Page 18 - Contrast1964Spring

The old man was waiting for us. Into the
stall we led her, untied her tongue strap, pulled won't be ab,le to tell how sh.e c,am e outd 0 Iyt
off her blinkers and bridle, and finally put on
her halter. Then outside again to the roadway
in front of theshedrow, I held her and he
sponged. From nostrils to tail warm water
cascaded from her heaving flanks. Warm re-
freshing water carrying withit the grit of the
track signifying an "also ran".
"How did she do?"
"She broke well, fourth I think, and stayed
with the pace, but fell back on the backstretch.
Just barely beat the last horse. The jockey
said she hit a hole. I don't think she was as
fit as she should have been. This race ought
to do her a lot of good."
The old man took the scraper and with
deft strokes the excess Water rolled off her
back. She stood patiently through all of this
attention, but not quietly. There was still
that sense of nervous energy about her that
made her want to move. She was tired after
seven furlong run, to be sure, but the hot
Thoroughbred blood which coursed through
her, veins kept her 'shifting her weight from
one side to the other, her breathing still
labored.
"How did she come out of id" It Was
Mr. Douglas, the filly's owner and trainer, a
man in his early fifties whose knowledge of
horses came from years in the saddle himself.
His quiet manner and ruddy features gave evi-
dence to the time he spent in the hunting
field, where quick thinking and few words
were the rule.
"Fine I think. She seems to be walking
sound and didn't get cut up 'on those sharp
turns. "
16
"She doesn't seem to be a bl e to run very
fast though does she!" he rep 1i·e d . "Well of w.e
until tomorrow anyway. Has s h e h,a an
water?"
"Not yet."
That -was all he said. Disappointmen~ ttO
be sure, but this is a game where dirsap pOlO -
rnent is ever present. There , saw,1 ays the, rac'1e1
next week, next month, when t he breaks ,; WI
go our way and we won ; t b e an "also ran .
The old man had gotten a buc k et of cool
water from the spigot a fewsta 11's up the irtoW.ro.
Taking it from him, Mr. Douglas offered
her.
"Don't li"ke It do you ", he sal.id .. t don'tk
blame her.. Dont ' like .' much mys, elf . Trbaacck
It
water d. oesn't taste Ii1k e t h.e w~ 11 w.ater bucket
on the farm" He took th esti ll bnmmwg h' h
and dropping. the handle onto a h 0,ok'P wt ltChe
projected from .a nearby post adde?, u w.
net on her and' walk her aroun d thi1s sheh. dro or
If she wants water only let h er h av e tree
four swallows at a time."
She walked briskly besi . de me, sti'11 tbeenfsoerde
up. It would be almost an ~our or m~r;he race
she..: would be calm+rhe excitement, 0 11 h ds
ea
forgotten. We passed stall after sta , Some
projecting from nearly everyone of them. , hile
calmly surveYIn.g the passlll"g sc. ene ' wth on
ot h ers were J.ust WaI.tI.ng to us, e their kteed like
an unwary passerby. None of them 100 e But
they could run a rru'1 e I.n 1:,40 or bet.ter, they
most of them could and f rom' t he nrne. al-
were two years old they h a d b een ninnlOd'g SO
,most weekly, and would contIn.ue to lu0cky
'untu'1 i"njUry force d th"err reu . rem ent . Theh rest
ones would be saved for bree d1·09,. t e
would end up in dog food cans.