JC / Railbird

Watching the Workouts

But determination matters more than time. And determination’s often visible, right there on the track, even through the dimness and over the distinct sounds that can seem unmoored — yes, it’s visible right there in the turn, where the horse moves smoothly and evenly as if gliding, like a sprite or perhaps some kelpie, curving with the track and then bursting into the stretch, reaching for real estate and then reaching for the wire but ultimately reaching for something more, something essential, something that must be, because it can’t be anything else, self-definition.” (Dallas Morning News)