Longshot: A New York Times Bestseller

by Mike Rogers

  Longshot

  By Mike Rogers

  Prologue

  I was so nervous. This was my first race as a genuine jockey. The race was a claiming race for three-year-olds and up at one mile on the dirt. I was riding a 25-1 shot, not much chance at all. It was the first time I had ridden this horse. What was even more disturbing was that the trainer only said, "Let him just settle and run his race. Don't be too complicated when riding him. Good luck."

  I took a couple of deep breaths to try and calm myself. His name was Longshot and he was three. Longshot had only raced three times and had finished last in all three. The only thing promising about him was that after his last race his workouts improved.

  We were now approaching the gate. He had warmed up beautifully, really on the bit. He sure did not make me feel like a 25-1 shot. I decided then I would not ride him like he was. Suddenly, we were there. I started to panic. The horse felt this and refused to load. I needed to relax. I took three deep breaths. Before I even knew it the doors closed behind us.

  I went into sort of a trance. I did not hear the crowd roaring. In my mind there was a hushed silence. I grabbed a fistful of mane and perched lightly on Longshot's back. Time seemed to stand still until...DING! DING! DING!

  I felt a heaving beneath me as Longshot surged forward. Thankfully, I was able to stay with him. The first thing I noticed was that we were in front. I angled toward the rail immediately. Then, I started to feel a little nervous. What was I supposed to do now? Before I could answer that question a horse was upon me and passing me. It had happened so fast!

  I decided to look around me. The first thing I noticed was that we were coming into the backstretch. Longshot and I were sitting about two lengths off the front-runner and we were three lengths ahead of the next horse. It was a good position, and Longshot was running well within himself. I took a good hold of him. He had eased himself up to the flank of the horse in front. It was a pretty slow pace.

  We were now entering the far turn. It let Longshot ease up on the horse in front again. The jockey on the horse in front looked back and yelled, "You're losing this race, bug! I'm the favorite!"

  I did not say anything back to him. After quickly glancing over my shoulder, I noticed that a couple of horses were moving up. So far, none looked like a big threat.

  As we were coming to the top of the stretch, the favorite started to draw away, but the good thing was that my horse had been on cruise control the whole time. Right before I was going to ask my horse for full speed the favorite drifted out. Without thought, I angled Longshot in and asked him for a huge acceleration. He responded with that and more. The race was on!

  Longshot's ears were flat against his head and I was almost thrown back in the saddle because he accelerated so quickly. He shot through the hole and was neck and neck with the leader. We got about a neck in front before the leader accelerated again. I had not even hit Longshot with the whip yet. I continued to scrub his neck. The rider beside me started slapping his horse with the crop. The horse pulled ahead.

  I switched my crop to my left hand and hit Longshot once on the rump. He gave me another explosion. They were neck and neck again. The wire was approaching at an alarming rate. I hit him again. With a last desperate lunge, he pulled a head in front just before the wire.

  I stood up in the stirrups and patted his sweaty neck. I slowly pulled him back and trotted him to the gap. When Longshot and I entered the winner's circle we were greeted with praises. After the winner's photo was taken, I weighed in. The correct weight, thank goodness.

  As I was walking to the jockeys' room, the trainer, Frank Lucero, pulled me over.

  "Nice ride out there kid," Lucero said. "You looked a little lost in the beginning but by the end you looked like a professional."

  "Thank you," I said. Then," So what did I do wrong?"

  He laughed, "With that attitude you'll get better real quick." He added, "You took way too long to realize that you were in a real race. A race can be lost if you aren't paying attention. You have a good sense of pace which will also get better in time."

  That advice came to me five years ago. Since then it has not been good. Yes, I've won every once in a while, but it's never been like those first six months. I had been on a role. I won races right and left and even my first two stakes races. The second was a Grade 1. Then, suddenly, the rides stopped coming. Sometimes, I did not get one ride all week! Then, the horses were crappy and I could not win anything.

  Now, I'm back in the thick of things. This is my story of my rise in the horseracing world.

  Chapter 1

  Four years after my first win.

  "Please...Please," I implored to the trainer. "Are you sure you don't have any rides for me?"

  He scowled and walked away, shaking his head.

  I begged, " I'll even exercise horses in the morning!"

  He stopped and turned around. Sighing, "All right. I can see that you won't leave me alone until I agree...Come tomorrow morning a six o'clock to barn three."

  The man I had begged with had become one of the hottest trainers around. He was the first trainer I had ever ridden for. Frank Lucero. Lucero hadn't even remembered me! I was hoping that because I had ridden for him in the past that he would have given me a couple rides. But I had forgotten what fame does to a man. It makes them corrupt and callous. It hurt me badly to have to beg, but it was my only choice.

  I had given up my jockey agent long ago because I could not afford to pay his salary. Not many trainers want anything to do with a jockey without an agent. I was poor, having only twenty dollars in my pocket. At least I would be able to have lunch tomorrow.

  The next morning, I arrived at the barn a half an hour early.

  "Excuse me," I asked a groom passing by, "Where is Mr. Lucero?"

  "Oh!" the girl said smiling, "You must be the jockey who begged for rides! I'll go get Franky!"

  I look shocked as the snooty little brat walked toward the office. This used to be a respectable stable! What was the world coming to!

  When I finally came to my senses I noticed that Lucero and his little girlfriend were walking towards me. I was wondering why I had bothered to come back here.

  When they reached me, Lucero whispered in the girl's ear and she walked away. He said, "You'll exercise nine horses, fifty dollars a horse. Here is the list." Lucero turned around and walked away.

  Wow! That could buy me lunch for a week! I was thrilled...Until I looked at the list. Eight were two-year-olds who just arrived at the track. The other was a broken down seven-year-old stallion. Well, I assumed that he was broken down.

  I didn't know it then, but that "broken down seven-year-old" was Longshot. Let me tell you what had happened to him the four years I had been away. The year of his three and four year old seasons, he became a STAR! During that time I was on a pretty high horse myself, so I didn't really pay attention to what was happening to him. Actually I totally forgot about him.

  Back to Longshot. He made it to the Breeder's Cup of his three-year-old season. He was a fast closing second. The next year he was undefeated the whole season, culminating it with a win in the Breeder's Cup Classic. After that...everything started to fall apart. Slowly, he fell into oblivion in the next two years. He went from Grade Ones to Grade Threes, to Allowances and finally to Claiming. By the time he was seven, everyone had forgotten his two fabulous years. Now, he was just another claimer.

  Ok. Back to exercise riding. The first eight rides were horrible. Each time I was in a group of five two-year-olds. All we did was weave back and forth on the track. Lucero had given me all the buckers. It was amazing I didn't fall off. As I got off the last two-year-old, Lucero w
alked up to me.

  "With this last horse, I want you to blow him out at three furlongs. I want it very fast. MAKE HIM keep up with his workhorse...Ah! Here he is. Good luck."

  I thought, 'What's up with that!' Shrugging to myself, I turned to the approaching horse. He was thin and frail looking. His head hung low and I didn't see a spark in his eye. I was thinking, 'Lucero's making fun of me. Well,' I decided, 'I'll show him.'

  My face set in a grim line, I strode up to the horse. The snooty little groom gave me a leg up.

  She hissed, "You stay away from Frank." She strode over to Lucero before I could say a word.

  I was really mad now. I turned the horse onto the track. Realizing that I needed to calm down, I took three deep breaths.

  The horse suddenly started to puff up and prance. Wow! What a change! This might actually be fun! Another horse and rider trotted up beside me.

  "Are you ready to warm up?"

  I nodded. We started trotting clockwise around the track.

  Fifteen minutes later, we were ready to go. We had them slowly galloping to the three furlong pole. My horse was starting to get strong. I took a firm hold...Five strides...Four strides...Three...Two...One...Go!!!

  My horse exploded like a bullet coming out of a gun. We were a length ahead of the other horse. He started to gain though. I frantically scrubbed Longshot's neck as we came into the stretch. They were now neck and neck. I knew it was a three-furlong workout, but I desperately wanted to win. I took the chance. I tapped Longshot on the shoulder and flicked the crop in his eye. He responded gamely and well within himself. We were now approaching the wire and were a half-length ahead. I glanced back at the other horse. He was fully extended trying to catch Longshot. An enormous bubble rose in my throat. I was going to win.

  A second later we flashed under the wire. I stood up in the stirrups and got a flashback of my first race, riding a horse named Longshot.

  I galloped him around and brought him to the gap. I was sure nothing could get me off my high horse.

  Lucero stormed up to me, "What do you think you were doing out there! You were not supposed to win!"

  I hopped off Longshot. "All I did was give him a three furlong blowout. Just like you told me to."

  He glared and said, "Here is you check and a contract to ride. I would appreciate it if you would get that to me later today." Tipping his hat, he walked away.

  By this time, I was really confused. First, he refused to let me ride and now he wants me to sign a contract! He must like keeping people on edge. Also, another thing I noticed as I was walking back to the barn was that people stared at me. I had no idea why so I didn't let it bother me.

  As I turned the corner to enter the barn, I ran into Lucero. He scowled, "What do you want now?"

  I lost it. "What business is it of yours!?"

  "When you're in my barn, everything is my business!" Lucero took a glance around just to see that everyone was staring at us. "Come into my office." Huffily, I followed him. Once we were in, he closed the door and shut the blinds. He took a deep breath and said, "What do you want to talk to me about?"

  I snapped, "NOTHING! Absolutely nothing! It's all in your imagination! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go and fill this form out on one of the lawn chairs."

  As I turned to go, he grabbed my arm, "I didn't say you could go!"

  "Why?! I don't think there's anything to talk about." I was starting to get irritated.

  "We need to discuss your riding schedule," Lucero said with a pleading note in his voice.

  Sighing, I said, "Then, how about over lunch cuz exercising horses makes me hungry." I pulled my arm out of his grasp and turned to walk out.

  Lucero said, "Sure...The track kitchen fine?"

  "Yeah, sure," I said as I walked out.

  A half an hour later, Lucero and I were sitting at a corner table. We had just ordered and a silence had fallen over the little table. Lucero was just staring at me.

  Suddenly, he said, "You've changed since you first came to ride for me."

  "Really? You remember that far back?" I said sarcastically.

  "Yeah," he said reminiscing. "You were just a kid with raw talent. I've actually followed your career ever since you left."

  Sighing, I said, "not very glamorous, huh?"

  He quickly added, "It's not your fault --." Hastily, "You've matured and become more confident."

  I wondered what he had been about to add, but finally said, "You wanted to talk about my racing schedule."

  "Oh, yeah. I was wondering if you would start tomorrow," he looked slightly nervous.

  'Tomorrow,' I thought, 'He must be desperate if he wants me, a mediocre rider, to start right away.' "That's fine with me. Do you know who will I be riding?"

  He laughed, "Do you think I've changed? I'm not going to tell you the horse you're riding until we're in the paddock. But, I will tell you this...You'll be riding in every race."

  Now just to pause for a moment. Lucero waited until I was drinking my soda that I would be riding in every single race. What's a girl supposed to do in this situation! There's no way I'll be able to hold the drink in my mouth. So...

  "Spppppp!" Gasping, "I'm so sorry! You...Just...surprised me!"

  He stared at me dripping wet. I said again, "I'm so sorry!" I grabbed a handful of napkins and handed them to him.

  Lucero said, "Well, I've never had that happen before. I've had some women jump up and kiss me, but never spit on me." He dried himself off. "The rules are still the same. Remember that."

  Still in a bit of shock, I said, "All right."

  Chapter Two

  When I arrived at the barn the next morning, I was a wreck. And...it got worse.

  I step out of the car and...

  "Miss Taylor! Miss Taylor! How...Why...When!"

  These reporters just started to shout at me. The weirdest thing was that a second later, Lucero rushed out and hustled them all away! Before I could even find out what they were asking me about.

  I turned and gave Lucero a questioning look. Before I could ask him why the reporters were there, he gave me that familiar stare that said back off.

  I shrugged my shoulders and walked to the barn. When I entered, I spotted a familiar face.

  Again, another backtrack. The "familiar face" was Harold Pecker. In the beginning, when I first rode for Lucero, he had also just started working for him. Since we were both new we became quick friends. Back to the present.

  "Hey, Harry!" I called to him.

  Harry turned and said, "Hey, Midget! Long time no see!...Where've you been?"

  "Oh, here and there and everywhere. It's been rough...How 'bout you?"

  He said loftily, "It's been great. I'm the groom of the best racehorse in this whole United States... Gambit."

  I stood shocked for a second. but only for a second. "Congratulations!" In a way, I was a little jealous. We started for Lucero at the same time. He became successful and I a failure.

  "Well?" Harry asked.

  "What? I'm sorry. I wasn't listening."

  Smiling knowingly because it was a race day, "Don't you want to see Gambit?"

  Nodding, Harry led me to Gambit's stall. I gazed into the stall and gasped. Gambit was gorgeous individual. He was a bright chestnut with a flaxen mane. He had wonderful conformation and was perfectly muscled. He had one white sock and a stripe on his forehead that looked like a lightning bolt. His eyes brimmed with intelligence.