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The Mass Cap
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Posted by B.Bailey on May 31, 2001 at 14:40:24:
Suffolk Downs is where Tom Smith first saw a motley recalcitrant three-year-old colt sired by Hard Tack. (A flour biscuit that was a staple of seagoing men for centuries·It was stored in oaken barrels. Inevitably the flies got into the barrels and of course with flies come maggots. Sailors were trained to not look at their hard tack when they ate it and if consumed in that manner it was said that the biscuit was quite edible. One of the tricks to rid the hard tack of maggots was to turn the open barrel on its side and place a piece of raw meat near the barrel mouth. In about an hour, the barrel was effectively de-maggoted·but that's a story about the H.M.S. Victory). Anyway, Tom looked the horse over and apparently told someone that he nodded at the colt and that the colt nodded back. (Apparently the fact Tom Smith spoke to someone is even more unusual than this particular horse mimicking a persons actions) At the time, the colt was trained by the legendary Sunny Jim Fitzimmons. (I first saw Sunny Jim's picture in the clubhouse at Hialeah Park and wondered why the track would hang a picture of such a hideously distorted figure among other pictures depicting the splendor of dappled thoroughbreds·We are all na•ve at some time.) Fate conspired to have that little homely Hard Tack colt leave Sunny Jim's care and place him into the hands of Tom Smith. The rest is history. That colt was Seabiscuit and among other great Victories (oh the H.M.S. story wasn't completely irrelevant) he went on to win the Massachusetts Handicap, which brings me back to earth. Who's gonna win this year? Mr. Bailey will have more to say about this one. Though no immediate reference to the jockey is intended. Lol B.Bailey
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