Larry

By Theodore Huntington

The gripping tale of a troubled young thoroughbred who battles formidable odds en route to his true destiny.

From the day of his birth, Larry faces adversity, disappointing those with lofty expectations for the horse. Bestowed with a miraculous gift by a supernatural storm, Larry climbs to the heights of triumph while dodging foes and detractors who will exhaust all resources to defeat him.

Protected by his best friend, a jockey with her own magical gift, Larry gallops through hurdle after hurdle to reach his ultimate destiny. Experience every heart-pounding moment as Larry not only conquers his obstacles but emerges as a symbol of indomitable will, proving that destiny is shaped by the strides we choose to take and those whom we trust to stand by our side.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Next Chapter
• Release date: Dec 8, 2023

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

THE WIND WHIPPED through Larry’s mane as the sun glistened off his deep auburn coat. His muscles rippled with each majestic stride. The thundering sound of forty other hooves faded and now Larry could only hear the roar of one hundred thousand devoted ecstatic fans, many of whom shed tears of joy and amazement.

The little human who always climbed aboard Larry’s back for these runs rocked in rhythm to Larry’s blistering gait. Wearing her red, black, and white checkered colors, jockey Rachelle Hunter could no longer hold back her emotions.

You’re doing it, my friend, Rachelle whispered into Larry’s ear. It’s your dream. It’s your destiny… It’s my dream too.

Larry seemed to understand. The horse and the jockey held a special bond.

The ten erstwhile entries in the Belmont Stakes tried gallantly to keep pace with Larry. It was almost a formality that Larry would win the race. Odds were an astonishing 1:100, meaning bettors would have to wager one hundred dollars to win one. Larry dominated the first two legs of the Triple Crown, winning the Kentucky Derby by twelve lengths, and the Preakness Stakes by six. Most of the ten other horses’ owners who entered the Belmont acknowledged they were competing for second place.

Going into the race the nation was gripped with Larry Frenzy. Two distinct camps formed. The Larry supporters were completely enthralled with Larry’s story. They were thrilled at how Larry morphed from a struggling thoroughbred whom his owners almost discarded into the most astonishing equine athlete since Secretariat. Then there were the adversaries who doubted Larry’s abilities, claiming the horse’s stunning accomplishments must have been a result of illegal performance enhancements.

But Larry passed every ELISA (Equine Linked Immuno Sorbent Assay) test administered. Bending to pressure from a cadre of racehorse owners to investigate the spectacular yet unheard-of improvement in Larry’s performance, ARCI (the Association of Racing Commissioners International) ordered daily ELISA tests of the miraculous thoroughbred, whose given name was Sir Laurence Olivier, aka Larry. There was zero evidence of any impropriety. Larry was simply a freak of nature, a being touched by something spiritual and miraculous.

Larry took charge of the race from the moment the gates opened, sprinting to the front of the pack. His nearest competitor, a massive, midnight black filly named Holy Spirit, who stood eighteen hands high, tried to keep pace for the first three furlongs. Holy Spirit was already ten lengths behind Larry at that point.

Holy Spirit’s jockey, Thad Eisner, continued to go to the whip, cracking the horse’s left thigh as if there was a chance Holy Spirit might catch Larry. Holy Spirit put some distance between herself and the third-place entry, Carrot Stick. It seemed certain Holy Spirit would become the second horse in history to place second in all three legs of the Triple Crown. In 1978 Alydar dueled Affirmed, finishing by a combined margin of just two lengths behind Affirmed. Holy Spirit would match that feat, but the combined distance in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes would amount to an astounding sixty-seven lengths behind Larry.

It was Holy Spirit’s owner, the flamboyant British billionaire Peter James Gallagher, who spearheaded the effort to discredit Larry’s accomplishments. PJ Gallagher made his first billion in real estate and invested that wealth in several lucrative sports ventures. He owned the Manchester United Football Club, the Bayern Munich Football Club, and Coolmore Stables in Ireland, where Holy Spirt was bred.

Gallagher did not take losing very well. Holy Spirit entered the Triple Crown undefeated in her prior fifteen races, which all took place in Europe. There was a considerable build-up for the Kentucky Derby, with the press dubbing the race The Second Revolutionary War between the U.S. (Larry) and the British (Holy Spirit). Larry’s dismantling of Holy Spirit incensed PJ Gallagher even more. He took to the media with his tirade, claiming no horse could defeat his prized thoroughbred so soundly.

Gallagher sat in his private suite flanked by his closest associates, his publicist Georgina Theodore, and his personal assistant James White. PJ appeared confident before the race, boasting to the press that his horse had the stamina to outlast Larry in the mile-and-a-half distance. He already consumed three bottles of Perrier-Jouët champagne by race time to drown the pain of inevitable loss.

Inside, Gallagher knew Holy Spirit stood no chance against a healthy Larry. Gallagher’s only hope was that Larry would break down or collapse, which was a legitimate fear among some race experts who knew a horse could buck its shins if pushed too fast and too soon in a race. Gallagher also thought that maybe Larry’s ordeal leading up to the Belmont drained Larry’s energy for the long race.

With Sir Laurence Olivier soaring, continuously extending his lead, it was abundantly clear that Larry was going to attain his destiny. No challenges or foes could stop him.

Midway through the Belmont, Theodore and White joined the rest of the crowd, standing and shouting for Larry. While they supported PJ Gallagher and Holy Spirit completely, the moment was too great to quell the adrenaline rush of watching history take place before their eyes. They were in the presence of something supernatural. PJ Gallagher was the only person at Belmont Park who never rose from his seat. He would not see the end of the race and the inexplicable event that took place when Larry crossed the finish line.

There is no doubt we are all witnessing a miraculous, historical performance! race announcer Ned Capozzi shouted as Larry turned toward the final stretch. His voice was barely audible over the deafening crowd. I can’t even estimate the gap between Larry and Holy Spirit… thirty-five, maybe forty lengths?

In the early morning before the race, PJ Gallagher met with Eisner and Holy Spirit’s trainer, a statuesque redhead named Shannon Fritz, to discuss race strategy. Gallagher was adamant that Holy Spirit should stay on Larry’s heels for the entire race and make her move to pass Larry down the stretch. Fritz and Eisner disagreed. They knew if Larry broke fast and Holy Spirit was to stay close, then the filly would either burn herself out or worse, break down at some point from the blistering pace. Shannon Fritz proposed that Holy Spirit stay with the pack and let Larry dictate the pace. If Larry immediately sprinted to the lead, Fritz knew Holy Spirit’s only hope was that Larry would tire and fade during the lengthy mile-and-a-half race.

The debate got animated. An inebriated Gallagher threatened to fire his trainer and jockey, who also threatened to quit before the race. The shouting was so loud that it woke many horses in the nearby stables, including Holy Spirit, who appeared agitated from the ugly confrontation. Larry, however, whose stable was on the opposite side of the paddock, continued to sleep and dream about his destiny.

Maybe the yelling put Holy Spirit in a foul mood. Maybe the race strategy was wrong. Maybe there was nothing the owner, trainer, jockey, or horse could have done to compete with Larry on that day.

As he flies down the stretch, I am going to let Sir Laurence Olivier’s performance speak for itself. No words can adequately justify what we are witnessing. And with that, Capozzi turned off his microphone and cried while Larry thundered toward immortality.

One hundred yards from the finish line Rachelle Hunter glanced at the race clock. She knew Larry was going to smash Secretariat’s Belmont Stakes record – the one most racing experts predicted would last forever. But Rachelle did not care about the time or the record, or how many lengths were between Larry and second place finisher Holy Spirit. Rachelle’s only thought was about Larry’s destiny, the one that constantly appeared in her dreams.

A bright white cloud descended over Larry as he neared the finish line. Sparks flashed out of the cloud. It was the only cloud in the sky that was otherwise bright blue.

Ten yards from the finish Rachelle leaned her face against Larry’s neck. She appeared to be hugging her beloved equine companion.

I love you, Sir Laurence Olivier, Rachelle whispered while crossing the finish line fifty lengths ahead of Holy Spirit. Rachelle felt as if Larry’s hooves were no longer on the ground. His legs were galloping but Larry seemed to be flying.

The white cloud thundered and shot out a blast of light.

The cloud disappeared.

Larry disappeared into the cloud.

The crowd gasped in unison.

Rachelle Hunter rolled onto the dirt track sobbing. She looked up toward the heavens as the other horses crossed the finish line, darting around Rachelle to avoid trampling her.

I love you, Larry, Rachelle repeated.

CHAPTER TWO

SHE DOESN’T LOOK GOOD, DOC, Holly Henderson said to Drew Doc Pearson. The elderly veterinarian had been delivering foals on Henderson Stables in Burbank, California since Holly’s grandfather, Landry Henderson, first bought the farm five decades ago.

Holly received a call at four a.m. Dystocia, Doc Pearson told Holly. Best come down to the stable right away. We’re trying to save momma and baby.

It was an unseasonably cool March morning in Southern California. Holly sprinted to the stable, her breath forming clouds from her nostrils, much like one of her horses while racing on a muddy, rain-soaked track.

There was a uterine tear in the mare, Katharine Hepburn, and she was unable to deliver on her own. To make matters worse, the foal was in a challenging position with his head resting on top of his front legs. At thirty-seven, and living her entire life on the farm, Holly experienced her share of dystocia births. They often did not end well. The mare frequently died from uterine tear bleeding which endangered the baby as well.

This was Katharine Hepburn’s maiden foal. Sired by Clark Gable -- every horse at Henderson Stables carried the name of a celebrity – Holly and her siblings who shared in running the business were optimistic for the Gable-Hepburn foal. Katharine Hepburn enjoyed a successful racing career winning six out of ten races at Santa Anita Park. Clark Gable had similar success winning eight out of twelve races before retiring to stud at the age of five.

Holly stood over Doc Pearson and Katharine Hepburn, out of breath, hair dripping from the light rain. She stared at the veterinarian’s long white beard and thought to herself that Pearson aged considerably since she had last seen him. What can I do, Doc?

We’re losing her! Doc Pearson exclaimed. We need to get this foal out!

KATHARINE HEPBURN DID NOT MAKE IT.

The motherless colt was pulled into the world by Doc Pearson. He stood almost immediately but he felt the loss of his mother. He curled up against the dying mare, whimpering the saddest little cry.

Pearson held his stethoscope against Katharine Hepburn. She’s gone, he said to Holly. I’m so sorry.

All eyes turned toward the new colt who was still crying against his momma.

Look at the size of him, Henderson Stables’ lead trainer Hal Hochhausser noted. No wonder she couldn’t push him out.

Don’t say that! Holly yelled at her trainer. Don’t you dare blame the foal for his mother’s death!

I’m just saying, ma’am… He’s huge.

Holly’s brother Dexter Henderson arrived. Holly contacted him as soon as she received the call from Doc Pearson, but true to form Dexter opted for a couple more hours of sleep before tending to Katharine Hepburn’s life-threatening situation.

Dexter was Henderson Stables’ money man. A graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, he had hoped to open his accounting firm. But when Dexter’s and Holly’s father Tex died of a burst aneurysm at sixty-one, the twenty-three-year-old was forced to help the family business. Cold and aloof, and standing a hair under five foot six, Dexter resented his lot in life. His savvy money management skills helped Henderson Stables to turn a profit most years, but he was a loner with no friends who rarely if ever dated. At thirty-nine Dexter was likely still a virgin.

Holly Henderson was the antithesis of her brother. A high school cheerleader, Holly was blonde, beautiful, and popular. As a high school senior Holly began dating the school quarterback Paco Alzado. The couple married right after graduation, a few weeks after Holly found out she was pregnant. But Holly lost the baby in the first trimester and the young couple spiraled downward. Paco did not want his wife to work for the family business. He believed the wife’s role was to raise children and take care of the home.

Holly worked at Henderson Stables ever since she could run and never thought about another line of work. She loved horses and everything to do with them: breeding them, racing them – even cleaning the stables, and yes, dealing with the sorrow of a lost mare during childbirth. There were more men in Holly’s life after she and Paco split, but every man took a backseat to Holly’s true love, Henderson Stables.

There was a third sibling, Ann. The baby of the family, she never latched onto the family enterprise. She opposed horseracing, feeling it was barbaric and inhumane toward such beautiful creatures. Ann attended the University of California at Santa Barbara, majoring in zoology. She met a man during her senior year at UCSB, her microbiology professor Pablo Castillo, who was fifteen years her senior and who risked his career by dating one of his undergrad students.

Ann and Pablo were in love. Castillo resigned his position and eloped with Ann in Las Vegas two days after she graduated, much to the Henderson family’s dismay.

Despite their challenging predicament Ann and Pablo had a plan. They moved to Nebraska and took out a loan on a small farm in Brownville. It was a lovely spot on a little lake where the Castillos would raise chickens. There was enough space on the farm for a couple of horses. Pablo also wanted to write. He thought he may never earn the same income as a university professor, but Pablo and Ann were happy.

Despite her hands-off relationship with Henderson Stables, Ann was still one-third owner of the family business, and she held a seat on the board of directors. Holly and Dexter rarely bothered Ann with business matters unless it was necessary to get her opinion or vote on a board matter.

Shit! Dexter shouted upon seeing the dead mare. I had her popping out a bunch more foals. Sure hope that one colt can make us a lot of money. Dexter was emotionless. He only saw dollar signs when it came to the thoroughbreds.

Holly leered at her brother. You’re a cold bastard, aren’t you?

Someone has to look out for the bottom line, Sis.

IT WAS A LONG, HARROWING DAY for the elderly veterinarian. Doc Pearson arrived back at his home, greeted his pet dachshunds, and poured himself a snifter of brandy He cried for the loss of Katharine Hepburn, and passed out on his favorite leather recliner, spilling the liquor on the hardwood floor – much to his dogs’ delight – while his Frank Sinatra album skipped on the Victrola record player.

Doc slipped into slumber, experiencing a life-altering dream. Pearson lived seventy-two years as a normal man. He was planning to retire – maybe sell his Southern California home and veterinary practice and move to Belize. But when he awoke, Doc Pearson had a new mission in life.

CHAPTER THREE

LARRY BECAME A YEARLING as soon as the new year arrived. At sixteen hands, he already resembled an adult racehorse. His coat turned a deeper red than most chestnut thoroughbreds, and he had a distinct white marking on his forehead in the shape of a star. Holly Henderson believed the star foreshadowed greatness.

Holly and Hal Hochhausser met almost daily to discuss Larry’s progress. Larry was one of fourteen thoroughbreds at Henderson Stables. Several of the other horses, including Charles Bronson, Sophia Loren, and Mel Brooks, enjoyed modest success. Even as a one-year-old rumblings were growing that Sir Laurence Olivier might become the first Henderson Stables product to win a Triple Crown race if Larry could overcome his internal issues.

His mother’s death deeply affected little Larry. It took Larry several months before he would interact with the other horses. Fanny Brice, who was born just six weeks before Larry, was happy to have a playmate her age. Fanny was rambunctious and curious. She played with the big red bouncy balls, even engaging in a game of fetch. Fanny was persistent in her attempts to connect with Larry. But Larry was sad. He was immediately weaned from his dam at birth, and he suffered from that.

How’s our big red colt? Holly asked Hal every morning.

Blue.

Will you look at Fanny Brice? That girl’s got spunk. Fanny tried every day to engage Larry in some horseplay. She would roll the rubber ball toward Larry with her snout, but Larry would watch the ball bounce off his leg without moving a muscle.

I’m gonna try out the light saddle on Fanny next week, Hochhausser said.

You think she’s ready for that?

"Not sure. She’s rather good with the clicker. Comes on command. And she loves to