One final “Just Vic” story

The things you might not know in January will eventually become part of your Decembers.

Case in point.

Earlier this year, I was practicing some photographs at Saratoga Casino and Raceway when, in the first race, a bay colt named Just Vic got clipped by another driver’s sulkey and crashed.  The horse was helped off the track, and at that point in time I thought Just Vic’s career – if not life – was over.

Thankfully, Just Vic healed, and even competed for a few more races.  He never won – in fact, several times he was disqualified for breaking stride.  In harness racing, you must continue from start to finish line at a certain pace or trot; if you break that pace you must withdraw to the back of the race.

After a few more races, I stopped seeing Just Vic’s name on the morning line.  I thought that maybe the bay colt was getting a rest from the track.

Meanwhile, I had a photo from one of Just Vic’s races – a shot of him crossing the finish line.

I thought the shot was competition-worthy, so I framed up a copy and entered it at the Big E this year.

And sure enough… Just Vic earned second place at the Big E.

Totally works for me.

You know who would really appreciate this photo?

Dowd Racing Stable and Stone Hollow Farm, the racing stable where Just Vic calls home.  You know, put this up on the barn, maybe just Vic will see the ribbon and get inspired to set new track records and win plenty of races.

Yep.  I sent them the picture AND the ribbon.

A couple of days later, I received a very thankful call from Amy Dowd, the co-owner of Dowd Racing Stable and Stone Hollow Farm.  She appreciated the photo, and thanked me about fifteen times for it…

And then she told me that Just Vic was no longer at Stone Hollow Farm.  The horse was sold to another stable, who in turn sold Just Vic to another racing farm.

So what does this mean?

I suspect Just Vic is due for more races in his life – maybe at another harness track like Vernon Downs or Monticello or Yonkers or Harrah’s Philadelphia or somewhere.  His career won’t end.  Come on, this is a horse that survived a very nasty crash to return to the track and race again.

There’s wins for Just Vic in the future.

And I hope he wins every race he enters in the future.

That’s the most anybody can ask.