Born to Run
The old man's eyes drooped, but they sparkled with the clarity of youth
. His mind was keen and his perception quick. Stooped over, he took the small shuffling steps of an 80 year old. He didn't say much more than what needed to be said. He appeared weary and spent, but he had one passion that kept him alive.
Steve Brody had spent the majority of his life studying those who were born to runthe ponies. He knew the owners, the trainers, the jockeys, but most importantly he knew the lineage of each contender. Steve not only remembered the performance of each horse he juxtaposed their record with the running characters of their fathers and grandfathers as they ran past that last breaking turn of the track when his chosen would breach or overcome the field.
But Brody had another race he was watching; the race for his own life. Steve was a dialysis patient. His biggest challenge, suffering through his treatments, was made palatable by one thought: find a way to get to the track. And today he had a plan.
"Ray, will you put my needles in today?"
"Sure, Steve I'll be right with you." Steve's dialysis nurse was a big man but gentle. He was always joking with his patients, but Steve didn't smile much.
"Listen, Ray, you're always helping me, what do you say to me helping you?
Ray nodded for him to go on.
"Have you ever been to the horse races?"
"I'm not much for betting. The last time I bet on a sure thing I got married and that cost me half of everything!"
"Look, Ray you just get me there and bet exactly as I do I will teach how to handicap, and the worst we will do is break even and have a great time doing it! If you hate it we'll never do it again."
Ray's eyes darkened by his painful divorce; suddenly flashed with light.
"OK, Steve, you've got a deal!"
They made their first trip to the track the next week.
"Look Ray, the Daily Double is when you successfully choose the winners of the first and second race."
Ray listened intently.
"The best thing to do is diversify, but only after you have studied the recent performance of each horse, weight being added or reduced: the odds for the morning line." And it went on and on, hours of instruction in the art of handicapping.
Post time for the 6th Race was nearly approaching with 10 minutes counting down. Steve and Ray had already won that day's Daily Double paying $220.00 to each of them. Steve stared into the program focused and intent, his bushy white eyebrows jutting up and down. One could almost see a time tunnel of memories racing by. Steve rechecked the form he had studied the night before.
"There is a horse here, Ray. This horse will give you heart failure!"
"Why's that Steve?"
"Well, there's nothing in the stats that says the horse has any kind of chance. He's seventy to one, a long shot! No one likes him, but I'll tell you what he's going to do. The gate will open with a ringing bell and you will hear the announcer sing and their running-ing-ing.' Indian O will be the last horse in the field until the final turn and in the stretch he will overcome the entire field and WIN!"
"How do you know?"
"I'll tell you how I know. That's how his grandfather ran the first time I saw him perform. Ray, I'm going to throw two bucks away. Go place our bet $2.00 to Win on Indian O #9 in the 6th Race. Hell, I don't even like his post position, but I've got a hunch he's a winner."
With the bet placed, the bell rang and the start gates burst open. Indian O was the last horse on the field. Steve followed the horses watching motionless as if counting birds in an open meadow. As the field of horses approached the last turn, Indian O powered up and began to swiftly over take each opponent.
The voice over the loud speaker broke in. "Indian O is SHOWING, moving into PLACE position. Indian O is nose to nose with the favorite, Ticker Tape. They're two lengths from the finish line. Ticker Tape breaks! Indian O over powers the entire field. Indian O is the Winner!
Steve remained motionless and quiet. Ray turns to Steve and says, "Wow, just like you said!"
The old man was quiet.
"Steve, what are you thinking?"
Steve's wizen and wrinkled face broke into a huge smile, quietly chuckling and says, "I think we should have bet more than two bucks!"
Born to Run
By: Ray Duarte
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