♪♪ (crow cawing in distance) (rooster crowing) (whinnying) Easy, now. Take it easy. (whinnying) Ooh-whee, look at that horse go. What you got there, Gordo? Ho! Look at that time. Now that is a solid little so-and-so. Danny... What you doing there, you little track rat? Nothing, Solly. Seen my Uncle Eddie anywhere? I'm willing to bet he's over there at the barn doing a little voodoo hoodoo on that hard-luck horse of yours. Thanks. Now, you see your uncle, you tell him to call me. I got some business to discuss with him, some good business. You got it! Hi, Danny. Hi, Beth. Morning, Danny. Hi, John. Gentlemen, and lady, I present Manifest Wind, the pride of our three-year-olds. (murmuring) Can we get one with y'all and Manifest Wind? Certainly. See? Right there. I want to thank all of you for coming out, and we will see you this afternoon at the races. Mrs. Slauson, could he be a contender for the Tucker Stakes? We'll see. Harland, is he ready? And I mean really ready. I can't afford mistakes this season. Mrs. Slauson, I would stake my career on it. Oh, Harland, let's hope it doesn't come to that. See you in the paddock this afternoon. (engine starts, revs) So, how's he doing, Charlie? He's still pretty swollen. Hey, Eddie. Hey, Danny. Not off to school yet? I'm getting there. Gotta see Mooney first. Can't that guy do his own spying around the track? Big Solly said he needs to talk to you. Yeah? He say what about? I don't know. Good business, he said. Well, good. We could use some good business. Think ol' Mr. How Do You Do has a chance today? Absolutely. If it rains. Great. What ya got? Figure it out for yourself. You sure about these times? Ever known me to be wrong? Don't spend it all in one place, okay? Say, what do you know about a horse named Manifest Wind? Slauson bred, MacVie trained. Royal blood on both sides of the family, probably a contender for the Tucker Stakes. They were parading him in front of the press this morning. Yeah, he's running in the seventh today, first race ever. They trained him off track. (scoffs) I wouldn't touch that race with a ten-foot pole. He looked pretty good. Yeah, well, looks ain't everything. I guess. Would you mind? Give it here. Five for the #2 horse to win in the first. Five for the #4 in the second, but only if it's over 7/2. And... and... And? And ten for Manifest Wind in the seventh. A hunch bet? A hunch bet? (chuckles) I thought I taught you better. Sometimes I-- Well, sometimes is never when you're betting without stats. It's your money. I'll pick the rest up after school. Thanks, Mooney. A hunch bet. Unbelievable. The flag is up... (gate bell ringing) ...and they're off! Mud Dog in the lead, followed by Wolf Creek. Mud Dog and Wolf Creek continue to battle for the lead. Manifest Wind is just further back, then Rambling Rocket. Running on hydrosphere are the field, and they've run (crowd cheering) The number two horse, Manifest Wind, breaks away from the pack, down the final stretch to take the lead. Wolf Creek tries to stay with him, but Manifest Wind heads for the wire! A length down lays the head of Wolf Creek. Manifest Wind's going to win this race by a length. Mud Dog and Wolf Creek second and third. Manifest Wind, a fine young prospect from one of racing's best-known stables. Now in the winner's circle is Manifest Wind. Ha, a hunch bet. Who'd you have to win here? Who else? Manifest Wind. Don't you have all the luck? I know my horses, Eddie. Yeah, well, I'll go check on our horses and clean up. I'll meet you at home. Great race, Mrs. Slauson. Oh, why, thank you, dear. I had him to win, too. You did? He took the first pole like a champ. But didn't you think he slowed down in the last stretch? Harland, this young girl wants your job. Well, from the mouths of babes... You got lucky this time, kid. Mooney. Just remember, all hunch players die broke. I'll see you in the morning. Gotta be honest, Pop, this is not the season for two-year-olds. Eddie's having a tough time finding any to condition. All the big barns seem to be buying the promising youngsters at the auctions. We're trying our best. What can you do with just a couple of broken-down horses? I'm concentrating more on my handicapping... which I know you wouldn't approve of, Mama, but how else can we make ends meet? (door creaking) Hey Danny, loan me a 20, huh? Sorry, I don't got. I've seen your winnings. Empty, see? What about that one right there? Our savings, Eddie? Come on, just 'til tomorrow. Look, if we're ever going to get ahead, we have to follow our budget-- Yeah, yeah, yeah, just give-- Absolutely, positively not the savings. You know what your trouble is? You're too old for your age. Gonna be a late night. Nah, I got that meeting in the morning with Cornell Baynes. The big shot old Solly trains for? Yep. That's what he wanted to talk about? Yeah. And you're going out tonight? Just a couple of beers with the guys. Nothing doing. A meeting like that, you need a good night's rest. Hey, who's the adult here anyway? ♪♪ Don't you worry. Eddie and me, we're doing okay. Solly here tells me you've got the magic touch, Eddie. That so? I-- I don't know about magic. I admired your brother very much. One fine horseman. John was the best. He trained Wild Wonder, am I right? Yes, sir. Oh, what a horse. What a horse! He would've beat 'em all in the Tucker Stakes if he'd had the chance. Oh, terrible tragedy, that car wreck. John and Molly, they were good people. They had a little girl. Uh, Danny. Danielle. Well, to business. Eddie, I grabbed a little filly at auction last summer. Good price, good blood. Now, she don't do much in the morning. She's a real loafer. And Solly doesn't have time to mess with the horse, so we, uh, you know... We figure we're gonna take her out of state, run her in one of them little tracks, show she can win. Then bring her back in, sell her off real fast. I told Mr. Baynes Eddie Fortuna's the man for that job. Well, I'm-- I'm flattered. I told Mr. Baynes, "I don't know how he do it but he do it." (chuckling) This life is fit to kill a man. I've been rubbing horses so long I forget there's a world out there. Why don't you just get your trainer's license? Oh, yeah, I can show these yahoos a few tricks they ain't dreamed of. But, I'm just a backstretch stable bum. Nothing more, and nobody's gonna change it. Besides, you need a horse before you can train it. But, I got me this dream, see? Been saving my money, get me out of this place. You know, Florida, California-- somewhere where it doesn't snow. I'm gonna have my own place and be my own boss. And if somebody come into my place showing me attitude, well, I just show them the door with the business end of my Buster Brown. I got a dream, too. I hope so. What's this world without dreaming? I keep dreaming about this house. Not a fancy house, just a house with real plumbing, fireplace, some wall-to-wall carpeting. A little white picket fence all around. Well, that sound like a wonderful house. Yep. One horse could do it, Gerald. One great horse is all Eddie and I need. Then we'd own a dozen champions. People would come from all over the world, just to bid on a Fortuna yearling. Sound like a mighty reasonable dream. No reason it can't come true. Yeah, well, it's not gonna come true with Mr. How Do You Do hobbling around the track, that's for sure. That bad, huh? You don't want to know. Hmm. Eddie said if things get any worse I may have to go live with my old Grandma Temple. That a bad thing? I'd rather be boiled in oil. I'm saving up money and soon I'll be old enough to get a real job. Yeah, things'll work out. All you need is a little luck and a little magic. Magic? You mean, like all that stuff in fairy tale books like wishing on a star? That's the very thing I'm talking about. That stuff's for babies. Babies, huh? (scoffs) Come on over here. I can tell I've got some educating to do. Now, grab hold of this wood and say after me: Rub on wood, sure to come good. This is silly. Don't silly me, now. Just grab hold. I'm gonna get splinters. No, you won't either. Now just grab hold like I said. Come on. Now close your eyes, this is the important part, all right? Rub on wood, sure to come-- You need to be saying this with me, okay? All right. You ready? Okay. Rub on wood, sure to come good. Rub on wood, sure to come good. Yes, there you go, Danny. You're a natural at rubbing that wood. (whip cracks, man groans) (horse whinnying) (yelling, indistinct) They're gonna kill that horse before he win his first race. (horse whinnies, whip cracks) Who's that? That horse is named Tom Thumb. (whinnies) He's beautiful. (chuckles) Not a big horse. No, not a big horse. MacVie training him? For Slauson Farms over there. If they don't kill him first. ♪♪ (thump; horse neighing) Hi there, Tom Thumb. (horse whinnying) Hello. Hello. Hello. You're not so bad, are you, boy, hmm? Hmm? You're a good boy. (chuckling) Oh, do you want the piece of apple in my pocket, hmm? (chuckling) Yes. That's what you wanted. Hmm? You're a good boy. What do you want? What do you want? You can't eat my jacket. You're a good boy. Wow. You've got some family tree, Tom. I got news. Me too. Mine's better. Yeah, well, see that filly over there tripping over her own hooves? Yeah. We are training that filly for Cornell Baynes. What do you think of them apples? Not bad. Yeah? Top me. I just came across the horse that'll set us up for life. Hey, Charlie! Danny here's got a horse gonna take us straight to the money. Never have to worry about anything again. What's that, boss? (chuckling) I'm serious, you. This horse is perfect for us. His name's Tom Thumb. His father was none other than Keltic Tom. Keltic Tom? And this boy got the same spirit. And where is this son of Keltic Tom that's ours for the asking? Slauson Farms. Oh, of course, and Harland MacVie's just gonna hand him right over and Mrs. Slauson's gonna sign the papers. Just because I'm 11, Eddie, doesn't mean you have to treat me like I'm stupid. I'm telling you. There's a shot they might try to dump him. Says who? He's got some problems. They're having a tough time with him. Well, if Harland MacVie can't handle the horse, I sure don't want him. I bet we could make them an offer, I bet-- Wait a second, aren't you the one who's always lecturing me about saving money? This is different. How is it different? It's business. No, this is our business. I'm gonna take this filly upstate, win her a race, bring her back down, then I'm gonna hand her over to Big Solly, bing, bang, boom. Pocket full of change that'll take care of that stack of unpaid bills in our closet. Inside, work her closer. She don't want to run this morning, boss. We could borrow the money. Well, of course she don't want to go, she's spoiled rotten. He's gotta make her go. Danny, nobody's gonna loan us a dime with my credit. Come on, Sid! Give her her head. Yeah, that's better. (country music playing) I bet I could win enough to buy Tom. If I had a stake. And if pigs had wings they could fly. Next subject. If you could just take a look at him. Oh, come on, Squirt. You're forgetting one very important fact-- the horse isn't for sale. Yeah, but-- Have you heard the horse is for sale? No, but you-- I haven't heard the horse is for sale. The horse isn't for sale. Eddie-- And even if the horse was for sale, I wouldn't buy it. Because if Slauson Farms is selling that horse on the open market it's because its teeth are falling out or it's blind in one eye. People like that don't sell horses to people like us. You drive me crazy. Likewise. Nice rig. I'll tell Mr. Baynes you approve. She's all set, boss. Great, thanks. Now Charlie's gonna be taking care of the barn. I talked to the market about extending our credit till I get back, so anything you need you get. Now, Mrs. Crane's gonna stay with you, so you listen to her, all right? I'll be fine. All right, and you've got my number in case you need to reach me, okay? All right, Danny, what is it about this horse? It was like, I don't know, magic or something. Eddie, you know me. I don't go in for all that storybook "kiss a frog, get a prince" kind of thing, but this was different. Different? Real different. He looked at me. I mean, really looked at me, and I knew, just knew, we were meant to be. Look, I know it sounds stupid, you don't have to tell me. Hey, will you listen? It doesn't sound stupid. Really? Really. When I get back, maybe we'll take a look at him, all right? Yeah. No promises. No promises. It's a deal. Be good. Be good. And don't forget your homework. ♪ Rub on wood ♪ ♪ Sure to come good ♪ ♪ Rub on wood ♪ ♪ Sure to come good ♪ ♪ Rub on wood ♪ ♪ Sure to come good ♪ ♪ Rub on... ♪ Heya, Tom. Tom? (horse whinnies) Come on, you! Come on, hyah! Get in the wagon. Hey! Come on! Come on in, you little devil. Come on! Easy. Whoa, whoa! Hyah! Come on, get in there. Get, get! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Come on! (whinnying) Switch him out! Come on! Watch it, watch it! Get him out of here. That's it, go on, get! Come on, let's get him up and let's get him out. Boy, that's one horse I'm glad to see shipping out of here. Hard-headed little devil. ♪♪ Gillespie Field? Why would somebody want to ship a horse there? Miracles happen at Gillespie Field. Horses that couldn't get a diploma on the fair circuit magically win a race there. Gee, maybe it's the weather. I looked it up. All they had was claiming races there. Only no horses ever get claimed. And if they do, they're back in the original owner's barn within a week. Ooh, spooky. How exactly does a claiming race work anyway? Well, simple. When you're starting a horse out you want to put him in a low-level race, like a claiming race, so it's easier for him to get a win. But there is risk involved because anybody can buy the horse whether you want to sell him or not. Anyone can claim any horse in the race? Sure, although there is risk there, too, because you have to put the money up for the horse before the race, and no matter what happens out of the gate, you own the horse. Like if he falls down and gets hurt? Even if he breaks a leg. Of course. Thanks, Mooney. You've been a big help. Sure, anytime. See you. Do you know who that is? Moe White. Moe White, back in town, huh? Great. That is just great. How does he do it, Mooney? He's the highest of the high rollers. He never seems to lose. Simple, he's from another planet. They beam him down here, he makes a pile of dough, enough to balance the budget of Alpha Centauri, and then zip! Whoosh! They beam up back up again. Seriously, Mooney. Seriously? Seriously I haven't got the slightest idea how he picks his horses. All I know is that he seems to win a lot more than he loses. He doesn't, like, do any monkey business or anything? No, no, he's just a smart player and I hate him for it. See, guys like Moe White, they twist the vibes and tweak the odds. Gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. So, uh, we're talking the 4 horse here, huh? Mm-hmm. Well, excuse me, my little doll. Sorry, mister. Mooney, do me a favor. It's not the best of times, kid. Got the scoop from Moe White. And? Win. Place. No, no, all to win on the 4 horse. You're crazy. I'm telling you. Win on the 4 horse. It's your dough. ♪♪ Now here comes Pancho Verde. Pancho Verde coming right up along with him... Pancho Verde! A long shot beats to show at the wire. Pancho Verde. ♪♪ Race number three is the first of the Pick Six races. Races three through eight, your Pick Six. Pick Six? Are you bonkers? I hope not. Around the final turn, Outrageous Ollie, Bombay Boomer pull away now Wicked comes hot. Outrageous Ollie first, Bombay Boomer stays with him. Down the stretch, Outrageous Ollie, of Bombay Boomer. It's gonna be Outrageous Ollie. (call continues, indistinct) It's gonna be Middle Child. From out of it here comes Certainly May. Certainly May, come on down the stretch moving out, now takes the lead by a head, now by a full length. It's gonna be Certainly May right at the wire. Good riddance. I could have used a couple more days like today. I'm still short. All right. I'm glad he's gone. You be sure to give her mash tonight, Gerald, 'cause she done good. Oh, Solly was right, Eddie. You do have a special way. Well, she just needed some attention and proper shoeing. (chuckling) Isn't he modest? A little something for your trouble, Eddie. Meet me at the Turf Club someday, I'll buy you a drink. Baynes is pleased. I told you this would be a cinch. Thanks for the help, Solly. I owe you one. Hey, now, all I did was give you the opportunity. Just like I'd done with your brother John. Little nudge here, little schmooze there, but Johnny did the work. John was the best, wasn't he? Now, don't you sell yourself short, Eddie. You know these horses like you was one of 'em. Now I'll tell you something-- Baynes seen what you done with that hard luck case. Next time the right opportunity comes up, Big Solly gonna make sure you are in. Thanks, Solly. Thanks. Doggone it! I'm gone one week, I got two horses: one's got the cough, the other needs a dentist. Doc says a lot of that going around, Eddie. Oh, great, that's just great. And the feed guy says he's not making another delivery until he gets paid. Well, easy come, easy go. What else? I gotta leave you. I got an offer I can't turn down. From who? Harland MacVie's barn. Harland MacVie. Slauson Farms is a top outfit; they're having a great meet. I got a wife, a new baby boy. Hey, Charlie, you ever notice that sometimes you just can't get ahead for trying? Hey, Eddie. Hey, Danny. Well? Well, what? How did it go? It went. Did you eat your supper? Yes. Did she win? Did the filly get her win? Yeah. No corn dogs? Uh-uh. Is Baynes happy? Ecstatic. Can we go check out Tom Thumb? No. I must be out of my mind, dragging a little girl around a race circuit like this. Eddie! You should be in a nice neighborhood in a nice school and playing with kids your own age. Listen, I'm doing-- You're turning into a track degenerate right before my eyes. Betting and spying and trying to buy a horse with no money. I've got news on that. Look, we're not gonna take a look at this horse, okay? Or any horse, for that matter, you understand? You don't have to yell, you know. I'm not yelling, but the thing is we're barely hanging on here, so no more talk about Tom Thumb, okay? You wish I wasn't here, Eddie, is that it? Yeah, sometimes. No, no, that's not what I meant. Look, hey... Hey, hey, look here, come here. You're the best thing in my whole life. I wouldn't trade you for a million dollars. No kidding? No kidding. Two million, maybe. Oh, no, no, all right, all right, three million, not a penny less. I'm just not sure how good a job I'm doing sometimes. You're doing fine. Yeah, well... What your papa always used to say: "If you don't know what the best thing to do is, just keep on doing what you know how to do best." All we need is a little luck, that's all. Mmm. Luck ain't been much of a factor around here lately. That's the thing about luck: it favors the long shot. It favors the long shot. Yeah, maybe it wouldn't hurt to take just a little peek at that racehorse. It wouldn't hurt at all. It might give us some ideas. Lots of ideas. Hey, Eddie, you left your tack over at Baynes'. Well, look who just showed up at the perfect moment. What? Gillespie Fields is in Ohio? Kentucky isn't the only place they race horses, just seems that way. I can't believe we're doing this. I don't mind telling you, anybody catches us in here we in a pot full of trouble. Hey, Tom, it's me. Come on, let's take a look at you. His hooves are kind of narrow. He's a little over at the knee. His daddy was just like that. Keltic Tom was a big horse. Sixteen-two. Wish he had a little more slope to his shoulder. Barely 16 hands. But I'd expect his stoutness makes up for the squareness. His forelegs look strong enough, though. Eddie, I think Danny found a real horse. Huh. Well, he's running tomorrow. Tomorrow? What kind of race? $7,000 claiming race, first time three-year-olds. That's pretty cheap. Does MacVie really think nobody's gonna claim this horse? At Gillespie Fields? The stands are populated with pet food reps. Nobody's gonna pay seven bits for a couple of cans of dog food. Then why? Oh, who knows why these big barns do anything? They got all them charts and fancy guys with calculators working out things for 'em. (chuckles) Some horsemen, eh? This is crazy. We don't have $7,000. Yeah, we have 3,900 saved up. 3,900? That little girl knows her horses. (chuckling) I hit the Pick Six. Tried to tell you. Yeah, well, uh... that still leaves us short. I only got 1,100. Feed man took the rest of what I got from Baynes. I'm sorry, Danny, I really am because I'm impressed. You picked a real good horse here. My mom would say, "No sense waiting for the apple to fall when it's right there in front of you, ready for picking." I've been saving my pennies. Wait a second, Gerald-- Now I don't have much, but it's enough to stake you the difference. I can't borrow that money from you. I wasn't intending on loaning you money, Eddie. I want in as a partner. Unless you got some problem with that. I got no problem. All right! Yes! Need to see your trainer's license. Claim for yourself, Mr., uh... Fortuna? Yeah, it's for me. Uh, for us. For-- yeah, for me, I guess, yeah. (clears throat) We need a 10% deposit in cash. Danny. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. And here you go. All right. Oh, another claim went out on that horse this morning. You'll roll the dice right after the race. Darn. I can't roll dice to save my life. Well, it looks like the number 8 horse, Tom Thumb, seems to be having some difficulty joining the other horses at the gate. There he goes now. He looks pretty good. Well, we'll see how he does on the sloppy track. And #8 goes in. (gate bell rings) And away they go! Devil's Pride takes the lead. #8, Tom Thumb, breaks wide, way wide. The rest of the pack is right behind him... Jockey's laying into him. On the back stretch, Devil's Pride leads the pack followed by Good Boy Gus. Tom Thumb is now dead last. Just take the ride. Followed by Titus Andronicus... Coming around that far turn now, Devil's Pride is still in the lead. He holds onto the lead to win, followed by Titus Andronicus and Good Boy Gus, third. Tom Thumb trails the pack by eight, maybe even ten lengths at this point. We just made a big mistake. Hey there, Eddie. Hey, Solly. What is going on here? (laughs) Don't tell me you're the other claim. Here I am, helping you out every chance I get. Turns out you're in the horse-claiming business. Yeah, but we didn't know it was... What is my groom doing with you all? He's a friend, and he just came along for the ride. (laughs) There you go. Gentlemen, shall we? Four. I gotta tell you, Solly, I'm lousy at rolling the dice. Did you see him out of the gate there, Eddie? Oh, no kidding, huh? Ooh-whee, he was rank, but old Baynes, he wants him. Believe me, that's one headache you're better off without. Snake eyes. You did it, Eddie. Well, Eddie... hope you know what you're getting into. You'll find out soon enough. Gerald... we gonna need to talk. Yeah, I expect we will. I need the balance of the money. (rooster crows) Harland, perhaps I was unclear how delicate our position is this season. No, ma'am, you have been perfectly clear. Then how could something like this happen? A mistake. An accident. Not an acceptable answer. I've handled problem horses like this dozens of times before, and I had somebody there to cover the claim. I'm not interested. All I know is the son of Keltic Tom, a horse from one of our farms, was claimed by a trainer, his niece, and a groomer. Can you imagine what the press will make of this if-- if this horse wins just one race? (chuckles) Unlikely. I want nothing left to chance. What would you like for me to do? Fix it. We need the racing public's focus on Manifest Wind. We simply cannot afford any distractions. Do we understand each other? Yes, ma'am. (sighs) I just-- I love the fall weather. Don't you, Harland? Ah, yes, ma'am. Welcome to your new home, Tom. Good to have you here. Now, I don't want you getting your hopes up here now. This horse has a lot of work ahead of him, a lot of unlearning to do. I know. All right, off to school. Okay, okay. All right, Tom, come on. Hiya, Gerald. Morning, sunshine. Things didn't go well with Solly. Gave me the boot. I could talk to him. Oh, it wouldn't do no good. Enough words said between us to call it quits. It's been a long time coming. I'm sorry, Gerald. Nobody was holding me by the foot. But if it's okay with you, I'd like to bunk in the tack room for a while. Hey, our home is your home, partner. Thanks. Did you see this? Yeah, I saw it last night. MacVie wasn't so far off the mark testing his running legs. Well, you know, these big barns ain't got time to work on something like that. Time we got. Come on, Tom, time to go to school. ♪♪ (horse neighing) Oh, man. Well? Not bad. (scoffs) Not bad, he says. Come on, what do you think? What are you looking to start him in? Seven furlongs. There's a small stakes race next Wednesday. That's taking a mighty chaw off a little cigar. Well, Kent, we don't expect him to win. Well, what's in it for me then? I don't wanna be passing up a better horse. Wait a second, am I missing something here? Are you racing under an assumed name? You're lucky to get two mounts a day. That's all the more reason to be picky. Aw, don't get cocky on me now. All right, uh... I'll give you double your fee if he's out of the money and triple your cut if he's in. Double my fee? And triple your cut. Well, all right. You better win. If I'd known this wishing stuff worked, I'd have tried it years ago. Today's the day you're gonna show 'em all, aren't you, Tom? Here we go. 35-to-1 they're giving him. What kind of an insult is that? (chuckles) All right, who picked these out? Great, huh? No one will have trouble finding me in the field. All right, now, listen. I want you to touch him on the shoulder at the stretch to remind him why he's there, but don't lay into him. He hates the whip, all right? Okay. All right. All right. Let's go get a seat, come on. The flag is up... (bell rings) And they're off! Tom Thumb breaks well, over come the inside position. Good start. Number seven, Diligent Purpose runs up to the lead as Tom Thumb settles into the pack, still in good position. Come on, Tom! Come on, Tom. As they round the 3/4 pole, Tom Thumb in pink colors starts to make his move up to Diligent Purpose. Uncle Verde is just behind. And now, Tom Thumb-- You can do it! Come on, Tom. Don't use the whip. And now, Tom Thumb... around the rest of the field catches up. Number one, Tom Thumb, holding back... No! He had it! Boy, a fence post's got more sense than you do. What the heck was that all about? He was doing it for you. You didn't have to do anything. She knows more about racing than you do. To heck with all of you. Mr. Fortuna, do you mind? Mr. MacVie, please, sit down. Don't know what they're doing to that track out there. Hard as cement. I know what you mean. I got a little filly picked up a rock this morning. Ouch. Mm. So, how's Tom treating you? (chuckles) I think you know the story. Yes, indeed, Mr. Fortuna. Ah, Eddie. Eddie. I've had some experiences with him, mm. I gotta say you surprised me putting in a claim on him. I guess you had your eye on him. Actually-- Not many folks drive up to Gillespie to look for horses to claim. Some do. Mm. I'm not usually prone to errors in judgment... but I caught some grief on that one. Well, ain't that just the horse-racing business. Yeah. Well, if he gets too much for you to handle... a rogue like that can suck you dry-- run by the barn. Maybe we can work out something. Dick! Hold up there a minute. Nice talking to you, MacVie. Hey, Eddie. Kent. You got a second for me? I don't know, I'm very popular this morning. Listen, Eddie, about yesterday. I gave your horse a lousy ride, and I'm sorry. Go on. Tom's a game little guy. He would've been up there if I had laid my stick off him. (chuckles) No kidding. I know. I should have listened. I'd be willing to give it another try if you're willing. Well, we're not gonna run him again till Keeneland. Then Keeneland it'll be. In the meantime, you need to do any schooling with him, I'll be your bug boy. What do you say? He's got it, you know. I can feel it. That little horse has got a heart the size of Kentucky. Don't you know it. Thanks. (chuckles) ♪♪ This is it, Squirt. We're headed for the big time-- Keeneland. You have no idea how many times your Pop and I dreamed about this. I knew he'd be here. I knew it. This is just great. Tom's going to love it here. It's so beautiful. Hey, we're chopping in the tall cotton now, aren't we, girl? (overlapping chatter) Do you know where you are, Tom? You're at Keeneland, land of champions. And just 'cause you're different, don't let anybody tell you you're not a champion. You're gonna show them all. When they see you running your heart out, they'll know. They'll know. They'll say, "There goes Tom Thumb, son of Keltic Tom. What a champ." (horse brays) Oh, I love you too, Tom. ♪♪ Don't be loony, listen to Mooney. That's what Mooney says. Only two bucks a pop, two bucks a crack. Hey, kid. Thank you. Horses are now being saddled in the paddock for the first of today's exciting ten-race program. At this stage, there are no late scratchers, no late jockey changes, and the main track is listed as fast. He look all right? He look all right to you? I think so, I think so. All right, Tom, let's do it right this time. (gate bell rings) And away they go. What a way to come off to a good beginning. It's Jo Jo Monkey the quickest into stride. Left Arm is showing thunderly speed as well, and Tom Thumb is tucked in right behind the leader down at the rail. Into the first turn they go, and it's Jo Jo Monkey... (cheering) Tom Thumb is now the new leader. Jo Jo Monkey is right there with Left Arm also right in contention. As they swing out of this turn, it's still Tom Thumb who's got the lead to himself. Tom Thumb now sets sail for home. Jo Jo Monkey and Left Arm are coming to chase him home, but it's Tom Thumb-- There you go! Come on, Tom! Come on, Tom! Here we go! Come on, Tom! Come on! Here we go! (overlapping shouting) Tom Thumb has held on-- (cheering) We did it! Ha, ha, we did it! We did it! Put here there, partner! Win or place, that horse ran a good race. Darn good race, huh? Come on. He's a real champion, huh? I think so, ma'am. Come on, Eddie. ♪♪ And now, in the winner's circle is number four, Tom Thumb. He's a three-year-old son of the great Keltic Tom, bred by the Slauson farm, and now owned and conditioned by Eddie Fortuna. That's him, you ready? Hold it right there. Can we have one more? Sure. This is our first. Okay. Hold it. Great, got it. All right. Eddie! Eddie, my boy. That was wonderful! Great, little race. You had Baynes pulling out his hair. (chuckles) Did I? You did good, just like I knew you would. I thought you'd be sore after this? Sore? Eddie? We're like family. I'm here to welcome you to the club. You got your jump up in class, and I'm proud of you. What's more important-- your brother'd be proud of you too. Thanks, Solly. Thanks. He did look good, didn't he? Hey, you're buying dinner. ♪ Hello, Mooney, hello ♪ ♪ Hello, Mooney, hello ♪ ♪ Hello, Mooney ♪ ♪ Mooney, Mooney ♪ ♪ Here are my notes ♪ ♪ Thank you, Mooney ♪ ♪ Thanks for the money ♪ Hey, check out the morning paper, that'll give you something to sing about. Gotcha. (laughs) "Owned and trained by Edward S. Fortuna. Son of the great Keltic Tom, little Tom Thumb had his first win yesterday by a nose. Could another Slauson Farms progeny be making headlines this season?" I know, I'll-- I'll try again. Eddie, you got a minute? Oh, a minute I've got, Harland. What's up? If I could come straight to the point, it's about your horse. What horse is that? Well, Eddie, you only have one horse, Tom Thumb, and Mrs. Slauson wants him back. She's sincere, and she's known to be quite generous in sentimental matters. Sentimental? Well, she did grow up with Tom's daddy. Now, I can't begin to understand her emotions. But, the point is, she's willing to offer a very substantial sum. Harland, now it's my turn to be frank. See, I have very little to say in the matter. I'm not sure I understand. I've only got 10% of the horse, Gerald's got 20%. You see, my niece is the majority owner. Eddie, I'm trying to be serious. Well, me too, especially me. Look, I'll ask her, but, uh, you know, she's sentimental too. ♪♪ And it's Tom Thumb coming away to win. Tom Thumb is gonna win another one! Tom Thumb wins! Eddie Fortuna, again in the winner's circle. ♪♪ Is that sweet or what? Huh? What are you working on there? Figuring out how Tom would do in a longer distance. Distance, like what? Mile and a quarter. No way. Mile, tops. How come? 'Cause he's just not built for it, that's how come. I wouldn't be so sure. I've been looking at most of the three-year-olds at the meet, those that have a chance. Comparing their quarter times with Tom's quarter times, then taking their final quarter time and comparing them to Tom's final quarter time-- Hold on there, you're just number pushing. Now, if Mooney wants to sell that kind of junk to the betting public, fine. But, it's got nothing to do with racing horses. Just listen a second. Tom takes the back stretch slow, we know that. But, in the final stretch, guess which horse comes closest to Tom's final quarter time? I don't know. Guess. Don't care. Manifest Wind. Yeah. See, there's lots of early speed horses-- Early speed wins the race. Why is Tom winning? Because he hasn't gone up against horses with a lot of speed yet, that's how come. Mooney says it ain't how fast-- "Mooney says, Mooney says." If that guy was so smart, he'd be living in the south of France. But, he's not. Eat. (honking) Hey, Danny, what you know? Nice! Wanna go for a ride in our new car? Sure. It's beautiful. See ya, Kent. See ya in the winner's circle. Nice looking. Thank you, sir. Whose is he? Excuse me? Who owns him? I do. Nice looking. ♪♪ A familiar face in the winner's circle here at Stevensons Meet. Tom Thumb making a third appearance. Jockey Kent Rose says his horse has the heart the size of Kentucky, and we believe him. He must be making his trainer Eddie Fortuna a very happy man. And now it's on for the Tucker Stakes. (men chuckling) What? Well, Danny, there's a big difference between the races he's been winning and the Tucker Stakes. A win's a win. Well, not when you're talking about going nose to nose with the likes of Manifest Wind or any of the top-class contenders. Tom could do it. He's got the class and the heart. And he can run the distance, you give him a chance. Well, we'll see. Well, now, is this here the Eddie Fortuna private box? Hey, Solly. Heya, Solly. How you doing? I'm going to look after Mr. How Do You Do, give the old man his mineral bath. Come on, Danny, give me a hand. Yeah, mm-hmm. Just thought I'd come by and congratulate you once again. Thanks, Solly. Boy, you keep winning the way you do, you gonna have owners coming out of the woodwork. Well, I can handle that. You, uh, got some offers in? Oh, just some talk, you know. Yeah, I'm sure. I got a little idea myself. Yeah, what's that? Yeah, Baynes is all for it. "Bring the boy in," he says. "Give us a little taste of his magic," he says. Baynes likes what you're doing at the meet. What are you talking about here? Wasn't it obvious, Eddie? I'm asking you to come in with me. You're kidding. I know, I know, I should have done it years ago, but I'm doing it now. Ooh-wee, what we could do with that little horse of yours, all Baynes' money behind us. Well, I'd have to talk it over with Gerald and Danny. We're partners. Eddie... I'm offering you a solid opportunity here. I mean, this is Big Solly talking to you, we're-- we're like family, I thought-- Well, Solly, wait-- Now, I'm looking for my move up in class, too. And I'm gonna have to have a worthy successor. Solly, I'm just saying, give me some time to think about it. All right. Just remember, Eddie, you're a winning trainer now. Take advantage of that. It ain't gonna last forever. ♪♪ (horse whinnying) Hey! ♪♪ What did he use? Penicillin. Wouldn't have hurt him, but it would show up in a drug screening and gotten us suspended. Get a good look at this guy? Oh, yeah, I saw him. You ever see him before? No, not from around here. (music playing) Hey, Solly, I have to talk to you a minute. Sure, Eddie. Well, fellas, you mind excusing us for a minute? I heard about your troubles. Some sorry state we dropped into. Yeah, look, look, I can't prove it, but I'm pretty sure it's Harland MacVie. Pretty sure? Well, Mrs. Slauson's got him in hot water by letting that horse go. Well, Eddie, if you don't have any proof, can't do diddly. And even if you had proof, against people like that, pssh, you know the drill. What are you saying? I should just, uh, back off? Take a hint to keep my place, be a good boy? Be smart, Eddie. Look, I got a lousy nickel and dime public barn and I know that. I got one horse, count 'em, one horse who's finally bringing me and Danny a little respect. And if that's not part of their plan, well, that's too bad. Don't get your blood in a boil. Look, look, I am gonna keep what little I got. Now, you can bet on that. Hey, Eddie. Hey. Get cleaned up. What's cooking? We're going visiting. Nobody's gonna mess with us, not now that we finally got a chance. You called her, just like that? Just like that, told her we needed to talk. She said, "Come right up," and bring you, too. Me? You. I suppose she wants to pat you on the head or give you a lollipop or something. Oh, great. ♪♪ Wow. Yeah. (clears throat) Well? Mr. Fortuna. Ma'am. I'm so glad you called. I've been wanting to meet the gentleman who's having such splendid success with my little Tom Thumb. Harland? Yes, ma'am? Take Mr. Fortuna and show him our barns, and then we'll just meet later in the rose garden for some tea. Danielle. That's such a lovely name. Uh-- Eddie. Come on, you are in for a real treat. You know, when I was your age, you couldn't pry me away from the barns. I'd be right out there, wiping down those horses, feeding those horses, even playing cards with the grooms. Ah, and my mother would just be horrified. But, my father would say, "Now, Martha, you just let her be, she's a horse woman." Now, I find that I spend more time here, in my rose garden. Strange, how things are as you-- as you get older. Her great-great-great- grandfather brought one of the first Darley colts from Ireland over here in 1784, would you believe? I'm impressed. We have quite a collection of 24-karat horse flesh in this barn, Eddie. Yeah, uh-- Slauson Farms is probably as close to heaven as two horsemen like you and I are liable to get. Look, Harland-- We've got doodads and gadgets in here, most of them so modern, I don't know what half of 'em do. Eddie, the days of liniment and hot wraps are just about over. I was impressed to learn that you actually discovered Tom. Yes, ma'am. You even raised the money to claim him? I sure did. You're a precocious young lady, and I intend to give you the respect that I would give any adult. Manifest Wind is our champion this season. We expect for him to be the winner of the Tucker Stakes. You're that sure? Completely. But, like any good horse player, I-- I prefer to hedge my bets. Please. $50,000. Eddie, can I come right to the point? You always seem to, Harland. We need a new farm manager-- somebody that can take these yearlings and school 'em right before they leave the farm. I don't wanna take a chance on another Tom Thumb slipping away, if you get my meaning. I think you're the man for the job. Salary's fair, you get a chance to work with the best. You and your niece would have a house right here on the grounds. School bus runs right by the main gate there. (horse whinnying) You're a clever girl. I don't need to tell you what that kind of money can buy. I'll have to think about it. Well, of course. That is your decision. But, in 24 hours, I will put a stop payment on that check. Do you know what that means? That means that in 24 hours the offer is void and the matter is closed. Can I think about it? Chance of a lifetime, Eddie. They don't come along often. Yeah, I've noticed. (chuckles) Did you give him heck? You bet I did. How 'bout you? Oh, did I. ♪♪ He just doesn't wanna go today. Yeah, he come up a little sore on the front end. Well, we'll work him light. Maybe he'll be ready for Saturday. We'll have him ready. (horse whinnying) Hey, Danny, what's going on? Nothing, just thinking. Didn't you hear what we said out there? Yeah. You know what Saturday is. Of course, the Tucker Stakes. Tucker Stakes, yeah, we thought you'd be jumping up and down. Just, I don't know. Maybe he's not ready. Could be he's not. Oh, he's ready. We're ready, aren't we, Gerald? Oh, he's raring to show his stuff. Yeah. Really? Really. Really, so, you got that nominating form? Yeah, right here in my notebook. Danny, what's this? Nothing. (sighs) When were you gonna tell us about this? I wasn't. It was made out to me, you know. Do you understand what a partnership is? That's when all of us decide what's right for us, not one person. It's about mutual trust. So, when were you gonna tell me about MacVie offering you a job at Slauson Farms, huh? How'd you find out about that? She told me. Well, that's different. How different? Look, I have no intention of selling that horse back to Mrs. Slauson. Oh, so it's okay for you to decide why, because you're older than me? Well, something like that, yeah. If it wasn't for me, you'd still be dragging Mr. How Do You Do around the track every other week-- Now, wait a second-- Hey, you got a lot of nerve. And if it wasn't for Gerald, we wouldn't have enough money to claim him. Hold on now-- If it weren't for me, the horse never woulda gotten out of the gate. Tom woulda found a way. Oh yeah, says who? Stop it, both of you, now! Come on! I mean, we're partners, right? Now, Danny, you should know, what you got there, that's a lot of money. Money we could all use, but you especially. I mean, all that talk about dreams, right there in that check. A lot of people got money. We're the only ones that got Tom. So, it seems to me that there's a vote to be taken among partners? Yeah. Yeah. All right, then. We'll give it the old "one for the money, two for the show," okay? What? One finger, we keep the money. Two fingers, we enter Tom in the Tucker Stakes and take our chances. You ready? All right, now, on three. One, two... Yeah! (laughing) I wasn't gonna cash it in anyway. (laughing) (playing "First Call") Mooney says, Mooney says, "Better than a rabbit's foot." That's what Mooney says. Mooney says, Mooney says, "Better than a rabbit's foot." That's what-- hey, good luck today, Danny. Thanks. You're gonna need it. It's a perfect day for the 120th running of the Tucker Stakes. The finest thoroughbreds from around the country are being saddled in the paddock by some of the finest trainers. Named after that infamous horseman, Colonel Ronald Fenton Tucker, the Tucker Stakes is one of... All right. Gonna be a fun one today, boss. Yep. Look, keep him settled around the turns. Don't try anything fancy, all right? All right. Good luck today, Danielle. Same to you, Mrs. Slauson. Of chief interest today will be the showdown between former stablemate Tom Thumb, now wearing the pink and blue colors of Eddie Fortuna's farm, and Manifest Wind, in Slauson Farms' famous gold and red silk. Everything's gonna be okay. It's all right. Hmm? ♪♪ (punching, man grunting) (overlapping chatter) ♪♪ You can almost feel the tension now as they start to load in for the big event of the afternoon. Manifest Wind is one of the first ones to take up his place towards the inside. ♪♪ Come on, they're just getting to the gate. ♪♪ 'Kay, partners, we're all set. Look. It's that creepy guy who asked me about Tom. Gerald, can you see him? Is that the guy who was in our barn? (gate bell rings) And away they go. And Tom Thumb is being hopelessly left at the gate. Tom Thumb, well, has lost about seven lengths and is last a long way. Breaking Barefoot and Manifest Wind on the inside, and Manifest Wind goes out to lead at a fast pace with Outrageous Ollie showing early speed too, and then Our Weekend. And a long, long way back is Tom Thumb, far behind. You can't make it all up at once, come on. That's it, nice and easy. Into the first turn they go, and Manifest Wind is getting a fast pace on the lead. Outrageous Ollie is showing some speed as well, and we drop back... Yeah, you can do it, Tom, come on, now. But Tom Thumb is now managing to come... (announcer trailing off) ♪♪ Look at that horse run. ♪♪ Come on, Tom. He's making a move now! He's looking good. He's making a move! ♪♪ That's right, just give him a tap. Come on! Hold him tight. ...take the turn for home. And Manifest Wind is the horse they have to catch. It's Manifest Wind, he's going for home! Tom Thumb has made an incredible run! And it looks like we're down to these two. Come on, Tom! ...and Tom Thumb is flying on the outside! But Manifest Wind... Yeah! Come on! What a horse race we have! Manifest Wind on the inside. Manifest! Tom Thumb is running alongside! These two are neck and neck. Nose to nose through the lanes! Neither one will give an inch! Manifest Wind and Tom Thumb's gonna run for the wire together! It's Manifest Wind, now it's Tom Thumb! Come on, Tom! Come on, Tom! Come on, boy! Yes! Yes! They run down to the wire, Tom Thumb on the outside, Manifest Wind on the rail! It's so close! Maybe Tom Thumb, but Manifest Wind is right there! We're gonna have to wait for the official photo finish to determine who's won it! Either Tom Thumb or Manifest Wind, just a nose separating them at the wire. It'll be either one of those two numbers that'll go into the board. But, it's so close. We should try to call it before the official photo finish line comes out. Number 8, Tom Thumb's number is on the board, but still a photo, this one could go either way. It is not official. Tom Thumb or Manifest Wind's the winner, but please hold on to all those tickets. I told ya we had a chance! Taking a look up the track now, and oh, my goodness. Tom Thumb, possibly something wrong with him. He's starting to limp back now. Tom Thumb, seems to be a problem here. Hey, Doc! Yeah, Doc, he's bad. Something's bad wrong. Doc, is it broken? No, there are no fractures. This tendon's severely bowed. All that straining to win. Might be best if we just put him down. No! There must be something. Oh, there's always something, Eddie. Eddie, please don't let them put Tom down. Do what you have to do. Eddie, please. Save him. Honey. Please. Hey, now you can come with me now-- Eddie, please? Please? Come on, let your uncle take care of this, all right? I hate him. Now, who would that be? Doesn't have to do it. Dumb old horse did his best, he did better than best-- I think if you're referring to your uncle, I think you got it all wrong. No, I don't. Well, then shame on you. Shame on you for thinking that your 11 years on this earth give you the wisdom to... Oh, Tom. You think you're the only one hurting around here? Don't you have any idea what this means to Eddie? To me? Haven't you got any idea about anything except yourself? Hey, look, Danny! (horse whinnying) Please, don't let anything happen to him. Not to Tom. He did his best, don't let him be put down. Is that too much to ask for? Ooh-wee, I thought that little son of a gun gonna take it away from us. Gotta admire that little so-and-so. Even with you yanking on him, he pulled right up to the money. It went all right, but you coulda done better. You shoulda stuck to him longer. Yeah, yeah, coulda, shoulda, woulda. You got my money or what? Yeah, I got your money. Danny? Are you all right? Yeah. Look. All right, now don't spend no money in town. You get out, and get out fast. That's okay with me. This place gives me the creeps. Remember, don't flash this around. You know that guy, Solly? I know that guy. He just a fella I'm paying a side bet off to. Why? Eddie. Why would you mess with my horse? Why would you mess with Tom? I asked you a question! I-- I did it-- I did it to impress MacVie. MacVie put you up to this? It was my idea. He didn't know nothing about it. Eddie, I-- I messed up on claiming the horse. I-- I had to show him that I-- I still could be a mover. You and I, we cried over my brother's grave. I trusted you, Solly. I'm thinking, hey, Solly's watching out for me. But, you never were. We all want that move up, Eddie. Get out of here. It's just business, Eddie. Hey, Solly, how you doing? I believe these gentlemen in uniform would like to have a word with you. You okay? Yeah, honey, I'm okay. Yeah, that railbird is singing, and I don't think Solly likes the song. The final results of the Tucker Stakes are in. The judges have declared Tom Thumb the official winner. Well, well. We won. And Keeneland wishes Tom Thumb a speedy recovery. ♪♪ Hey, Eddie. Hey, Danny. Hiya, Tom, how you doing? Ah, he's getting there. Be showing them your stuff in no time. Well, we'll see. Maybe. Hey, Mrs. Slauson called this morning. No kidding? Job's still open if we want it. And? And nothing, I told her we'd talk it over. Spending the winter on Slauson Farm'd be a pretty good deal. Sure would beat that leaky old trailer. Yeah, I guess. But, we're doing okay, aren't we? Yeah, we're doing fine. Just fine. Guess luck finally found its way to the Fortuna barn, hmm? Luck always favors a long shot. Nope, luck always favors the best horse. Right, Tom? ♪♪
