The 'Big Horse'
by Emily Hufford

Working at the racetrack is an unforgiving and thankless job for many. Seven days a week, 365 days a year, year after year; for many it will last a lifetime. I spend many mornings at Churchill Downs, watching the same process day after day.

Every day after the break, a nearly black colt steps onto the track and completes his exercise. To him, it is just another day, but for those around him, this is "it." Each day brings him closer to the ultimate goal, the Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park on October 30th. There is an intensity about his every move, and electrifying feeling that those around him get whenever he goes to the track. This morning he breezed, his final workout before heading to Texas. Soon, I won't see him anymore.

His name is Roses in May, and he is my "big horse." He is the best horse I see every day, he is the kind of horse that every owner and trainer dreams of. For him, every morning is another chance to goof around; some of his favorite games are biting at the shank, shaking his body, and attempting to dislodge his blanket. On the track he is serious, moving with all the ease and athleticism in the world, but in the shedrow he is far less so. Thankfully, his talent in the morning has transffered into a fantastic career in the afternoon; in ten starts he has seven wins, including three graded stakes this year.

There is a power and thrill about him that cannot be described in words. For one quiet moment, I set my hand upon his muzzle and he stood stock still, head up, ears pricked, like a giant black statue waiting to be admired. Today I went to say goodbye, because I know I will not see him until after the Breeders' Cup, and in a game fueled by quick return on investment and driven by the breeding industry, it is too much to hope that I will ever see him at the track again. In two weeks, his place in history will be defined. Until then, hopes and dreams ride upon his shoulders, almost as if he were the kind of star that you could wish upon.

I watched him today during his bath as he nipped at the shank and fussed. His handlers go about their business as if he isn't one of the best horses in the entire country. They pretend as if the weight of anticipation isn't burdening their every move. Every day they have an entire shedrow to feed, exercise, and take care of. But horses like him make it worth it.

10/16/2004