [Leaning on the door] "Nervous?"
SAM: [Ears twitching] "Me? Nervous? Pfft. I’m a master of calm. Look at how calm I am." [Proceeds to knock over his water bucket with a dramatic clatter.]
SHADY: [From the rafters] "Truly, the picture of composure."
PETE: [Bouncing in] "SAMMY! TODAY’S THE DAY! YOU’RE GONNA BEAT GUS AND WIN AND WE’LL GET BANANAS AND—"
SAM: [Clamping a hoof over Pete’s mouth] "Breathe, kid. Breathe."
TERRI: [Smirking] "Just race your race, Sam. No tricks. No drama."
SAM: [Gulping] "Right. No drama. Just… winning. Easy."
SHADY: "Famous last words."
4:00 PM – Pre-Race Shenanigans
The paddock buzzed with energy. Gus stood nearby, stretching like the champion he was, while Miss Mayhem eyed Sam suspiciously.
MISS MAYHEM: "You’re awfully quiet today, Sam."
SAM: [Innocent grin] "Just focusing, Miss M. No schemes here."
GUS: [Snorting] "I don’t trust it."
PETE: [Whispering to Sam] "They’re scared."
Sam smirked. Maybe honesty was terrifying.
7:00 PM – The Starting Gate
Sam paced up to the gate, heart pounding. No spy missions, no distractions—just him, the track, and Gus in the next post position over.
GUS: [Side-eye] "Good luck, Sam."
SAM: [Grinning] "You too, Gus. But not too much luck."
The start pulled away…..
AND THEY’RE RACING!
Sam burst off the gate like a horse possessed. No overthinking, no theatrics—just racing. Pete’s cheers and Shady’s rare, encouraging yowls rang in his ears as he pushed forward. Gus matched him stride for stride, but for the first time, Sam didn’t panic.
SAM: [Internal monologue] "Legs, don’t fail me now. Lungs, please don’t explode. Terri, if I die, tell Pete he can have my extra carrots—"
DOWN THE LANE!
Sam dug deep. Gus was ahead—no, not this time! With one last surge, Sam threw himself forward…
PHOTO FINISH!
The crowd held its breath.
ANNOUNCER: "AND THE WINNER IS… SIDE BET, BY A NOSE!"
PETE: [Exploding into happy screams] "SAMMY DID IT! SAMMY DID IT!"
SHADY: [Pretending not to care, but tail flicking wildly] "Huh. Guess hard work does pay off."
10:00 PM – Victory Bananas
Back at the barn, Terri presented Sam with a mountain of bananas while Pete danced around him.
TERRI: [Ruffling his mane] "I’m proud of you, Sam. You earned this."
SAM: [Mouth full of banana] "Mmf. Worth it."
GUS: [Walking up] "Good race, Sam."
SAM: [Swallowing] "Wait, you’re not mad?"
GUS: [Shrugging] "Eh. I was due for a loss. Besides, you didn’t cheat. Shocking."
MISS MAYHEM: [Tossing Sam a banana] "Guess you’re a real racehorse now."
SAM: [Grinning] "Took me long enough."
SHADY: "And yet, somehow, we all saw this coming."
PETE: [Climbing onto Sam’s back] "SAMMY’S THE STAR OF THE BARN NOW!"
TERRI: [Laughing] "You know what? He is."
Sam blinked. Star of the Barn. Huh. Had a nice ring to it.
MIDNIGHT – The Best Nap of His Life
As the barn settled into peaceful quiet, Sam flopped onto his hay pile, exhausted but happy. Pete snored softly beside him, and even Shady had curled up nearby (though she’d never admit it).
SAM: [Yawning] "Hey, Shady?"
SHADY: [Eyes half-open] "Mm?"
SAM: "Thanks. For, y’know… not letting me stay an idiot forever."
SHADY: [Smirking] "Someone had to do it."
SAM: {chuckling]. Maybe honesty and hard work were the way to go.
…Well, mostly. (Glances at banana peel stuck to his hoof.) Let’s say 60% hard work, 40% bananas.
THE END. 🍌🐎
