Longshot: A New York Times Bestseller

by Mike Rogers

  Standing up in the stirrups, I pulled the tired colt down to a jog. Shortly after, the outrider grabbed Cage Fighter's bridle to escort us to the winner's circle.

  As usual, there were the usual beaming faces, pictures and reports' questions. Glad to get away from the crowd, I headed for the jockey's room. One the way, I ran into Chrissy.

  "Hey! Wait up!" she called. Turning around, I waited for her to catch up. "I was wondering if you would like to come to dinner at Bobby's place tonight."

  "I…uhh…" I wanted to go, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to spend more time with Lucero. Taking the plunge, I said, "Sure. I'd love to come!"

  That evening, I tentatively walked up to Lucero's door and knocked. The door was thrown open to Chrissy's smiling face. "Hi! I thought you'd never get here!"

  Did she always have to be so cheerful?

  Glancing at my watch, I said, "But I'm right on time…"

  Ushering me inside, she urged me to the kitchen. "It's just going to be a simple buffet style dinner. Go in, grab a plate, and sit down. Bobby's already eating. You know how he is. He just couldn't wait."

  "Sure," I said walking into the kitchen. After I gathered my food, I wandered into the dining area. There sat Lucero, with is face buried in a Racing Form. He had no idea I was there. Going right up behind the paper, I said, "BOO!"

  Jerking in all directions, the paper was snapped back. Lucero glared at me, "You do know I was concentrating very hard on analyzing your competition."

  Rolling my eyes, I sat down, and started to eat. Just when silence had fallen over the table, Chrissy walked in. Glancing between us, she looked a little frustrated.

  "So, am I going to have to start conversation? I mean, really, Bobby, it's awful rude to ignore our guest like that."

  Glaring at his baby sister, he resentfully put the paper aside. "So what is this all important thing we must talk about?"

  "Well, Sarah, what are you going to do next year?" Chrissy looked at me innocently.

  I wasn't sure how to answer. What would Lucero say if I said I was going to ride? But that was the only answer I could think of at the moment. "Ride." I took a tentative look toward Lucero.

  His face got all stony and he ground out, "So that's what you're going to do?"

  "Yes, that's what I was planning on. I don't know what else there would be."

  Apparently that was the wrong answer. "What else…What else! Have you totally disregarded my offer!? Haven't you even thought about it?"

  Sighing, I put my head in my hands. In a hushed voice, I choked out, "Yes, but I just don't know. What do you want from me? Please tell me. I can't read your mind. I have no idea what you're thinking…

  "After this year, I don't think I should work for you anymore."

  Standing up, I made to leave when I heard Lucero hiss, "You won't get rid of me that easily."

  The situation did not get much better throughout the week. I, personally, was getting really tired of out little spats. Why couldn't we just get along? Chrissy, bless her Longshot, was trying her best to act as mediator. But she was beginning to get frustrated too. I already forgave her for bringing up that topic during the dinner. I was clearly ready for reconciliation, but Lucero was still sulking.

  So I continued on with my week riding horses and such. On Friday morning, the day before the Jockey Club Gold Cup, I was riding a fresh filly, just returned to the track from a break on the farm.

  Everything was going well, or so I thought. When I asked her to go into an easy gallop, she exploded into a frenzy of bucking and spinning. I was ready for anything so I tried to get her in control. Yeah, we're going down the track, this way and that. Still, she would not quit.

  Then, things took a real turn for the worse. Suddenly, she turned and sprinted as fast as she could toward the outside rail. As we neared frighteningly closer, I had to make a tough decision. Should I stay the course and jump the fence with her, or bail off in hopes of finding a soft landing spot…the latter it would be.

  A couple of strides before the fence, I pushed myself off, sprawling out on the ground. Watching the filly, she shied to the left right before reaching the fence, speeding off around the track.

  I didn't even get a chance to get up before I heard someone shout, "Don't move!"

  Then, I felt gentle hands push me back to the dirt. Looking up, I knew who I was going to see. "Really, Lucero, I'm fine. This is stupid. That filly is stupid."

  Ignoring me, "Does this hurt? How about this?" For five minutes, this went on. Finally, he pronounced me fine. About to stand up on my own, Lucero wouldn't allow it, taking both of my arms and gingerly helping me up.

  Shaking his arm off, I stalked away, but Lucero continued to dog me. I wanted to turn around and yell at him, "Get off my back!" but I didn't.

  Spotting Longshot, who was on his way for his pre-race day gallop, I started to walk faster towards him. Glancing back, I saw Lucero had read my mind and was attempting to cut me off. Then, I made a dash for Longshot. My hand touched the saddle just as arms wrapped around my waist and whipped me away.

  "I'm not done with you yet. Chrissy, take him out."

  "Yes, Bobby," she said with a smile on her face and a spark in her eye.

  I mouthed at her, "Traitor!" as Lucero pulled me away.

  So, I was back in my regular seat in Lucero's office. He just sat, staring at me. I had no idea what he was thinking and it bothered me. The only thing I could do was wait for him to speak. In the end, he never said a word, just dismissing me after a few moments with a wave of his hand.

  Later on, I ran into Chrissy. "So, how was the talk with Lucero?"

  "Non-existent."

  Chrissy looked surprised, but didn't say anything else. We spent the rest of the day with the horses, mucking out stalls, cleaning water buckets, etc.

  Finally, the long-awaited Jockey Club Gold Cup had arrived. There I was, watching Longshot stalk around the paddock. Longshot was coming into his fall prime. His chestnut coat glimmered, rippled, and shined under the late summer sun that was beginning to wane. What a beautiful picture that would be! He seemed to just glance at his competitors and scoff. They were just meaningless beings; also-rans.

  I knew the second I got on that he was going to run an amazing race. He moved with grace and confidence. On the track, every step was the right one. His sureness just overflowed, streaming out in waves.

  Reaching the gate, the field loaded quietly. It seemed in record time that everyone was loaded and the doors slammed open.

  We had bad luck from the beginning. The horses on either side of us broke in towards us, shuffling Longshot and I back in the pack. I steadied him, conserving his energy for the later stages in the race. There was no reason to rush to the front at this point. Longshot's trust in me helped him to relax behind horses in mid-pack. Then, I swung Longshot to the outside to ensure we didn't get blocked in. throughout most of the backstretch, Longshot just loped along. Increasing his speed slightly, Longshot began to slowly pick up horses one by one.

  Around the far turn, Longshot continued to pass horses. Another jockey glanced at me and then drifted out, forcing me toward the outer rail. Even though it was too early to give him the cue to go, I had no other choice. I was either go or be taken out of contention racing six plus wide.

  Switching gears, Longshot blew past the rivals forging to a two length lead. Looking back in mid-stretch, I saw a horse coming fast. Longshot was beginning to tire. Pushing him, I tried to keep him going. Hoping that he had enough speed to hold off the closer. Glancing back, I knew that the other horse would not be able to catch up.

  Continuing to urge Longshot on, we streaked under the wire a diminishing length ahead. Longshot easily pulled up. When the camera neared, he had reserved a little bit of energy to prance and show off.

  Everybody seemed fairly happy. Lucero shook my hand, the Rogers slapped me on the back, and Chrissy have me an excited hug. Everyone smiled for the winner's photo.

  I finally was able to t
alk to Lucero in the barn area. "So, what did you think?"

  "You handled the race excellently under the circumstances. There was no other choice but to go at that point." Lucero continued to smile at me.

  Smiling back, I wasn't really sure what to say. Before I had a chance, Lucero swung an arm around me, and beckoned me toward his car. "Let's go for a ride," he said.

  After ten minutes of driving, he pulled over and turned to me. "So tell me who you're riding on Breeders' Cup Day."

  I thought, "This is kind of a weird spot to discuss this," but decided, "What the heck."

  "Well, I guess the first race is the Distaff. Right new, there really isn't anyone. Maybe I'll get lucky and pick up a mount.

  "In the Juvenile Fillies, Graceful Minuette is my ride. She may look delicate, but I think she's going to be a wonderful little filly. Maybe even against the boys…

  "Cage Fighter in the Juvenile, as you well know. I hope he'll be a real monster someday. On the track, of course. Not to us."

  Lucero gave the slightest hint of a smile at that.

  After thinking for a minute, I began again, "For the Sprint, Turf, Mile, and Filly and Mare Turf, I have no idea. Is there anyone you'd like me to ride?"

  "Actually, yes, there is," he began, "He's a real long shot, but in the Sprint I was thinking that you could ride Quandoquidem. He's the colt that ran third in the Vosburgh. That was his first stakes attempt and I think he'll move up from that effort. That is if you would want to ride him?"

  "Sure," I said, "there haven't been any other offers." The minute I said that, I knew it came out wrong. Before I could make amends, Lucero spoke again.

  "Barring any other offers, how about Rockette Thunder in the Filly and Mare Turf. She was one of the ones I sent to Europe. She ran a really strong race in the Celebration Mile. Even thought the Breeders' Cup race is at a mile and a quarter, I'm pretty sure she'll make the distance.

  "In the Turf, I have Mons Caprica. She will ship in after the Prix de la Arc de Triomphe. Actually, she's been running well in Europe all year. She's had some tough luck keeping her to one win in the Epsom Oaks.

  "The reason I didn't want to run Rockette Thunder in the Mile is because of Amery Fields. I kept him here even though I think he would have kicked butt in Europe. I just wasn't sure how good he was going to be."

  He finished by saying, "Ok. It's your turn again."

  "So, I guess the only race left is the Classic. Longshot is definitely the horse I'm going to ride. The Jockey Club Gold Cup was the perfect tightener. I am worried about Gambit though. He's been running dynamite lately. The only negative on him though is that he's a little lightly raced this year due to his bad luck and minor injuries. Gambit is definitely the biggest threat. If he gets loose at any point in the race, he'll be hard to catch.

  "The sleeper is Countdown. He's been running strong all year. I can see the Countdown closing and stealing the race in the final strides. He should really move off that last effort. One thing is for sure, it's going to be a great race."

  Lucero looked at me silently for a few more minutes. Then he said, "Thanks for agreeing to talk to me. Contrary to what you may think, I do enjoy spending time with you…"

  I truly had no idea how to respond. Good thing it appeared he didn't need one. So, he took me back to the track. Our parting was a little awkward, for me, but he seemed perfectly natural. For me, I returned to my comfort zone, Longshot's stall.

  On my return to my apartment, I saw that my answering machine light was blinking. Pressing the play button, I listened to a friendly female voice say, "Hello, Miss Taylor, my name is Ashley Springlett and I'm a reporter from ESPN. I was wondering if you would be willing to do an interview and camera shoot with us. The segment would be shown during the Breeders' Cup coverage. If you would please call me back at 713-395-4538, it would be greatly appreciated."

  I wasn't sure if I wanted to do it or not. They were sure to bring up my troubled past. Otherwise, there would be no reason to interview me. But it couldn't be too painful because they would make it fell-good at the end. Oh why not!

  Picking up the phone, I called back right away. She seemed very pleased at my prompt response. She gave me a rough schedule. The cameramen would follow me around for one whole day to ensure that every aspect of my life was covered. Then, Ashley would have one day to look over the footage to make up questions. Then portably one morning would be taken for the interview itself.

  Hanging up, I decided that wasn't going to be too bad. So the camera man met me at my apartment at 5:30 in the morning. With one camera man riding with me, the rest of the crew followed in the network's van. Lucero was waiting for me when I arrived.

  Giving the TV crew a suspicious glance, he asked, "What in the world are they doing here?"

  "They're just following me around for a day. ESPN wants to make a segment about me for Breeders' Cup day."

  Lucero still seemed to glare at them menacingly.

  "Are you sure you think that's a good idea? Considering what may be dug up and all…"

  Pausing, I dais, "Year, I've thought about it and feel that whatever underlying fears and anxieties left need to be dealt with. It's time."

  Lucero looked as if he wanted to argue but thought better of it. Smiling reassuredly, I headed into the barn.

  The camera team was good. I barely knew they were there. Lucero couldn't seem to forget about them though. Every time they approached, he stiffened up. I had decided to ignore his uneasiness.

  A couple days later, Ashley called to set up an appointment. Because I had a free afternoon, we decided to schedule it that day. Arriving at one o'clock sharp at the studio, I was directed onto the set. It was laid back, with two big comfy chairs set up in the middle. Bookshelves provided the background to make the appearance of a cozy library. Ashley was seated on the chair to the right. I sat down on the chair to the left.

  "Hi," Ashley said, "I'm going to ask you some questions. This is very informal."

  The questions were all the normal ones, about childhood, favorite memories, etc. then, it took a turn I could never have imagined.

  "Sarah, how did you feel when it was publicly announced that Frank Lucero fired you because he refused your romantic advances? What have you learned from that experience and how have your professional relationships changed since then?" She looked at me with such innocent sincerity that I knew it was fake.

  At that moment, I felt so hurt and betrayed. I had no idea what she was talking about. Nobody ever told me then and I never would have known. I refused to look at the papers or watch TV for months! For about ten seconds, I could do nothing but stare. Then, with tears filling my eyes, I said, "I have no idea what you're talking about, and this interview is over." When I rose, Ashley rose too with a fake hurt look on her face. Turning away from her, I ignored her cries and stalked out. Getting in my car, I drove away with looking back.

  An hour later, sitting in Longshot's stall, I was still crying. Thank goodness no one had found me yet. I just couldn't handle any human company at the moment. Thoughts were running through my mind at a hundred miles per hour. Everything made sense. Lucero's unwillingness of me to talk to the press. His countless, meaningless apologies. Obviously, he was feeling guilty!

  Even though now I had some answers, there were so many questions without one. Taking a deep calming breath, I looked at Longshot. His eye was fixed on me with a reassuring stare. No matter what, he was constant.

  Gathering my courage, I decided to enter the real world. I was going to find out what happened five years ago. My name would be cleared and the truth told.

  Chapter Sixteen

  My courage was sorely tested the second I stepped out of Longshot's stall. Lucero had just turned the corner and come into the barn. Resisting the urge to turn and run away as fast as possible, I squared my shoulders and waited as he approached.

  "Sarah, my lovely Sarah, how did your interview go?" Lucero seemed uncharacteristically positive, considering he had been totally
against the idea earlier.

  With a bright smile, I responded, "Oh, it was extremely successful. It was a very enlightening and interesting conversation." Chrissy, Lucero's sister, had arrived to hear the last half of my response. Her head jerked toward me, and she gave me an inquiring look. As always, Chrissy knew that something just wasn't right. I glanced at her, but refused to reveal any more.

  "Fantastic," Lucero said, noticing nothing strange. Turning to Chrissy, he began to talk to her. Because I had no more patience to continue to play the game, I walked away.

  Later on, I stood by the track fence, staring, looking at nothing. Sensing that another person had joined me, I slowly turned my head. It was not the nosy Chrissy, whom I had expected, but Arthur, my confidant and friend. He gave me a small smile, which I returned.