came rattling out of the amplifiers, then added, “I’ve seen a lot of good horses fall … then they had to be destroyed … because of such going as this.”
The first race of the afternoon was for three-year-olds and up over a distance of one mile. Out of the tunnel which led from the paddock area to the track came a red-coated marshall, followed by the field of eight horses. Alec watched them emerge, thinking of other afternoons when he had seen young horses with greatspeed and heart seek their place in the sun before the eyes of a clamoring crowd. Today there was no sun, nor was there a crowd or fanfare. The stands were quiet as the horses stepped onto the Hialeah track beneath the black, ominous sky.
“I want you to watch Manizales closely in this one,” Henry said. “Maybe you’ll learn something.”
The horse Manizales was riding was the green and fractious filly he had blown out the day before. Watching her, Alec could sense that she was very scared.
“She doesn’t like the mud,” he said quietly. “She runs hard, really digs in. A firm track is better suited for her.”
“Nothing suits her, not yet,” Henry said. “That’s why I want you to watch how Manny handles her. She’s a rank outsider in this field. All the others are scared of her, including the trainers. I don’t mean they’re scared of her speed, just her shenanigans.”
“Today of all days,” Alec said.
“It depends on how you look at it,” Henry said. “In her last start as a two-year-old she shied at a shadow and bolted into the rail. She don’t need no shadow roll on a day like this. Maybe she’ll do just fine.”
“Maybe,” Alec repeated, “but I doubt it.”
“Anyhow, they can’t keep her from starting today. But if she gets out of control in this race, she might be barred hereafter.”
“That might be too late,” Alec said, watching the filly trying to unseat Manizales during the post parade.
“With all her nervousness, she’s slow at the break,” Henry said. “She hesitates and lets the others get awayfrom her. Watch Manny in the gate. He hasn’t been able to do much with her.”
Alec smiled. “You mean you want me to learn from his mistakes as well as my own,” he said flatly.
“It’s possible,” Henry shot back. “It’s one thing to profit from mistakes and something else again to profit from instruction. You can do both if you put your mind to it.”
“My mind’s put to it,” Alec said, his eyes on the sucking mass of mud that stretched from rail to rail. The rain started coming down harder and the wind rose almost to gale force. He wondered how the jockeys were able to stay in their saddles.
“Manny might be too aggressive,” Henry said, “but he never holds a grudge when he’s been set down for a few days by an official. He takes his punishment like a man and comes back smiling.” Henry glanced at Alec to see if the boy was listening to him.
Alec said, “You mean that I don’t.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, but you meant it,” Alec returned. “Okay, Henry, I’m taking it and smiling.”
Henry turned his gaze back to the horses. “I don’t want to act like any Dutch uncle.”
“You’re not.”
“It’s just that maybe I see a lot of things that you miss. It’s only natural. It’s been my job for a long time. And I find an awful lot of sacks riding horses these days, jocks who should be anywhere but out there.”
“You’re not including Manizales?”
“No, all he needs to do is to master his fiery Latintemper during the running of a race. Most of the rest he’s got. His reflexes are quick and he’s able to make split-second decisions so long as he doesn’t get mad. He knows how to save ground as well as his horse.”
“But he’s too free with his whip,” Alec said critically.
“Perhaps, but he’s a great hand rider, too. He’s strong and he’s able to use his strength in assisting a horse. I’ve seen him do it a hundred different ways.
The first race of the afternoon was for three-year-olds and up over a distance of one mile. Out of the tunnel which led from the paddock area to the track came a red-coated marshall, followed by the field of eight horses. Alec watched them emerge, thinking of other afternoons when he had seen young horses with greatspeed and heart seek their place in the sun before the eyes of a clamoring crowd. Today there was no sun, nor was there a crowd or fanfare. The stands were quiet as the horses stepped onto the Hialeah track beneath the black, ominous sky.
“I want you to watch Manizales closely in this one,” Henry said. “Maybe you’ll learn something.”
The horse Manizales was riding was the green and fractious filly he had blown out the day before. Watching her, Alec could sense that she was very scared.
“She doesn’t like the mud,” he said quietly. “She runs hard, really digs in. A firm track is better suited for her.”
“Nothing suits her, not yet,” Henry said. “That’s why I want you to watch how Manny handles her. She’s a rank outsider in this field. All the others are scared of her, including the trainers. I don’t mean they’re scared of her speed, just her shenanigans.”
“Today of all days,” Alec said.
“It depends on how you look at it,” Henry said. “In her last start as a two-year-old she shied at a shadow and bolted into the rail. She don’t need no shadow roll on a day like this. Maybe she’ll do just fine.”
“Maybe,” Alec repeated, “but I doubt it.”
“Anyhow, they can’t keep her from starting today. But if she gets out of control in this race, she might be barred hereafter.”
“That might be too late,” Alec said, watching the filly trying to unseat Manizales during the post parade.
“With all her nervousness, she’s slow at the break,” Henry said. “She hesitates and lets the others get awayfrom her. Watch Manny in the gate. He hasn’t been able to do much with her.”
Alec smiled. “You mean you want me to learn from his mistakes as well as my own,” he said flatly.
“It’s possible,” Henry shot back. “It’s one thing to profit from mistakes and something else again to profit from instruction. You can do both if you put your mind to it.”
“My mind’s put to it,” Alec said, his eyes on the sucking mass of mud that stretched from rail to rail. The rain started coming down harder and the wind rose almost to gale force. He wondered how the jockeys were able to stay in their saddles.
“Manny might be too aggressive,” Henry said, “but he never holds a grudge when he’s been set down for a few days by an official. He takes his punishment like a man and comes back smiling.” Henry glanced at Alec to see if the boy was listening to him.
Alec said, “You mean that I don’t.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, but you meant it,” Alec returned. “Okay, Henry, I’m taking it and smiling.”
Henry turned his gaze back to the horses. “I don’t want to act like any Dutch uncle.”
“You’re not.”
“It’s just that maybe I see a lot of things that you miss. It’s only natural. It’s been my job for a long time. And I find an awful lot of sacks riding horses these days, jocks who should be anywhere but out there.”
“You’re not including Manizales?”
“No, all he needs to do is to master his fiery Latintemper during the running of a race. Most of the rest he’s got. His reflexes are quick and he’s able to make split-second decisions so long as he doesn’t get mad. He knows how to save ground as well as his horse.”
“But he’s too free with his whip,” Alec said critically.
“Perhaps, but he’s a great hand rider, too. He’s strong and he’s able to use his strength in assisting a horse. I’ve seen him do it a hundred different ways.
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