Re: Bailey Profile (639 Views)
Posted by:
richiebee (IP Logged)
Date: January 20, 2006 05:08PM
I read Laughing in the Hills when it was first published, and again a couple of summers ago. It has a different perspective, but personally I thought it could have been better if its setting was a larger track, with more prominent jocks and trainers and more significant horses... and whats up with all that medieval Italian stuff?
In a darker shade, Track Conditions, A Memoir by Michael Klein. Klein, an openly homosexual college age man with substance abuse problems, ends up on the backstretch, getting to the point where he is grooming Swale as a 2YO. The next Spring, having run afoul of Woody Stephens the entire winter (Woody was much more tolerant of Klein's substance problems than he was of some of Klein's other lifestyle choices) Klein and Swale end up in the winner's circle at Churchill. Before the running of the Preakness Klein goes on a drunk that even scares the Woodman, gets fired and of course later emerges as a prime suspect in Swale's tragic death before the Belmont.
Klein's narrative of his drunken, abusive father taking him to the track as a young teen, his descriptions of life behind the scenes at tracks large and small are very incisive, as are his observations about the legendary Stephens. I could have done without the graphic descriptions of homosexual acts, but it didn't get to the point where it detracted from the story.
The only thing better than a lie is a true story which nobody can believe. What I find unbelievable is that the creator/ distributor of a world renowned product, which carries the name of a truly legendary pioneer in the business, would allow his bulletin board to be used for hate speech which reaches near libelous levels each day. I feel badly for a fellow who has to carry such a strong hatred around with him each day, chafing his nates till they are burned to a crispy crunch, but its even more unfortunate that he brings down the integrity of a certain product each time he cries out in pain.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2006 05:16PM by richiebee.