The Horse That Could Be 'too Damn Fast'

The best way to understand Honest Pleasure's problem is to go back to a warm Florida morning in late March. It is two weeks before the Florida Derby, in which the horse will be making his third start of the year. He needs a work this morning; Jolley wants him to go a nice easy seven furlongs in 1:27. Fast enough to be another step in building up endurance, slow enough to keep him from what prizefighters call leaving your fight in the gym.

But how do you get this swift and headstrong animal to do something so beneath his dignity? To Honest Pleasure running means knocking off seven furlongs at top speed, say in 1:21 at the least.

Jolley has concocted an elaborate scheme to fool his horse into slowing down. For as long as possible, Honest Pleasure will be gulled into believing that he is not going to work at all. He will be led to think that he is merely out for a walk around the track, maybe a little jogging, at best a slow gallop. By the time he realizes that he will have a chance to run, he may be too surprised to move any faster than Jolley wants him to move.

Will the scheme work? A lot depends on it. At least the $91,440 winner's share of the Florida Derby, perhaps all the potential millions that the Kentucky Derby is worth.

Honest Pleasure's exercise boy this morning is Pinky Hurley, an ex-jockey who, since retiring from the races, has galloped and worked such good ones as Forego, last year's Horse of the Year. Pinky is on the short side, like most men who ride for a living, but he is built like a barrel. He weighs a little more than most exercise boys, and the extra pounds are mostly muscle. Though he is 62 years old, his upper arms still have the girth and solidity of tree trunks.

Any jockey in the world would have jumped at the chance to get on Honest Pleasure this morning. But Jolley does not want a jockey today. "Jockeys aren't strong at holding a horse back," he explains. "They're not used to it. They're strong at pushing a horse forward—and that's just what we don't need."

Even Pinky, for all his strength and experience, looks grim as he gets into the saddle. He and Honest Pleasure will go to the track accompanied by a stable pony ridden by another experienced ex-jockey named John Nazareth, who is one of Jolley's assistant trainers. As with most jockeys who have spent a lot of time trying to hold down their weight, Nazareth's face is permanently seamed and drawn. Now he looks even more agonized than usual. Can you really hope to fool a horse who, in his own way, is probably the equal of Einstein?

Honest Pleasure and the pony are ready to head for the track. Jolley reminds their riders once more of the plan. "Easy, easy, easy all the way. Just kind of sneak off. Easy, easy, EASY!"

Pinky and Nazareth take the horse path to the track. Jolley goes the pedestrian way. With him are some friends who have come to watch the big horse work. Jolley makes small talk; he tries to keep his nerves from jumping out of his skin. But he gives himself away. A long silver chain is attached to the stopwatch with which he will time the work. Jolley carries the watch in his palm and keeps swinging the chain around his extended thumb. Making ever smaller circles, the chain winds around the thumb. Then it changes direction and winds away. Wrap and unwrap, back and forth. The closer Jolley gets to the spot in the stands from which he will watch, the faster the chain swings.

In the stands, Jolley continues to chat with his friends. He points to two young women and a young man, all in jeans, who have just arrived down near the finish line. "Those are my employees, over here to watch the work," he says. "I wonder who's minding the store." A little joke to ease the tension. But the watch chain keeps circling faster and faster, glinting in the early morning sunlight.