The Runaway Racehorse Read online

Suddenly the kids heard a soft whinny from inside the barn.

  Dink yelled for Forest, who came running.

  “Whirlaway?” Forest said. They all ran into the barn.

  Standing outside Whirlaway’s stall was a wet, muddy horse.

  “Where have you been, boy?” Forest asked his horse.

  Whirlaway shook his head. Water and mud flew off his mane. He stomped his front foot and gazed at the humans.

  Forest walked over and grasped Whirlaway’s halter. It, too, was muddy.

  Forest laughed and shook his head. “Looks like you’ve been rolling in a big mud puddle,” he said. “Kids, do you know how to wash a horse?”

  “Yes,” Josh said. “We wash my pony all the time.”

  Forest pointed to a hose and some buckets and sponges. He handed Ruth Rose a container of green soap. “Just be careful of his feet,” he said.

  Forest snapped a leather lead onto Whirlaway’s halter, then hooked the other end to a post. “Rinse the mud off first, then soap him down good.”

  Just then they heard a phone ringing from the house. “I’d better get that,” Forest said. “When Whirlaway is dry, just put him back in his stall.” He hurried back to the house.

  Dink filled a bucket with water, then turned the hose on Whirlaway. The horse stood still as muddy water cascaded off his sides.

  Ruth Rose poured some soap into the bucket, making the water turn green. The suds smelled like freshly cut grass.

  The kids soaked three big sponges in the soapy water. They each began washing a different part of the horse. Whirlaway rolled his eyes and tried to watch all three kids.

  “Hey, look at this,” Josh said. He pointed to the horse’s side. There was a mark in the mud. It was egg-shaped, about as big as his hand. Inside the oval was some kind of wiggly shape.

  “Josh, have you been finger-painting again?” Ruth Rose teased.

  “I didn’t do that!” Josh said. “It was already there.”

  The three kids looked closely at the imprint.

  “It almost looks like someone stamped him with something!” Josh said.

  CHAPTER 4

  “Whirlaway could have gotten that when he was rolling in the mud,” Dink said. “He probably rolled over a rock or piece of wood.”

  “Yeah, probably,” Josh said. He wiped his soapy sponge over the strange sign and it disappeared.

  Dink trained the hose on Whirlaway again to rinse off the soap.

  Ruth Rose found some towels hanging on the wall, and they rubbed Whirlaway’s coat.

  When he was dry and shining, Ruth Rose unhooked Whirlaway’s lead from the post to put him in his stall. “Come on, boy,” she said.

  Whirlaway rolled his eyes at Ruth Rose. He stiffened his legs and refused to walk.

  “Good job, kids!” Forest said as he walked into the barn. “He looks like a new horse!”

  “He won’t go in his stall,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Let me try,” Forest said. He took the lead from Ruth Rose and began stroking Whirlaway’s neck. He spoke softly in the horse’s ear. After a minute, Whirlaway walked into his stall. He stuck his nose into the oats bucket and began eating.

  Forest closed the stall door behind Whirlaway. “He was probably a little spooked from being out during the storm and coming home to all these strangers,” he said.

  Just then Sunny rode through the barn’s rear doors on a mountain bike. She hopped off, leaned the bike against a wall, and strode over in tall, muddy boots. “There’s the bad boy,” she said, reaching over the stall door to pet his nose.

  Whirlaway rolled his eyes, threw his head up, and backed into a corner.

  “Easy, boy,” Sunny murmured. She looked at Forest. “He seems scared of me.”

  “He did the same thing with me,” Ruth Rose said.

  The five humans watched the horse, who was also watching them.

  “Maybe he doesn’t feel good,” Dink suggested.

  “Could he have eaten something bad while he was gone?” Josh asked.

  “It’s possible,” Forest said. “But he looks fine. And he just ate some oats.”

  Sunny studied the horse. “I hope he runs okay tomorrow.”

  “How far away is Saratoga?” Dink asked.

  “A few hours. It’s near Albany,” Sunny told him. She looked at Forest. “I’ll come over at six and load Whirlaway into the trailer. I’ll be there in plenty of time for him to relax before his race.”

  “Good,” Forest said. “Now let’s go see what Warren bought for our supper.”

  Forest looked at his horse. “No more disappearing tricks, fella,” he said.

  Sunny pulled the stall’s top door shut and checked that the latch was in place.

  “See you tomorrow in Saratoga,” she said. The kids watched her straddle her mountain bike and ride out the door. She looked funny pedaling a bike in muddy rubber boots.

  Uncle Warren was back with groceries. Soon they were all eating a hearty meal. After supper, they finished the Scrabble game.

  At nine o’clock Forest stood up and yawned. “Long day tomorrow,” he said. “I’m ready to turn in.”

  “Sounds good to me, too,” said Uncle Warren. “See you all in the morning.” He patted Dink on the head and left the room.

  The kids padded down the hall to their rooms. As Dink and Josh were crawling into their beds, they heard a knock.

  Ruth Rose opened the door. “Nice Daffy Duck jammies, Josh,” she said, marching into the room with her book.

  “Quack-quack,” Josh said.

  Ruth Rose sat on the end of Dink’s bed with the book on her lap. “I want to read you guys something,” she said.

  “Oh, goody,” Josh said. “Can we have milk and cookies, too?”

  Ruth Rose held up her book. “This is really about learning to ride your own horse,” she said. “But there’s a chapter about jockeys.”

  She opened the book and began reading: “Jockeys must earn the horse’s trust. A good jockey does this by feeding and grooming the horse regularly Most horses learn to like their jockeys and become friends.”

  Ruth Rose looked up from the page. “Does anything strike you about that?” she asked.

  “Like what?” said Josh.

  “Well, did you notice how Whirl-away acted around Sunny?” Ruth Rose said.

  “He sure didn’t seem very friendly to her,” said Dink.

  “Yeah, he backed away as soon as she came in,” said Josh.

  “Exactly,” Ruth Rose said. “I think Whirlaway’s afraid of Sunny!”

  CHAPTER 5

  A hand on his shoulder woke Dink from a sound sleep. The light next to his bed was on. The Black Stallion lay on the bedcovers, still opened.

  Through sleepy eyes, he looked into his uncle’s face.

  “Morning, Donny,” Uncle Warren said quietly. “Time to get up.”

  “Hi, Uncle Warren,” Dink said.

  “You boys have to hop to it,” Uncle Warren said. “Forest wants to get on the road right after breakfast.” He smiled at Dink and left the room.

  Dink tossed his pillow over at Josh’s bed, then walked into the bathroom. Josh grumbled, but soon they were both dressed and headed for the kitchen.

  Forest and Ruth Rose were sitting at the table eating oatmeal. Uncle Warren took a pot off the stove and filled bowls for Dink and Josh.

  “Everyone sleep all right?” Forest asked.

  “I did,” Ruth Rose said. She spooned some brown sugar over her cereal. Today her color was purple: purple leggings, purple blouse, purple headband, purple sneakers.

  “Me too,” Dink said. “Except for Josh’s snoring all night.”

  They ate quickly, then left the house and piled into Forest’s car. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose sat in the backseat. They each had their books, and Josh had brought his pillow.

  Forest turned out of his driveway and drove through Larchmont. After making a few turns, he was on a wide highway. Dink saw a sign that said ALBANY, 120 MILES.

  A
few hours later, they arrived in Saratoga Springs. Forest pulled his car into a parking lot.

  They all climbed out of the car and stretched their legs. Under tall trees, Dink saw long green barns. Near the barns, men and women were grooming horses, feeding horses, exercising horses. There were horses everywhere!

  Ruth Rose took pictures of horses and one of a barn with the sun shining on the green wood.

  “Let’s go find Sunny,” Forest suggested. “She’ll be in barn E. Stall number twenty-one.”

  They cut through some trees, following a wide path. Barns stood on both sides of the path. Each barn had a large letter painted on one side.

  The gravel walkway was crowded with people. Some were walking horses; others were just looking.

  “There’s barn E,” Josh said, sprinting ahead.

  Forest, Uncle Warren, and the kids found Sunny outside stall 21. She had one foot on a bale of hay and was buffing her riding boot with a cloth. A can of black boot polish sat on the floor.

  “Hi, Sunny,” Forest said.

  Sunny wore white riding pants. Her silk racing shirt was green with yellow stripes on the arms. Circling her left arm was a cloth band with the number 21 stitched on. Her hair was tucked up under a hard hat covered in yellow silk. Oval-shaped goggles rested on the hat’s visor.

  Sunny dropped the cloth and smiled. “Hi, everyone,” she said.

  “Any problems?” Forest asked.

  “He didn’t want to walk into the trailer this morning,” Sunny said. “And he definitely didn’t like me getting him ready once we got here.”

  “Good morning, Whirlaway,” Forest said to his horse. “Why are you giving Sunny a hard time, eh, boy?”

  Everyone peered into the stall. Whirlaway was standing in a corner with his eyes on the newcomers.

  “He looks terrific, Sunny,” Forest said. “Nice job.”

  Sunny had brushed Whirlaway’s coat till it gleamed. The white tape she’d wrapped around his ankles looked snowy against his nearly black coat.

  “Why do you wear goggles?” Ruth Rose asked Sunny.

  “To protect my eyes,” Sunny said. “During races, the horses in front of me kick up dirt. You should see me when I race in the rain. Totally covered in mud!”

  “What time is the race?” Dink asked.

  “We’re in the second one,” Sunny said. “Two o’clock.”

  “We’ll be cheering you on,” Uncle Warren said.

  “Can I take a picture of you and Whirlaway?” Ruth Rose asked.

  “Sure,” Sunny said. She walked into the stall and put her hand on Whirlaway’s halter. Whirlaway rolled his eyes at her and threw his head back.

  Ruth Rose is right, thought Dink. Whirlaway doesn’t like Sunny at all.

  Ruth Rose snapped a picture.

  CHAPTER 6

  “Okay, gang, let’s go grab our seats,” Forest said.

  To get to Forest’s private box, they had to climb up three flights of stairs. Throngs of people filled the grandstand. Music was playing, and everyone seemed to be having a good time.

  The viewing box had a row of seats under a little roof. On both sides were other private boxes. Straight ahead was a perfect view of the starting gate and oval racetrack.

  “How long is the race?” Josh asked.

  “Twice around the track,” Forest said.

  A stack of race programs was on one seat. Forest handed them out. “Whirlaway’s on page two,” he said.

  The kids quickly checked and found Whirlaway’s name. Sunny was listed as Whirlaway’s jockey.

  “This is so exciting!” Ruth Rose said. She set her camera on the floor under her chair.

  A waiter wearing a white jacket came and took their lunch order. They made it simple for him: five cheeseburgers, five lemonades.

  “Where do the horses end up?” Josh asked.

  “At the finish line,” Uncle Warren said, “down there behind the starting gate.”

  The waiter brought their food. As they ate, they watched a group of horses and their riders come out onto the track. Some of the horses were bucking and prancing. The jockeys were outfitted in bright colors. Each rider wore goggles like Sunny’s.

  The horses were white, gray black, and several shades of brown. One was a golden palomino.

  Down below the owners’ boxes, people were lined up along the track fence. They began cheering when they saw the horses at the starting gate.

  Suddenly a man’s voice came over the speakers. “GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” he cried. “THE FIRST RACE IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!” While he called out the names of the horses and jockeys, the riders moved their horses up to the starting gate.

  Then a loud bell sounded, and the horses burst onto the track. The jockeys stood in the stirrups, their heads bent low over the horses’ necks.

  The crowd shouted and cheered. Even above the noise, the kids could hear the thunder of the horses’ hooves on the track. Clumps of dirt flew into the air behind each horse.

  “AND IT’S MERRY MARY IN THE LEAD!” the announcer exclaimed. “STARBURST IS A LENGTH BEHIND! CRANBERRY SAUCE IS THIRD!”

  Then it was over. A white horse had rocketed across the finish line first.

  “AND IT’S MERRY MARY BY HALF A LENGTH!” yelled the announcer.

  As the kids watched, the jockey pranced Merry Mary to the winner’s circle. A woman wearing a dress and a wide hat presented the jockey with a trophy. A man in a suit beamed and posed for a picture. “That’s the horse’s owner,” Forest informed the kids.

  “Is our race next?” Dink asked, checking his program.

  “Yes, in just a few minutes,” Forest’ said. He pointed to the track. “The horses are coming out already.”

  The three kids stood up.

  “Which one is Whirlaway?” Ruth Rose said, getting her camera ready. “There are a lot of dark horses with white marks on their foreheads.”

  Forest pointed over her shoulder. “In front of the white horse,” he said. “See Sunny’s yellow hat? And you can see the big twenty-one on Whirlaway’s saddle blanket.”

  The horses and riders approached the starting gate. When the announcer shouted, “NUMBER TWENTY-ONE IS WHIRLAWAY, RIDDEN BY SUNNY FIELDS!” Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose cheered. Ruth Rose snapped a picture. Forest put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

  Then the announcer’s voice boomed over the loudspeakers. “NOW THE SECOND RACE! AN EVEN DOZEN BEAUTIES OUT THERE!”

  And then the starting bell sounded, and the race was on. The crowd began yelling, but didn’t drown out the announcer’s voice.

  “WHAT A SIGHT, FOLKS! FANCY PANTS IS OUT FRONT. HIGH FIVE IS NEXT! HERE COMES PRETTY BALLOON ON THE OUTSIDE! AND LOOK AT THIS. DANCER IS SNEAKING UP ON PRETTY BALLOON. HE’S PASSING HIGH FIVE. DANCER IS IN THE LEAD!”

  Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose were on their feet. They jumped and yelled, “Come on, Whirlaway!”

  But Whirlaway was nowhere near the front. Number 21 was second to last as the horses barreled toward the finish line.

  By the time the race was over, Whirlaway had fallen back even more. He came in dead last.

  The kids sat down, disappointed. Forest stared at the racetrack.

  “What happened?” Uncle Warren said.

  Forest shook his head. “Whirlaway has never run so badly,” he said. “There’s something wrong!”

  CHAPTER 7

  “Well, he tried,” Uncle Warren said, laying his hand on Forest’s shoulder.

  “I know I can’t expect Whirlaway to win every race,” Forest agreed. “But he’s never run this poorly!”

  “Can we go see him?” Dink asked.

  “Sure,” Forest said, checking his watch. “Meet us back here in about fifteen minutes, okay?”

  The kids clambered down the grandstand steps and ran toward the barns. They entered barn E and walked past curious horses peering from stalls.

  “There’s Whirlaway,” Josh said, pointing. The horse, slick with sweat, was tied outside stall 21. Sunny was wipin
g him down with towels.

  Sunny looked up and nodded at the kids.

  “I’m sorry you didn’t win,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Not as sorry as I am,” Sunny muttered. Her outfit was filthy. She had removed her helmet, and her hair hung down, damp and straggly. Where her goggles had been, her face was clean. The rest was smeared with sweat and track grime. Her once shiny black boots were now brown with dust.

  Sunny knelt down and began unwinding the tape from Whirlaway’s legs. The tape was grimy.

  Sunny shook her head as she worked. “Whirlaway was running like a different horse,” she said.

  She walked away to find a trash can for the soiled tapes, leaving Whirlaway tied to his stall.

  “Maybe Whirlaway was just tired,” Dink said.

  “Maybe,” Ruth Rose agreed. “But jockeys can make horses go slower.”

  Josh looked at Ruth Rose. “You think Sunny made Whirlaway lose the race?”

  Ruth Rose shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Sunny came back and untied Whirlaway. She had to tug him up the ramp. He rolled his eyes as she walked him into the trailer.

  Sunny closed and latched the trailer door. Without saying a word, she climbed into the cab and drove away.

  “Something weird is definitely going on between Whirlaway and Sunny,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Whirlaway might just be having a bad day,” Dink said.

  Ruth Rose looked at her watch.

  “We’d better get back,” she said.

  They started walking toward the viewing stands. Dink noticed a small group of people gathered around a dark horse and its rider. “There’s the winner,” he said.

  “Yeah, Dancer,” said Josh.

  “I want to get a picture,” Ruth Rose said. The kids walked to the winner’s circle. They wiggled through the crowd until they were standing next to Dancer.

  Dancer’s chest and legs were sweaty. The white tape that covered his ankles was dirty. The jockey was dirty, too. He smiled as people took pictures.