The alerts beep and appear at 9 o’clock every day. The digital calendar and all its glory. Carolina Cup just dropped in from the top of my laptop. A spear through the concentration level. A reminder of racing tomorrow, a reminder that we don’t have any runners at the South Carolina meet and a stabbing reminder that we lost Snow Geese a few weeks ago. Second there last year, the son of Tourist was planning on going back there. A local horse at his local track for a local team. A catastrophic stride, an unfathomable step, whatever/however, he’s gone. It never gets any easier.
“Will we see you in Camden?”
“No runners this year,” I answer.
And then think about a beautiful bay horse with a long stride and a kind eye, a sweet soldier, an old friend, gone way too soon.
We stride on, because we have no other choice.
Saturday, we’ll check the results, maybe catch a few races on the livestream, cheering on Clancy Bloodstock graduates Brie’s Mission, Quick Master and Scoop The Pot. Sunday, Riverdee will be up and running with Include It going to Cheshire for our first NSA starter and Penicillin Success, Potus, Queens Empire, Cool Jet, Palio and Zabeel Champion shaking off the winter doldrums with spins at Green Spring Valley Point-to-Point.
