The Black Stallion's Filly by Walter Farley Page B

reputation for forecasting accurately the top three-year-olds each year.
    Alec turned to Henry. “I see he’s got Silver Jet at the top of the list.”
    â€œYeah, he figures that the colt will be able to go the distance and win some classics this year.”
    â€œHe should,” Alec said. “He’s a good colt.”
    â€œTom Flint thinks so, too,” Henry said. “I saw him at the Kentucky sales. He thinks so much of his Silver Jet that he paid sixty-six thousand dollars for a full-brother yearling.”
    â€œDon’t you like him?” Alec asked.
    â€œSure. Silver Jet is a fine colt, plenty fine. He should be right up front come Derby Day, if nothing happens to him before then.”
    Alec turned back to the magazine. He noticed Henry’s penciled check marks alongside the names ofa few horses. “Why the checks, Henry?” he asked without taking his eyes off the list.
    Moving closer, Henry placed a heavy, square-tipped finger on the page. “I figure,” he said, “that of all these three-year-olds there are five who in my opinion stand the best chance of copping the Derby. The two at the top, Silver Jet and Eclipse, certainly should be strong contenders. Further down the list here I’ve marked one I like too. He’s a California-bred colt named Golden Vanity. He wasn’t raced heavily last year at two, but what he did was most impressive. To me, anyway,” he added hastily.
    His finger moved again. “And here’s a Virginia colt called Wintertime, who was improving fast toward the end of last season. I think he’ll continue moving up this year, and work his way right up with the others by Derby time.”
    Henry’s finger dropped almost to the bottom of the list. “And the last I’ve marked is Lady Lee, who will bear watch—”
    â€œA filly?” Alec interrupted.
    â€œYeah, and I think a good one. She likes distance and just might go a mile and a quarter.”
    Henry sat back in his chair, and Alec put down the magazine.
    â€œPretty soon now,” Henry said, “we’ll be able to tell a little more about these horses.”
    â€œYou mean in the Santa Anita Derby?”
    Henry nodded. “Golden Vanity will be in that race.”
    â€œWhen is it run?”
    â€œFebruary twenty-fourth. That’s next Saturday.”
    Alec picked up the magazine again and thumbed its pages but he was not really looking for anything in particular. In the midst of all his farm work he seldom had a chance to remember that the Kentucky Derby was more than just one big race in May for any number of three-year-olds. Many of them even now were at the racetrack, ready to begin the long trek that might lead to the winner’s circle of the Kentucky Derby.
    From next Saturday until the first Saturday in May, there would be races such as the Santa Anita Derby, the Flamingo, the Experimental Handicaps, and the Wood Memorial—to name only a few. They were all important races in themselves, but they were also considered preparatory races to the greatest American classic of them all, the Kentucky Derby. Actually, some were good tests for Derby candidates and some weren’t. Alec believed that the races to be run this month and next came much too early in the year to rank as truly significant tests. And not one of all these preparatory races was over the Derby distance of a full mile and a quarter. Yet they bore watching, for from these races usually emerged the Derby winner.
    But not always. A few three-year-olds had arrived unheralded, even untried, at the Kentucky Derby post and had gone on to win. Might not Black Minx be one of these?
    Alec looked up from the magazine. “I’d forgotten it was all starting so soon,” he said. “I thought we could wait until May before getting excited about the big one.”
    Henry smiled. “Plenty of people are becoming excitedright now, hoping their colts and