conditions. Today it would be almost miraculous if some fantastic mishaps didn’t take place. It would be a difficult race to follow, too. Even under ideal circumstances, watching a race from the stands taxed the eyes of the most experienced among the professional spectators. Few could ever describe exactly what happened during the running of a race, for the pace was too swift. The starting bell would ring, thegate doors would fly open and the stampede would be on. Many dramatic details that won or lost a race—a thrown shoe, a misstep, a bump, a slipped saddle, careless riding—could easily go unnoticed.
Today it would be more difficult than ever to watch everything.
Alec suddenly stiffened, for the horses were now at the gate. There was a great peal of thunder from above, silencing the sound of the starting bell as the gate doors flew open.
… AND H OOFS
5
Alec watched the chestnut filly. She had only one horse on her right, being in the next-to-outside post position. While she had always been sluggish getting away, she seemed to want to overdo it this time. She left her stall almost at a walk, despite the beating she was taking from Manizales’ feet and whip. Then suddenly she wheeled and bolted for the outside rail before Manizales could get her aimed down the stretch.
Suddenly there was a loud shout from the crowd as a horse on the inner rail, also lagging at the break, went down in the slop. The jockey somersaulted over his mount’s head and slid like a writhing eel beneath the rail and into the infield.
The horse tried to get up almost instantly, but he had his right foreleg through the knotted reins. He began struggling, but an alert gate crewman dashed over to him and slashed the reins free with a sharp pocketknife. The next moment the horse was being ledquickly away while his rider, covered with mud, stomped the infield turf.
Meanwhile, Alec noticed that Manizales had the chestnut filly running strongly after the pack. His feet were not in his irons, a clear sign that the filly must almost have thrown him.
“He’s riding without stirrups,” Alec said.
“I see it. I told you this race would be something,” Henry answered without removing the binoculars from his eyes.
Through the beating rain and semi-darkness, the horses pounded into the first turn. The favorite, First Command, looked quite at home in the slop, as Henry had figured, and was in the lead. Behind him were the others, packed much too closely together and too mud-spattered to be identifiable. The field swung wide, some of the horses having trouble getting hold of the track and slipping dangerously going around the turn. One jockey, finding no place on the outside to go, rushed for a narrow opening on the rail. He was squeezed still more by a tiring horse, who bore in sharply, slamming against him and causing him to hit the fence.
Alec saw what was coming even before he heard Henry’s gasp of alarm. The squeezed jockey found out suddenly that he had no place to go at all. His leg was being pressed hard against the rail and his horse was burning his hide on it. The horse lost his running action and bobbled like an undecided jumper approaching a barrier too high for him; then, as if making up his mind, he swerved in, jumped the rail and took his rider into the infield lake.
Henry put down his glasses and said, “Now I’ve seen everything. You take them.”
Lifting the binoculars to his eyes, Alec ignored the horse in the lake and focused on the race. Moonshot passed First Command coming off the first turn and took the lead. But neither horse could get far ahead of the hard-running bunch directly behind. Moving up the backstretch, the two leaders were joined by two more horses who were now running abreast of them.
The chestnut filly was no longer dead-last but picking up horses and moving into fifth place. She might not be able to
walk
in the mud but she was proving she could run! Manizales was keeping her on the rail and
Today it would be more difficult than ever to watch everything.
Alec suddenly stiffened, for the horses were now at the gate. There was a great peal of thunder from above, silencing the sound of the starting bell as the gate doors flew open.
… AND H OOFS
5
Alec watched the chestnut filly. She had only one horse on her right, being in the next-to-outside post position. While she had always been sluggish getting away, she seemed to want to overdo it this time. She left her stall almost at a walk, despite the beating she was taking from Manizales’ feet and whip. Then suddenly she wheeled and bolted for the outside rail before Manizales could get her aimed down the stretch.
Suddenly there was a loud shout from the crowd as a horse on the inner rail, also lagging at the break, went down in the slop. The jockey somersaulted over his mount’s head and slid like a writhing eel beneath the rail and into the infield.
The horse tried to get up almost instantly, but he had his right foreleg through the knotted reins. He began struggling, but an alert gate crewman dashed over to him and slashed the reins free with a sharp pocketknife. The next moment the horse was being ledquickly away while his rider, covered with mud, stomped the infield turf.
Meanwhile, Alec noticed that Manizales had the chestnut filly running strongly after the pack. His feet were not in his irons, a clear sign that the filly must almost have thrown him.
“He’s riding without stirrups,” Alec said.
“I see it. I told you this race would be something,” Henry answered without removing the binoculars from his eyes.
Through the beating rain and semi-darkness, the horses pounded into the first turn. The favorite, First Command, looked quite at home in the slop, as Henry had figured, and was in the lead. Behind him were the others, packed much too closely together and too mud-spattered to be identifiable. The field swung wide, some of the horses having trouble getting hold of the track and slipping dangerously going around the turn. One jockey, finding no place on the outside to go, rushed for a narrow opening on the rail. He was squeezed still more by a tiring horse, who bore in sharply, slamming against him and causing him to hit the fence.
Alec saw what was coming even before he heard Henry’s gasp of alarm. The squeezed jockey found out suddenly that he had no place to go at all. His leg was being pressed hard against the rail and his horse was burning his hide on it. The horse lost his running action and bobbled like an undecided jumper approaching a barrier too high for him; then, as if making up his mind, he swerved in, jumped the rail and took his rider into the infield lake.
Henry put down his glasses and said, “Now I’ve seen everything. You take them.”
Lifting the binoculars to his eyes, Alec ignored the horse in the lake and focused on the race. Moonshot passed First Command coming off the first turn and took the lead. But neither horse could get far ahead of the hard-running bunch directly behind. Moving up the backstretch, the two leaders were joined by two more horses who were now running abreast of them.
The chestnut filly was no longer dead-last but picking up horses and moving into fifth place. She might not be able to
walk
in the mud but she was proving she could run! Manizales was keeping her on the rail and
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