GETTING A BREAK... finally (Part 54f)

The following week is just a blur in my memory. I’ve tried to put all that happened into the proper sequence but to much happened in a very short period of time that I couldn't. So what I’ve done is to just put down the events.

The most significant was when AJ took me aside to tell me that he was sending me with three horses to a half mile track about 3 hours to the East. At first I thought he was kidding but he just wasn’t that type of a person. I knew that the 2 year old that I was training and racing was entered in a Grand Circuit race at that track but I had assumed that we would just truck him over and back. AJ told me that he wanted him to get used to a half mile track (the track we were at was 3/4 mile). He wanted him to be in a race before the “big” race and that the best way was to ship him to the track and then just stay there. As much of a shock as that was it was a bigger shock when he told me about one of the other two horses that I’d be in charge of. The two year old was owned by the man who had fancied himself as a “driver“ and whom I’d pretty much ”dissed“. It was his idea to send the horse he’d been driving so that both his horses would be together. AJ had then added the ”three footed” horse that I’d been racing as he felt that he was actually better suited to a half mile track. Whatever the reasons, I was excited. AJ still had to work out the details so I didn’t know when I’d be on my way.

The first person I told about my good fortune was Harry. I stopped at his barn when I was on my way to the apartment for my afternoon nap. It was obvious that he was happy for me but he also put somewhat of a damper on my excitement. The track was located in a resort area and also was home to a running horse track (think Kentucky Derby). There was a distinct shortage of reasonable priced places to stay. After some discussion he gave me a suggestion to think about. He offered to sell me a 16 foot camp trailer at his cost with a guaranteed buy back if I didn’t want to keep it. All he wanted was $200 down. My first reaction was to say “no, but thanks anyway” but I didn’t. I needed all the money I could come up with because of the new baby that was due. As I was leaving he told me about his “big news” and that was that his nephew, Levi, was going to drive in his first races. He was to drive a couple of Harry’s horses at the same fair that I’d raced at the previous Summer. I was hoping that I’d be able to be there but Harry didn’t know the schedule.

When I got to the apartment Mrs M was waiting for me with a message to call Elle. I did, right away, and got another shock. We’d anticipated that the baby would be born around November 1st. Elle had gone to her new Doctor and he told her that she was going to have the baby around the 1st of October, a month earlier that expected. That news certainly explained why she was a big as she was. It meant that there was only 6 weeks until the baby arrived.

As I stated above, there was a LOT going on in a VERY short period of time. Money, and my lack of it, was certainly central in my thought process. Of course I was excited about going off on my own but Harry’s warning about the lack of affordable housing put a damper on that. Then there was the question of where I’d be located with the horses when the baby was actually due. The more I thought about the offer for trailer the better it looked. So, without a nap that afternoon I went looking for Harry.

Getting the trailer to the track was not a problem. The problem was getting a trailer hitch put on the car. I’d mentioned the service garage that was located just outside the rear gate for the track. It was where I’d taken Pat’s (the track photographer) car when she “cooked” the motor. I had to start somewhere so that’s where I went. As I walked inside the building I couldn’t help but notice a race car parked near the back door. That caught my attention right away. Of course I had to go look at it. It was somewhat similar to the one I’d had but with one major difference. Where I was used to old Ford “flathead” engines, this car had a much newer type V8 Chevrolet engine. Just seeing the car brought back memories of home. The car belonged to the son of the owner. As I explained what I needed for my car I told him that I’d owned a race car and where I’d raced it. He suddenly became very friendly and told me he’d come up with something.

I was pretty much resigned to not getting any money back on the rent for the apartment. I had to prepay each month and with the season winding down there wasn’t a lot of demand for rooms. Basically, the room rentals were the only income Mrs M had. When I told her that I’d be leaving she was very sad. She and Elle had become friends and I, certainly, knew of all the little thing that she did to help us. But she offered to return the portion without being asked. The amount was enough to pay for the trailer hitch, license plates and the extra insurance required.

It was at the end of the week that AJ got confirmation on the stalls at the track I’d be going to. We decided that I’d be on my way first thing the following Monday. Once I knew the date I started telling people including the B’s, my friends up in the clubhouse. They were excited for me and made me promise that I’d stop by their table that Saturday night. When I finally got there I found that they’d set up a small party for me. Among those who were there were a couple of AJ’s owners who I’d introduced to them. One of them made me promise to stop over at the restaurant across the street from the apartment on Sunday evening. I wasn’t comfortable with it but if there was one thing I’d learned about the business was not to say “no” to an owner.

To be continued...