Bloodlines

Disclaimer: Still own nothing. But I think if all the fans pooled together some money; we could get enough money between us to pay Kishimoto to draw us a small chapter. Just an idea.

Warnings: Language and Yaoi (in future chapters)

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The track was unusually calm that morning as the sun began its trail across the sky. Snorts and calls from hungry horses were the only noise that could be heard as grooms began their rounds of feeding and grooming. They enjoyed the quite, calm morning, knowing that it wouldn’t last long.

Because today was race day.

Outside of the stalls, a few cars and trucks could be heard pulling onto the gravel driveway, and the sound of the doors slamming shut signaled the end of the quite morning. The grooms looked over the stall doors as footsteps and voices were heard, and they tried to figure out if the voices belonged to their team or someone else’s.

Two sets of arguing voices caught the attention of one pink haired groom, and she poked her head out from the stall.

“Good morning Jiraiya, Naruto.” She called.

The blonde-haired jockey looked up from his argument with his trainer and flashed a wide smile, “Morning Sakura, how’s my baby today?”

“I’m fine.” She answered.

A confused look passed over his face before he laughed and walked over to the stall door, “Not you, I meant my reddish – orange, four speed, Thoroughbred; Kyuubi.”

Bright blue eyes focused on the muscular horse in the stall that was covered in shavings and still eating his breakfast. Upon hearing Naruto’s voice though, his head jerked away from the food and he moved over to the door, butting his head against the blonds’ chest.

“This is my baby Sakura.” He said rubbing the horse in-between his ears, “Aren’t you boy?”

Sakura shook her head, “I’ve never seen someone so attached to his animal. Moreover, I’m not too sure how he can stand you. You go around talking about him like he’s some sort of well oiled car.”

Naruto shrugged and let himself into the stall. He picked up a brush and ran it over Kyuubi’s coat, ignoring Sakura’s complaints that it was her job to groom the horse. He fussed over the horse for a little longer before turning back to Sakura and handed her the brush again.

“Thank you.” She said and snatched it away, then went back to work.

After leaving the stall, Naruto wondered down the aisle trying to find his trainer. He needed to make sure that the perverted old man wasn’t going to get himself kicked off the track this time for flirting. Instead, he found him with the farms apprentice jockey.

“How’s Shukaku today, Gaara?” he asked from the doorway.

The redhead paused from tightening the girth on the tan colored horse and glanced at Naruto, “He seems fine right now. It all depends on how he likes the track.”

Naruto nodded, knowing that the temperamental buckskin was meticulous about his track preference at times. At the last race he was entered in, it took three men to get the stubborn animal into the gate, and was slow at the start, only to pick up speed to late at the end of the race.

Even though Gaara was just a bug, Naruto trusted him with the buckskin more than any other experienced jockey. It seemed that the horse had taken a liking to the small redhead, and liked to race under him.

“Brat!” A loud voice called out from down the aisle. Naruto turned around to see the vet, Tsunade; coming over. “He's going to behave on the track today, right?” She asked.

“He'll race fine today.” He answered confidently, “He's got his favorite jockey on board.”

Tsunade shook her head, “Not the horse, I meant your trainer. I don't need a repeat of the last time when the track officials were called in.”

Naruto laughed, “I can't offer any promises, but with two horses racing today, he might be busy enough to keep his hands to himself.”

“See to it.” She said sternly, then softened, “So, how are you feeling for the races?”

He shrugged. “Same as always I guess.”

She eyed him, “Not nervous about seeing the famous Uchiha Itachi?”

The jockey threw his hands behind his head and walked back towards Kyuubi's stall where the colt was saddled and ready to go, “Not really. I've never met the guy before, all I know is that he has some big racing business and he's retired now.”

Sunlight cast bright rays over the track as he led the horse onto the track and Tsunade snorted, “He has some good horses Naruto, and his younger brother is a jockey too. I think you're racing him today.”

Naruto stopped Kyuubi and swung into the saddle, “That doesn't change anything for me. I don't give way to people just because they have money.” He tapped the horse gently on the sides and they set forth at a light walk.

Bright blue eyes took in the surroundings as they circled around the track. Normally during races, he only saw the flashes of the track go by, and he never really had the chances throughout the day to just look. The grass turf inside the track glistened with dew from the morning still, and a large pond sat in the middle, fish swimming lazily about. (1)

There was a slight tug at the reins and Naruto pulled his attention back to his horse and moved him into an easy trot for a while, his mind becoming fully focused on his work. It wasn't long before he pushed Kyuubi into a slow canter, trying to keep him at an easy pace.

As they rounded the track, Shukaku pranced out onto the track, eager to get a start on his warm up as well. Gaara quieted him down as they flashed by, before letting the horse break out into a trot.

Naruto checked Kyuubi for a second, before crouching low in the saddle and asking his horse for some speed. Kyuubi was all too happy to go. Scenery blurred around them and Naruto kept a check on both the horse and the poles. Once they passed the fifth on, he stood up in his stirrups and brought the chestnut down to speed.

The horse snorted in disagreement making Naruto laugh, “You'll get your chance later today,” he told the horse, “Let's get you cooled down and groomed out.”

They made their way back to the stables where it was now buzzing with activity and Naruto let out a sigh; this was where the fun began.

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Sasuke pushed his way through the crowd of grooms and trainers, trying to locate Madara's stall in the mess. Madara had been flown down to Arkansas earlier during the week so he could adjust over the week, but Sasuke had arrived only a few days ago, and he had enjoyed the un-crowded stables during that time.

He found Madara's stall empty when he reached it and cursed inwardly. Just his luck. So instead, he found himself wondering outside to the track where the horse would be on the track since he wasn't in his stall. He quickly picked out Kiba astride the dark bay horse working on the backside, and stood next to the rail.

A few moments later, Kiba brought up the horse and nodded, “He feels good today.”

Sasuke repressed the urge to grunt and instead gave a sharp nod and answered, “Cool him down then and let him rest.”

Kiba pushed Madara away from the rail and Sasuke turned around to head back to the stables so he could look at his competition. There were loud shouts coming from the wash rack area as he rounded the edge, and he barely had time to register what was happening when he felt a blast of cold water hit him in the face.

There were more shouts of surprise, and the water quickly vanished. He blinked, clearing the water from his eyes, ready to give the person with the water a quick death; only to find out that his culprit wasn't a person.

A red chestnut was holding the hose in his mouth, high above the hands of his handler. He watched as the blond handler finally yanked the hose out of the horses’ mouth and shut the water off.

“Sorry about that.” he said, “Sometimes I swear this horse has an evil mind and likes to do whatever he wants.”

Sasuke snorted, “You should train your animal better than.” He bit out, “Animals like that don't belong here. This is a race track, not some play center; horses like yours don't belong here.”

“Maybe you should train yourself to have some fun, you stuck up ass.” The handler answered back.

“And maybe you should teach yourself some common sense.” Sasuke snapped, not liking where this conversation was going.

He turned and left the soaked horse and handler standing in a puddle of water.

The blond turned back to the horse, “Well he was a bastard.”

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A soaking wet Sasuke stormed through the aisles in the stable, ignoring the looks from the jockeys and trainers. He found Itachi talking next to Kakashi about the race strategy for Madara, who was being groomed down. At Sasuke's entrance, they both stopped and Itachi raised an eyebrow at him.

“I didn't realize it was so hot outside that you wanted to swim, little brother.” He said.

“Shut up.” He snapped and picked up a towel from the trunk, “Some idiot handler couldn't control his horse while he was trying to wash it, and ended up washing me.”

He toweled off his hair, allowing the black bangs to fall around his face and leaned back against the stall wall to unbuttoned his shirt so it could start to dry. He looked up at his brother, and flinched; he had evil written all over his face.

“I don't like that look.” He said

“Oh, just image, Sasuke, how many people would like to see you like this. Soaking wet and shirtless.”

A horrible thought flew through Sasuke's mind at that moment, “You wouldn't.”

Itachi shrugged, “I don't know what you’re thinking about Sasuke.” He said, face calm.

Before Sasuke could react, Itachi had pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the wet Uchiha. He glanced at the resulting picture and a small smirk reached his lips as he flipped the phone around so Sasuke could see it. “I think I'll keep this and use it when I need the leverage.”

Sasuke's eyes went wide, and it took all his self-control not to tackle Itachi to the ground and run away with the phone. He was an Uchiha after all. However, it didn't stop him from planning revenge for his dear, older brother.

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The day moved quickly, and soon it was race time.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have just fifteen minutes until post time, where these horses and jockeys will compete over nine furlongs for a purse of one million dollars!” (2) The crowd cheered and fans pressed against the railings as the horses were led out towards the saddling area.

Inside the jockey room, tension was heavy as the jockeys dressed in their silks, and then went to be weighed. Sasuke ignored the tension as he pulled on his familiar black and white silks; if he paid attention to the atmosphere, it would throw his race off. He stood up and moved to leave when someone bumped into him at the door. A scowl crossed his face as he realized that it was the blond haired handler from the morning.

“Nice to see you dried off.” The blond said when he noticed the raven-haired jockey.

“This is the jockey’s room,” he answered, “What are you doing here? It can't be to shower, since you did that this morning.”

Sasuke didn't bother waiting for an answer, he was already running behind and he needed to talk to Kakashi about the race one last time. He pushed past the blond and out the doors towards the scale to be weighed, and after passing the weight, he headed outside.

He quickly located his brother standing next to Madara with Kakashi and made his way over to them. Kakashi was checking over the bay one last time while Ino held his head, and smiled as Sasuke approached.

“He's all yours Sasuke.” She said

“Hn.”

“Sasuke, run him like we trained last week. He is a mid-distance horse and he knows how to close, but not as well as Tobi. You'll want to signal him to close sooner, and keep him running.”

Sasuke nodded and accepted the leg up from Kakashi. Once settled in the saddle, he turned the horse towards the track and fell in line with a lead pony.

Itachi watched Sasuke enter the dirt track, then turned to Kakashi, “Watch him race today.”

Kakashi hesitated, not sure how to ask his question, but Itachi saved him the trouble, “I already know how he's going to race. I have another interest at the moment.”

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Naruto emerged from the locker room and dropped his helmet on his blond spikes as he walked over to Jiraiya and Gaara, who were waiting for him with Kyuubi.

“What's wrong kid?” Jiraiya asked as Naruto buckled his helmet.

“Just met the biggest bastard in the world. Twice actually.” He swung into the saddle, “What are the odds?”

“So go kick his ass.” Jiraiya answered and patted Naruto's leg.

Gaara handed him the reins, green eyes showing slight excitement as always before a race, “You'll be fine Naruto, he's ready.”

Naruto nodded and pushed Kyuubi out onto the track.

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“Ladies and gentlemen, it is post time here at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas; home of the Arkansas Derby. We have some old faces including those of Uchiha Sasuke, who won last weeks race at the Blue Grass Stakes in Kentucky, and we have some new faces on today’s track as well. Newcomer Uzumaki Naruto riding Kyuubi, for Eclipse Estates."

Naruto moved Kyuubi into an easy canter, passing some of the slower horses who were still trotting. Kyuubi's ears pricked up, and flickered back and forth, showing the blond that the horse was alert and ready to race. As they neared the gate, he slowed him down to an easy walk, allowing his heart rate to settle.

He had drawn the number six for the starting gate, which wasn't bad for Kyuubi's preference. He found that the chestnut liked to break from the far side of the gate and hang with the pack from there, even going around the corners. Jiraiya figured that it had to deal with something mentally, and suggested that the horse was claustrophobic.

They never truly tried to answer the question though, knowing that they needed to listen to the horse’s preference if they wanted the best results.

More of the horses had arrived near the gate and as they began to load, Naruto felt his heart begin to pick up pace. Underneath him, Kyuubi shifted, feeling his excitement, and Naruto placed a calming hand on the chestnut as they entered the number six gate.

“The horses are almost loaded, and this race is about to begin. The last horse is in...”

Silence fell over the racetrack. In the blink of an eye, the bell rang and the gates flew open.

“And their off. Uchiha riding Madara grabs the first position on the rail and the other horses follow right behind him.”

Sasuke crouched low in the saddle, fingers buried in Madara's black mane. They had a good position, now they just had to keep it. To the right of him, two horses were competing for second and a quick check under his arm showed the other jockeys trying to make their moves.

Near the middle of the pack, Naruto guided Kyuubi closer to the inside where a horse had already fallen back. They were almost down the backstretch, and he was ready to make his move. Kyuubi was asking for more rein and he had slowly been giving it to him, making sure that he wasn't fighting the bit.

The sound of thundering hooves was loud and dirt was flying everywhere, but it was all ignored by Naruto as they rounded the last corner and Kyuubi switched gears. They were coming up on the lead horses now, and Naruto could see the two on the outside tiring.

Sasuke watched as the two horses next to him began to drop back as they rounded the corner and he allowed Madara to have a little more rein. A quick look under his arm showed him that none of the other horses could catch up, and he began to enjoy his lead as they moved around the corner.

It didn’t last long.

They were barely into the last turn, and his lead lasted only a few seconds, when his vision blurred with a red chestnut, who was still running strong. His eyes went wide as the horse moved past them quickly and into the lead.

Kyuubi moved past the dark bay and his jockey, and Naruto let up on the reins some more. The horse felt the lack of pressure on his mouth and instantly dug in, shifting gears, and eating the ground up beneath him.

By the time that the horse and rider had passed, Sasuke’s mind finally returned to normal speed, and he flicked his whip, grabbing Madara’s attention. The bay jumped forward and dug into the ground, but the damage was already done. Because the other horse had come from his blind spot on the outside, he had caught Sasuke by surprise, and it was now costing him.

Cockiness can be a bitch in the end.

The difference between the two horses was too great for them to make up now and he cursed. He hadn’t been paying attention to his surroundings like he was taught, and Madara had slipped into an easy pace; now it was hard for him to jump and full out sprint the last leg.

They shifted into one last gear as they came down the homestretch, but the other horse was at least two lengths and gaining more ground. He glanced under his arm to make sure nothing else was going to surprise him, only to find that the pack was closer than he had thought.

A loud cheer from the crowd told him that the other horse must have crossed the wire, and he glanced at the poles to the left of him, noting that he had a few furlongs to go still. It felt like a lifetime by now, but he finally crossed under the wire and brought Madara down to a slow gallop.

He glanced up at the jockey in front of him, who was allowing is horse to drop down into a trot and was turning around again. Bright orange met his eyes as he cantered by him.

‘Who the hell wears orange and black on their silks?’ He questioned.

The rest of the field was coming around the corner now, slowing their horses down as well and congratulating the badly dressed jockey. He turned Madara around now as well, heading back to the fence where Ino and Kiba were waiting to take Madara from him.

As soon as they held the bay’s head, he jumped down and yanked his helmet off angrily. He noticed Kakashi coming over, but he ignored him. Anger threatened to overwhelm him, and he took a couple deep breaths, coming himself down. Cameras were everywhere, and he was sure the racing crowds would love to see him throwing a tantrum over losing a race.

So on the outside he calm, cool, and collect. The three ‘C’s’ that gave an Uchiha, his Uchiha-ness.

However, on the inside, he was fuming.

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Naruto brought Kyuubi down to an easy walk and patted his sweaty neck as Gaara came up and grabbed his head. Both horse and jockey were both sweat streaked and covered in dirt, but Naruto flashed him a bright smile.

“How’s that for a win?” he asked as the apprentice jockey led the horse to the Winner’s Circle where media surrounded the fence.

Green eyes held blue eyes, and there was the briefest of nods, before Sakura and Jiraiya came up beside them. The track officials were there as they draped some roses over Kyuubi’s neck (3).

All around them reporters were snapping pictures and asking questions, most of which Jiraiya answered, allowing Naruto to relax in the saddle slightly. He listened with half an ear, until one of the reporters pushed a microphone near him.

“That was one hell of a finish, racing from the outside the whole time, and then catching us all by surprise. What inspired this move?”

“A certain jockey gave me the motivation I needed this morning, and let’s just say it was his pep talk that gave me my edge.”

Kyuubi’s ears flickered back to him and he turned his head around and nipped at Naruto’s boots, causing the crowd to laugh.

“Kyuubi.” He scolded gently to the horse, and then turned to the crowd, “He likes to be in the center of attention most of the time, and I swear he has a human mind at times. But he’s the one the does all the running and does deserve the attention.”

Kyuubi let out a snort of agreement then turned his head around so it was face forward again, and butted Sakura’s hand, asking for a carrot.

Jiraiya finished answering questions and security shoed the crowds away as they led the horse back to the barn. Naruto rested a hand on his shoulder, feeling the muscles ripple under the skin, but the skin was cooled down now, telling him that his horse came out of the race fine.

He jumped down, insisting to Sakura that he could take care of his horse, and just wanted to spend some time with him. “Sakura, if it bothers you so much, you can get his dinner and all that ready. I’m sure he’s hungry.”

She snorted, “Thank you so much for giving me permission to do my job.”

“Hey, we pay you, don’t we?”

“Not enough for putting up with you.” She answered with a laugh.

He grinned at her, and then led Kyuubi to the wash rack, hosing him down carefully. He made sure that the horse didn’t grab the hose again, but Kyuubi seemed content under the waters spray. After he finished, he dried him off and led him back to the stables where Sakura was waiting for him with a blanket for Kyuubi.

“I have his stall ready for him. Jiraiya told me to remind you that we’re going to leave later tonight.” She said as they walked back to the stables.

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Sasuke had been avoiding Itachi for the later part of the race, but his brother was nowhere to be found. This worried him. He ignored Kakashi, who was trying to talk about his race, but he was in no mood to talk about it.

Instead, he checked over Madara, making sure that Ino had done her job. He found him nestled in bedding and eating his dinner contently.

“Sasuke.” Kakashi came up again.

“What?” he snapped. “I told you, I know what I did wrong in that race; I don’t need others telling me what I already know.”

The trainer shrugged, “Fine, then I’ll just tell Itachi that you didn’t want to talk to him, and you’re sulking like a little kid.”

Sasuke growled, “Where is he?”

“He’s waiting for you outside.”

The raven headed for the end of the stable aisle and found his brother waiting for him. He didn’t seem mad at Sasuke, instead, he seemed eager, and this made Sasuke nervous.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked, “You didn’t take anything did you?”

Itachi glanced at him, “No, and I’ll let that slide for the moment.” He started to walk towards the second barn and Sasuke followed curiously. “I’m about to meet someone who will help us expand our standing in the racing community, and I want you to meet him.”

“Is he a breeder?”

“You could call him that.” His brother answered.

They entered the second barn, and moved down the aisle way, looking at the resting horses inside the stalls. They reached an empty stall, and Itachi leaned against the wall, waiting for the owner to return.

“So where is this mysterious breeder?” Sasuke asked. He didn’t like waiting for people when he was in a bad mood. Which was most of the time.

Voices filtered through the barn, and Itachi glanced down the brightly lit aisle where two people and a horse were entering the barn.

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“I can’t believe you forgot his food.” Naruto complained.

In the mass confusing that followed the race, Sakura had forgotten to get Kyuubi’s food from the trailer. They had to make their way back to the truck to pull out some buckets containing feed for the starving horse. Now the horse kept trying to snatch the food from the bucket Sakura was carrying.

“Sorry. I thought Jiraiya had already separated the grain and had dropped it by the stall.”

“Space case.” He said and she slapped him on the back of his head.

“You’re one to talk.” She answered.

He laughed and they entered the barn, where he could see two figures standing near Kyuubi's stall and next to him, Sakura dropped the bucket of feed she was carrying.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked.

"Naruto, that's Sasuke Uchiha."

"Who?"

Sakura nodded to the two men who were standing next to the stall. One of them started to walk towards them, and besides him, Sakura shifted nervously, "Naruto, that's Itachi, the one that wanted to talk to you. The other one is his younger brother; Sasuke."

Naruto looked at Sakura who had a slight blush across her face, and Naruto glanced past Itachi, and looked at his brother. He felt his mouth drop when he looked at him.

“You!” He said and pointed at Sasuke, “You're the bastard from earlier!”

Sasuke's head snapped up, recognizing the voice. Black eyes glanced up and were met with bright blue eyes, “Hn, well if you could handle your jockey's horse better, then we wouldn't have had that problem. Idiot.”

“Wow, I'd heard that all you Uchiha's were smart, you must have gotten the short end of that stick.” Naruto answered with a grin on his face.

Sasuke stalked closer to him and their eyes met, “What did you say?”

“You heard me. Or maybe you were just too busy throwing a tantrum after I beat you this afternoon that you didn't even bother to see who won.”

It was only then, that Sasuke glanced at what the blond was wearing. He kept his face neutral, but he still could feel the shock race through his body as he noticed for the first time the orange and black silks he was wearing. Then that meant, that the jockey who won, who he criticized about fashion...

Ah, fuck.

A soft, clearing of the throat drew both of their attentions to Itachi, who was looking at them with amusement in his eyes. “Sasuke, this is the jockey that I wanted you to meet. This is Uzumaki Naruto. He rides for Eclipse Estates, and yes, he is the one that won the race today.” Itachi held out his hand, “Mr. Uzumaki.”

Naruto grasped his hand, “Mr. Uchiha. I'm pleased to meet you. And please call me Naruto.”

A smirk touched Itachi's lips, “So you were the one that soaked my brother earlier this morning. He told me all about that.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. Sometimes Kyuubi just wants to play and gets evil little thoughts in his mind.” Naruto said with a slight laugh.

Itachi waved the apology aside, “Doesn't bother me. In fact I was able to get perfect blackmail out of the whole ordeal.” He glanced at Sasuke who was fuming at him.

Naruto smiled at him and beside him, Sakura shifted slightly, “Ah, this is my groom, Sakura Haruno. Although, sometimes I like to take over her job.” Behind him Kyuubi butted his back, feeling left out. “And this is my evil horse, Kyuubi.”

Itachi nodded and decided to get down to business, “Are you heading back to Kentucky tonight?”

“Yes, my trainer, Jiraiya wants to get back as soon as possible.” He nodded back towards Kyuubi. “We were going to let him eat and rest some before we loaded him up on the trailer and hit the road sometime this morning.”

“Excellent. We’re flying back tomorrow in the afternoon and should make it back around the same time. Perhaps later that day you would like to come over and see our facilities.” Itachi said, ignoring Sasuke’s slight sputter.

Naruto eyed him cautiously, “What for?”

“To talk business of course.” Itachi answered, “Unless there was something else you were thinking about.”

The jockey shook his head, “No, but I don’t even know where you facilities are.”

Itachi reached into his pocket and pulled out a white business card and handed it to the blond, “You can use that to find our place, and call if you happen to get lost.”

Sasuke reached forward and pulled Itachi’s hand back, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” He hissed in his ear.

“Doing the business side of the job, now you stick to the riding part of it.”

“You’re not actually thinking of hiring him are you? Father would never approve.”

Itachi smirked, “I think he would, little brother.”

“We already have Neji under contract and Kiba is almost finished his rides and will drop the bug from his license.”

“Sasuke.” Itachi murmured so softly that Sasuke almost didn’t catch it. “Don’t make me angry. Now, let go of my hand.”

Sasuke quickly dropped his brother’s hand, allowing Naruto to take hold of the white card.

“We’ll see you tomorrow then, Naruto.” Itachi said, and Naruto nodded.

The older brother nodded back and turned to leave followed closely by Sasuke. Sakura started forward, “Bye Sasuke.” She said softly.

Naruto snorted at her and she turned back, “What? Can’t I try? He’s so cute.”

“Please Sakura; he’s an annoying prick, with a stick shoved up his ass.” Naruto answered, “He obviously only cares about himself and winning.”

They watched as the two brothers vanished into the night and Naruto turned and led Kyuubi back to his stall, “Come on, we have a nine hour drive ahead of us tomorrow and this guy needs some rest before then.” He wrinkled his nose at her, “And he needs new feed now.”

Sakura looked down at the bucket and blushed, “Sorry Naruto. It’s just; I’ve never seen him in person before.”

Naruto waved it off and ran a brush over Kyuubi’s coat after she left, leaving him to his thoughts. He cursed and threw himself down in the bedding, making Kyuubi come over and lip at his blond hair.

“What am I going to do Kyuubi?” He asked the horse, but the chestnut simply huffed into his hand. “Going there is bound to bring him breathing down my neck again when he finds out, but at the same time, it’s too good to pass up.”

He leaned his head back against the wall and looked out at the dark, night sky where the stars were coming out, and he could make out the stadium from where he sat. Outside, a horse called out and another one answered, before everything quieted down again. He closed his eyes and Kyuubi shifted next to him.

‘Fuck.’

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(1) Um, I'm not too sure about the pond, but I do know they have grass next to the track

(2) I swear to you, this is what the purse stands at; I double-checked three websites to make sure.

(3) I think they only do this for the Kentucky Derby, but I’m not sure. So for my sake, we’ll just say that they give him roses.