Background.
A couple of months ago, I was testing a photographic technique at the race track at Saratoga Casino and Raceway when – all of a sudden – one of the horses got chariot-clipped and crashed to the ground. It took more than two months for the horse, a gelding named “Just Vic,” to recover and return to racing.
And Sunday afternoon was his first competitive race.
For me, this was a chance to return to the track and hopefully see a fairytale ending to this story. A horse that recovers from a serious injury to race once again. I checked the schedule. Just Vic would race as horse #6 in the fourth race that Sunday.
Of course I brought along some camera equipment – mostly the Nikon Df and my vintage 80-200 telephoto lens. The plan was to get some practice with horseracing photos, and hopefully win some money on Just Vic in the fourth race.
As the hot, sunny day progressed, I took photo after photo. Although I could enter these images in competition if I wanted to, I can not sell these photos (the track has a professional photographer on site). But there’s no rule that says I can’t at least practice with what I can achieve.
Dang, that’s sharp. You know that horse racing was the inspiration for motion picture photography, in that someone once tried to prove that a horse could have all four hooves off the ground during a race. Would have been easier to just use a Nikon Df camera, but that’s another story.
I tried different angles – above the start-finish line, around the final turn, here, there and everywhere. My camera took some winning shots; however, that was about the only “wins” I could get, as my betting slips were turning into bookmarks with all the wins they didn’t generate.
But I didn’t care. Just Vic was returning to the track. And there he is!
Oh yeah, this is great. Just Vic looks like he could beat Niatross and Dan Patch in a match race. Then again, any horse can beat Niatross and Dan Patch in a match race, considering that Niatross and Dan Patch are both dead. 🙂 Sorry… Harness horseracing humor…
All right. Start that truck that has that running gate in its cab, and let’s get this race off to a flying start.
Okay. And they’re off!
Right off the bat, horse #5 broke stride. Just Vic avoided horse #5 and kept pace. Just Vic didn’t challenge for the lead, but he still kept a good strong pace. The horses completed the first of two laps. Just Vic was still at the back of the pack. I thought he would make a move. He started to, then fell back. Then he started again…
And he broke stride. He broke stride again. Just like he did in his last race. Damn it.
Okay, now the worries kick in. Could he navigate around the other horses and make it safely to the rear of the field? Would there be another case of sulkey-upon-sulkey crash?
That didn’t happen. Just Vic drifted safely back to the rear of the field, then continued his trot.
And the next thing you know… the race is over. And Just Vic finished – in eighth place. Eighth among eight horses in the race.
But here’s the thing. The operative word isn’t that Just Vic finished last. It’s that he finished the race. He completed the race. And if he can complete this race today, he could complete another race next week, and maybe finish in the money. And who knows? Down the road, this little bay colt could win a race or three.
For now, though, each race Just Vic enters – and each one he completes – is a testament to his determination. And in that, Just Vic is a winner.
Even if my betting ticket says he wasn’t.
In that case, I can tell my betting ticket to shut up.
Good on you, Just Vic. And good luck in the next race.
The comeback journey for Just Vic isn’t complete. But it is moving forward.
Chuck The Writer 
You must be logged in to post a comment.