Man O'War by Walter Farley

Author:Walter Farley [Farley, Walter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-80491-4
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2011-08-16T16:00:00+00:00

First Start

16

A week later the stable moved to Belmont Park just outside New York City. At first the big colt was extremely nervous in his new surroundings, so Danny took him for long walks about the spacious grounds. It was fitting, he thought, that Man o’ War would be making his first start there, for the track was named after August Belmont, the founder of Nursery Stud. In a way it was a sort of homecoming.

The word had been passed along the “grapevine” that the Riddle stable had a two-year-old that would bear watching, so those already at Belmont Park provided their own manner of welcome. They turned out in force to watch Man o’ War’s first early-morning workout. The big colt did not disappoint them. Under Johnny Loftus he reeled off a half mile in the blazing time of forty-seven seconds!

In subsequent workouts he was clocked again and again in the same time until, finally, no horse his age or older was watched more closely. Man o’ War took it all in easy stride, unruffled by the growing fuss being made over him. His only resentment was evident in his constant fight against the choking hold Loftus held on him to keep him from running his heart out.

“We got a colt that’s a real racehorse,” the famed jockey told Danny one morning when they returned to the stall.

The boy said nothing as he stripped the tack from Man o’ War. There was no doubt that Johnny Loftus had become very fond of the colt. He’d continued showing up mornings even when it wasn’t necessary, and there were times when Danny had caught him feeding Man o’ War a carrot.

“Yes, Danny,” the jockey went on. “I think we got a big one here. There’s something electric about him. I never felt anything like it before, and I’ve been on a lot of them.”

Man o’ War suddenly moved, reaching with his teeth. Loftus jumped back, avoiding the bared mouth and slapping the colt lightly on the muzzle.

“He’s got a nice eye but he’s quick with his teeth,” the jockey said.

“He’s just hot,” Danny said, apologizing for his colt. “He wouldn’t take hold.”

“Maybe not,” Loftus answered. “I don’t mind. I like a horse with a bit of dash. I like him. He does things to me. We’re going places together, him an’ me.”

“Sure,” Danny said. “Sure you are.” He paused, not quite certain whether or not he should tell Loftus what he had in mind. Finally he took the plunge. “I wish you’d stop stirring him up so much at the start.”

The smile left Johnny Loftus’s face. “I don’t like sluggish horses, Danny,” he said quietly.

“He’s not sluggish. He’s just big.”

“I work him up an’ he gets away with the others. It’s as simple as that.”

“Leave him alone and he’ll catch them without fighting,” Danny said.

It was several minutes before Danny was able to turn back to his work. He knew he should have kept quiet. It wasn’t his job to tell Johnny Loftus what to do, when Feustel and everybody else was happy with the colt’s progress.

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