Thursday, February 19, 2015

Wise Dan Just a horse...but, oh my, what a horse!

                                                            


                                             WISE DAN
                                     
                   Just being a horse…but, oh my, what a horse!    
     


     Amy was in the barn awaiting our arrival, she and Charlie up now for goodness knows how long, certainly well before the winter sun’s first rays cohered to kindle a blush in the eastern horizon and thaw the chill from this early February morning.  We entered the barn and were led to the stall to greet the great one.   The converted old tobacco structure, while highly functional and meticulously maintained, from the outside gave little clue to being the winter domain of equine royalty.  Having visited him countless times during the dawning of a Keeneland morning, I have been unfailingly awed by his power, grace and majesty under tack and, along with the entire racing world, have repeatedly borne witness to his racing supremacy over these past five years, a career of such pre-eminence that he now unquestionably belongs to the pantheon of the racing immortals.  It was, thus, with no little excitement that I anticipated this visit.  With the sliding of the stall door, the big chestnut gelding, warmed by the cloak of a winter blanket, looked with reserved  interest at his visitors, offered no resistance as Amy snapped a rope lead-shank onto his halter, and walked quietly and willingly from his evening abode. 
     
     There was no rearing, biting, or similar worrisome mischief, no fighting or tugging necessitating forced restraint, no anxious moment of misbehavior.  This was Amy Lopresti with Wise Dan, she fully relaxed and confident in her champion, he totally at ease in his role, a palpable bond of great affection and respect quietly displayed for all to see.  Standing off to one side and carefully scrutinizing his famous charge stood Charlie Lopresti, trainer and principle custodian of this near national treasure, his eyes knowingly surveying the entirety of the big gelding then carefully fixating upon his fetlocks, here seeking any evidence which might prove a harbinger of some unwelcome complication with Dan’s convalescence from his now well-publicized non-displaced condylar fracture.  A knowing hand palpated for any suspicion of heat or effusion that might indicate any regression from Dan’s thus far excellent and uncomplicated recovery, but here a quick grin and knowing head-nod indicated his satisfaction.  Still being led by Amy, Dan reached to the ground and grabbed a mouthful of winter grass while Charlie analyzed his walk, again seeking any tell-tale sign of unsoundness. Happily finding none, Amy unsnapped the lead-rope from Dan’s halter and turned him loose.
     
     Experiencing the anxiety of the uninitiated, I here feared that upon release he might at this point suddenly explode in the air then, crashing to the earth, wheel and race across his 17 acre field, in so doing jeopardizing his fragile limb.  My concerns were quickly laid to rest.  Perhaps it is just his nature, or maybe he’s simply that smart, but Dan seems to look after Dan.  He immediately dropped his head for another mouthful of winter forage, then again looked up and turned to stare at his visitors.  In the adjacent field grazed his eminently talented but star-crossed older half-sibling, Successful Dan, and periodically Wise Dan would gaze over at his brother who was quietly enjoying the company of two fine fillies.  Now both these lads are geldings, so romance was certainly not his issue of interest. Perhaps Wise Dan was anticipating that time in the near future when he will share a field with his brother, the two of them surrounded by an adoring equine audience, they awestruck while the two Dans swap racing stories which, if the mood is quite right, they just might choose to embellish here and there!  Now the record books would suggest quite an advantage to the tales of Wise Dan, for few horses have been as accomplished as this fellow.  Those who knew Successful Dan, however, who really understood how very good he was, will tell you that on his best day on dirt, if free from his myriad of plaguing injuries, Successful Dan would push Wise Dan to his very limit.  Horses seem to have an implicit understanding about such things, of true talent, so the interchange between these two could be quite interesting!
     
     For now, however, Wise Dan seemed most content in hanging around Charlie and Amy and their guests, wandering over to find out what all the discussion was about, seeming here to be looking for a little attention, apparently well aware that he is the main attraction here just as he is everywhere else in the racing world.  Donning no shining, sleek summer coat crying racing fitness, he now sported a long winter shag, soft and almost fuzzy to the touch, evidence that he is allowed to be “just a horse” in this off season, tucked away at night and constantly monitored to be sure, but allowed full exposure to the winter elements during the daylight hours and treated in most ways like all the horses on this picturesque and beautifully maintained farm. 
     
     Encouraged by Charlie and Amy to approach Dan, I must admit to a special thrill as the greatest horse I have ever known allowed me to wrap my old arm affectionately around his gallant neck and give him a kiss on his velvety muzzle.  I stood in awe and wonder that this so very kind, gentle, and seemingly affectionate horse is the same majestic beast I have cheered on so many times, the same horse that Johhny Velazquez struggles mightily to restrain in the early goings of each race, the same red blur that charges down the stretch with wild abandon, forging between foes and making holes where none exist, bouncing off hedges and squeezing through invisible openings, ears pinned in fury, red fire blowing from flaring nostrils, the same grand champion who refuses…absolutely refuses…to be defeated!  But it is he, the truly great Wise Dan, just being a horse…but, oh my, what a horse is he!
     
     We clearly cannot know what the future will hold for Dan.  We can wish and hope, and each of us here has perhaps a different dream, but paramount for all is his well-being, his safety.  He has nothing more to prove on the track and anything more, particularly at his age, would be almost inconceivable…but, then again, he is Wise Dan!  Thus far his convalescence is said to be progressing well, his fracture healing with no evidence of any untoward happenings.  Hopefully it will continue thus and, if so, it is indeed possible that we might once again be graced by his presence upon the race course.  We must not lose sight of the fact however that, even without this injury to overcome, Wise Dan is now eight years of age, an age at which very few horses, even truly great horses such as he, have been able to successfully compete at the very highest level of competition.  There comes to all living things that ill-defined moment in time when the most subtle changes occur, initially undetectable and unmeasurable, but changes nonetheless that ultimately define the difference between victory by a forging head…or defeat by a quivering nostril.  Nobody understands this better than Charlie Lopresti and he is ever diligent in his responsibility to his noble warrior.  If there is any doubt about the adequacy of fracture healing, any concern about his capability to perform at his previous level, any lingering questions about his physical fitness or mental enthusiasm, then Wise Dan will race no more.  The concern, clearly, is that the aforementioned subtle changes might not be recognized until his decline is present for all to witness.  Charlie understands only too well Dan’s place in the annals of American racing, his yoke of responsibility to his famous charge borne with dignity and great awareness of duty, and he will knowingly do nothing to prejudice Wise Dan’s esteemed position in racing history.  The tears in Amy Lopresti’s eyes as she reminisces about what he has meant to them and the quiver in Charlie’s voice as he speaks of Dan’s courage and his ability to overcome the setbacks, both known and unknown to the public, speak volumes about the love these two special people feel for this equally special horse.  He has become part of their family and will remain so throughout all their lives. 
     
     That Wise Dan is in the very best of hands is an absolute truth.  His legion of fans should take comfort in this fact and understand that whatever may come, regardless of whether or not he ever races again, tremendous thought and consideration has been put forth into any determination pertaining to Wise Dan… and then it is in the hands of the racing gods.  We pray they are as generous to Wise Dan as he has been to the world of racing.

Murray D. West
Paris, Kentucky
2-18-2015






















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