JC / Railbird

I was surprised finding myself feeling a little sad for The Green Monkey in that race when it became clear no move was forthcoming. Of course I played against him although the field was a weak one, but sometimes I take money, but no pleasure in beating certain horses or winning certain ways. I did quite well on the 2006 Preakness, but on the way home had to console a normally ruthless handicapper crying on the other end of my cell phone. The Green Monkey looked so regal in the paddock and on the track before the race, a truly magnificent horse. He was purchased on the basis of that look and a torrid work, so he once must have been very fast, before there was no chance he would ever show it. It reminded me of Magic Weisner, when Nancy Alberts managed to bring him back after he had been infected and nearly killed by West Nile virus. He stood in the paddock before the race that day and maybe I saw a mirage but the other horses seemed to be consciously getting out of his way. His neck was bowed and his coat shined, but his hind end was atrophied and when the gate opened they all left him and you could only be sad watching from the grandstand as the gap widened. That horse must have been stunned that he couldn’t keep up with the others. Moments before, he acted like he was the king of all of them. That’s what Todd Pletcher had The Green Monkey feeling like.

Posted by J.S. on September 25, 2007 @ 1:04 am