JC / Railbird

Zippy Chippy

Zippy Knows the Deal

From a Times-Union story on 0-for-100 Zippy Chippy:

The Peppers fashioned a winner’s circle out of flowers and bales of straw, and posted a sign next to it that read: Cabin Creek Winner’s Circle.

They thought it’d be fun to have Monserrate parade Zippy Chippy into the winner’s circle and let people take all the pictures that the horse missed out on during his racing career. The only one who didn’t like the idea was Zippy Chippy. He kicked the sign over.

I’m reminded of the close of Joe Palmer’s “Common Folks,” on recently retired Stymie parading at Jamaica in 1949 (Stymie and Zippy Chippy being about as far apart in career accomplishments as racehorses can be):

As he stood for the last time, before the stands, people around the winner’s enclosure were shouting … “Bring him in here, for just for one more time.”

The groom didn’t obey, and probably was right. Stymie never got in a winner’s circle without working for it. It was no time to begin.

Posted in Miscellany on September 10, 2010 / Tagged Champions, Horse Sense, Lovable Losers, New York, The Winner's Circle, Zippy Chippy