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When the gate explodes open at 3:30PM on Friday (October 30th), 13 juvenile Thoroughbreds will burst onto the Kentucky grass and carry the hopes and dreams of many people on their young backs.
A juvenile Thoroughbred in many ways still is as green of the grass on which they run–but a two-year old who’s ready to race at that young age is willing, able and absolutely ready to make their mark in history books. A horse who proves him/herself in their juvenile year lights the fire of hope in the eyes of their connections as they race headlong into their three- year-old campaign.
No horse in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Friday will carry on his back more hope or Love than Manhattan Dan. The son of Big Brown won resoundingly in Saratoga on August 19th of this year by three lengths, going gate-to-wire. Almost immediately after the break, the big, handsome Man-Dan (as I call him) took the lead by 2 1/2, and never gave it up. Clearly, Man-Dan Loved the feeling of the cool Saratoga grass beneath his big feet. Obviously, this horse was born to run.
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The day before the race, Gary predicted Man-Dan’s victory: in his Clinic at the Racing Museum (“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Horse Racing–but Were Afraid to Ask”)–Gary told the audience of about 80 people that he believed that Dan would do well on the turf the next day. (Those of you who’ve read the 2015 edition of Equicurean may have seen my article about Gary and ROI. In the piece, I quoted the DRF, which stated that, Gary Contessa doesn’t run a horse on grass unless he believes that he can win.)
Gary doesn’t run a horse on grass unless he believes that he can win. So surely, he wouldn’t have trained and shipped Man-Dan to Lexington to be in the Juvie Turf unless he felt that the horse has a chance of crossing that line first. I believe that Man-Dan has the ability, too (not that MY opinion counts)–but even if he was only “sort-of” capable–the Love that Manhattan Dan receives from everyone connected to him would be enough to make him fly with wings as Pegasus.
Anyone with half a brain knows that animals respond to kindness, and to Love. As Gary has pointed out on more than one occasion, only an idiot would think that a horse can be abused, and excel as a race horse. (As Gary told me once, horses are prey animals. Some horrible people can abuse them, and abuse them–but eventually that prey animal will be overtaken by their “fight or flight” instinct–and realize that they weigh 10 times that of their abuser. And that their hooves and power of their legs make excellent percussive weapons against such abusers. In other words: You can be rotten to a horse, but eventually the horse’s instincts will kick in and tell him that it’s OK to kill you.)
So if abusing a horse inspires retaliation, what does Love inspire? Love, of course, is the healer of all ills. Seabiscuit came around because Tom Smith loved him: after years of abuse and neglect, Seabiscuit knew that he was safe. That he didn’t have to fight anymore. The natural response to Love is gratitude. A grateful horse–a horse who knows that he’s valued–treasured, even–wants to win the race. They love back, and they know that the race must be important to their lover–so they give it their all.
I believe this with all my heart, so I can write in all confidence that, if Manhattan Dan doesn’t win the BC Juvie Turf–it won’t be because he didn’t try. Clearly, the magnificent colt is beloved by everyone in Gary’s barn–by his owners–and by Gary and his wife, Jennifer. I love Man-Dan; I wish I was in Lexington to give him some lovin’, as well.
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Love heals all–ends wars–grows beautiful things. The Love that Gary, Jennifer and Team Contessa lay on Man-Dan–every hug, every kiss, every eye stroke–is growing the horse into a confident, secure, sentient living being who knows that he’s valued. And I know that he’ll give that race his very best, because he’s doing it for the humans who purely, really and truly– love him.
Be safe, Manhattan Dan. Be well. Yes, you’re carrying the hopes of many people on your strong, beautiful back–but you, of all the 13 horses in that race–will run on the fuel of Love. Cynics make fun of this concept, but anyone who’s a real race fan knows that every truly great horse is the product of God’s first motivation when He made the Universe. God is motivated by Love, plain and simple. How can any human or horse not respond to such pure intent? Go get ’em, Man-Dan, and do it with Love.