Henry had not secured it properly or the water splashing against her belly had stretched the elastic. Either way, nothing could be done now except to hang on!

Delta Belle increased her speed as Pam’s Song pulled alongside, her jockey glancing at the chestnut filly’s bobbing head beside him, then urging his favorite on.

They swept around the turn, going stride for stride as a two-horse team. Alec couldn’t understand the reason for Gomez wanting this speed vendetta with him, unless the other jockey hadn’t noticed that he had no control over Pam’s Song. Whatever the reason, it was obvious that Delta Belle had not met this kind of challenge deep in the stretch in a major race and was digging in, fighting back, refusing to give up the lead. Pam’s Song was inching ahead of the favorite but Alec knew she couldn’t maintain this torrid pace much longer—and neither could Delta Belle.

Passing the stands with less than a furlong to go, only two hundred yards more, Alec knew what was going to happen. He heard the rush of hoofs from behind and wondered which horse it was going to be.

A low-leveled, iron-gray head drew alongside. Red-checkered silks, topped with a green pompon on a protective helmet, came in sight. Alec knew it was Iron Flight and Liz Smith who would win this race.

Pam’s Song missed a stride and Alec steadied her, knowing he wasn’t going to be in on the final drive to the finish wire. But neither was Delta Belle, for the blistering pace had beaten her too. The favorite was faltering, giving way, despite the whipping she was getting from Gomez.

“Go get it, Liz!” Alec yelled as Iron Flight pulled away from both of them.

Alec didn’t urge Pam’s Song on, while Delta Belle responded to Gomez’s whip by coming on again to finish second to the iron-gray filly. It was enough, Alec decided, that they were third, and that they had been able to finish the race at all.

Ahead of him was a vacation, and time to be with Pam. He desperately needed both.

THE LOSS
4

Deep snow covered the paddocks and pastures of Hopeful Farm but horses were turned out and playing beneath a bright noonday sun. Alec stood at the window of his office in the Stallion Barn and watched them. It was quiet, very quiet, and the contrast to the daily noise at the racetrack acted as a tranquilizer. The peace of it was made all the more beautiful because he had left Henry behind at Aqueduct.

His old friend had been furious with him for being caught napping at the start of the race, telling him the saddle wouldn’t have slipped had he been clear from the start and not bunched with the others where the going had been sloppiest of all. Henry never took into account that he might not have secured the saddle as well as he should have done.

“Finish up what you have to do at the farm,” he had bellowed. “Then go see that girl and get her out of your system. That’s if you want to ride for me!” It was just like the old man to blame anyone but himself for what went wrong these days. Henry had been under a lot of pressure lately, financial pressure most of all.

Hopeful Farm was an incorporated business with Alec’s parents and Henry as principal stockholders. Officially, Alec’s position was that of stable rider, since one could not own and ride a racehorse. Unofficially, Alec was as much under pressure as anyone else, for races had to be won if the farm was going to remain in business.

Alec pictured Henry after the race, all stooped over with his arms hanging down like an ape’s, saying, “You could have pushed her on and taken second money from Delta Belle; that would have meant eleven thousand dollars instead of only six thousand.” Henry had been more hard-eyed than ever, and there had been a sickly pallor to his face. The pressure was telling on both of them, Alec knew. It wasn’t what Hopeful Farm was meant to be for them, not at all.

He watched the mares in the adjacent field, all heavy in foal to the Black or Satan. The future of Hopeful Farm rested on the colts and fillies they were carrying. Would he and Henry be able to hold out, to wait for these foals to win races or bring sales prices that would keep them going? Only time would tell.

Meanwhile, Alec regretted that their great need for dollars had turned his love for horses into a business. It had changed him, just as it had Henry.

Who could say what he truly wanted anymore? Except something he didn’t have yet. Something just over the hill. Something just beyond the reach of his fingertips. He didn’t know what he was after. He was worse than Henry, who did know.