Fast Horses, Fast Money

Blast-off was approaching…

Act 3 would soon begin, and the nervous stars of the show--wearing strange facial contraptions and leather adornments around their muscular bodies--waited for the call in their open-air dressing rooms. The medicinal smell of liniment penetrated the airy, barn-type structure that abutted the cavernous outdoor theatre--where the stars would soon display their incredible athletic talents.

Dozens of noisy fans, squeezed into a narrow viewing area, watched and studied the stars in their stalls. Looking for clues. What did their body language say? Were they ready to perform at their best? Were they lively and alert, or listless and comatose? Were their ears pricked up? Or spread out like airplane wings?

Brandishing whips like musical conductors, the proud, diminutive actors, who seemed to belong in the Wizard of Oz´s Munchkin-land, strutted past their adoring fans.

Wiry and tough, they wore small helmets, black boots, and colorful silk costumes with intricate designs and initials. Teenage girls giggled. Children poked their hands through the fence to touch their heroes. Relatives and friends were kissed. Everyone wished them good luck on their dangerous journey.

Minutes later they had mounted their steeds, muscular animals that looked like Thoroughbreds on steroids. Soon the lights were dimmed. Then the curtain lifted, revealing a noisy, chaotic scene. The audience screamed.

When the dust had settled at Los Alamitos Race Course--one of the few California tracks to offer night Quarter Horse racing--my wife nudged me and said, "I´ve got it."

"Got what? A cold? Some disease?"

"The winner, fool! What else?"

I glanced at the tote board in the track´s grassy infield. My eyes bugged out. Speechless, I stared enviously when she triumphantly waved her winning ticket.

"30-1!" she exclaimed. "Ka….ching! I´m rich! Jealous?"

"Why´d you bet that horse?" I wondered.

"Guess I liked the name," she laughed, a mischievous glint in her eye. She skipped down the grandstand´s steps to pocket $62 for a measly $2 bet.

I was reeled in...hook, line, and sinker.

Hooked on the Greatest Show on Earth: Quarter Horse racing, the equine kingdom´s version of top-fuel dragsters.

HISTORY

Some equine historians claim that the Quarter Horse--generally shorter and stockier than the typical Thoroughbred--represents the first native breed in the U.S., tracing back to genetic crosses between Spanish and Indian horses. Called Quarter Horses because of their unique ability to sprint a quarter-of-a-mile faster than any other breed, these equine cheetahs can fly up to 55 miles-per-hour. Leaving the sleek Thoroughbred in the dust, asking for mercy.

Early American colonists used these horses for match racing--one-on-one contests involving short races down village streets, country lanes, or pastures. According to the American Quarter Horse Association, the first recorded match race took place in 1672 in Virginia. The colonists not only bet on these contests, but also often fought over the financial ramifications, with some owners refusing to pay up after a loss. Apparently many arrests were made.

Quarter Horse racing at Los Alamitos began in 1947, when Frank Vessels, a wealthy contractor who also enjoyed good match races, carded a six-race program in his backyard racetrack. The AQHA reports that up to 2,000 racing fans showed up at his 435-acre ranch on Sunday, August 3. The races became so popular that Vessels started holding them every Sunday. In 1949, the California legislature passed a new law permitting major tracks to add Quarter Horse races to their programs, and a year later the California Horse Racing Board approved an 11-day season to begin Dec. 4, 1951.

Preparations for the first-ever all-Quarter Horse pari-mutuel meet now began in earnest on Vessels´ ranch. The track´s surface was improved, and Vessels installed electric timing and photo-finish equipment. The old bleachers were expanded to seat more than 4,500 customers. To house more than 400 horses shipping in from Nevada, Arizona, Texas, and Oklahoma, barns also had to be constructed. Opening day drew 4,123 racing fans to Vessels´ track, with $94,154 being wagered on the races, according to the AQHA.

UNIQUE RACES

D. Wayne Lukas, the legendary Thoroughbred trainer who began his training career at Los Alamitos, once said that Quarter Horse racing´s more intense than Thoroughbred contests because there´s only a beginning and an end, no boring middle.

No agonizing stretch call. No rating. The pedal´s always to the metal. Explosive power that leaves you breathless. A blinding climax.

When your first race flashes by like a sudden bolt of distant lightning, you may have to ask your friends for a reality check.

"Hey, did you see that? What happened? It´s over already? Who won?"

The starting gate shakes and rattles when these firecrackers blast off with maximum thrust, their forelegs often crumpling with their first step. And the best seats are always front-row: along the rail, as close to the heart-pounding action as possible. The only place that teaches you how fast these talented athletes really are--and how hard they´re trying to win.

The distant low rumble of oncoming hooves soon becomes a thunderous clamor, and the ground literally shakes when they streak by you at Mach 3. Pounding the ground. Dirt clods flying. Manes streaming. You can hear these fierce competitors breathing fire, straining for every last ounce of oxygen. Their raw power--generated largely by turbocharged hindquarters--will astound you.

Adapted from "Fast Horses, Fast Money: The Complete Guide to Quarter Horse Racing." By Steve Sharp.