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Thursday, July 24, 1997

Pampered race horses face busy days at track

By DARRIN SCHEID / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Durango Jet lumbered back to the 24th barn at Lone Star Park at Grand Prairie, his head lazily bobbing up and down. He might have felt disappointment in his performance, much like a baseball player would when he steps to the plate with the crowd cheering and bases loaded.

And strikes out.

The cheers fade, and all that's left for Durango Jet to do on this day is to return to his stall and wait for another chance. He has made the trip to and from countless times, and judging from the contrast in his gait before and after the race, Durango Jet knows the difference between whiffing and belting a grand slam.

A lot can change in 15 minutes. Even for a horse. Fifteen minutes earlier, Durango Jet was excited and restless as he reached the gate for Thursday night's seventh race.

But as he returned to his stall, he had the look of a running back who just couldn't break that one last tackle for the game-winning touchdown.

The race was over for Durango Jet, a favorite of handicappers.

No win.

No place.

No show.

And no cheering for Durango Jet, who might say, "Que horrible," if he could speak in his native Spanish about the disappointing seventh-place finish.

"I don't know what happened," says Paul Benitez, the spokesman and jockey for Durango Jet. "Everything was great around the far turn. Then, he had nothing left. I think he wore out."

In many ways, Durango Jet is a typical athlete, pampered from sunup to sundown.

Durango Jet's race takes less than two minutes, but his day seems to last an eternity. Eight people spent approximately 16 hours preparing him for his stretch run Thursday.

Everyone, from the grooms, to the trainers, to the veterinarians, to the jockey, filters in and out of Durango Jet's stall in a scene repeated daily at Lone Star Park and other horse racing tracks. One day here and you quickly learn of the people behind the scenes who work - who live - for getting the horses ready for post time. Starting the day right

On this day, it's not quite 6 a.m. when Durango Jet becomes the center of attention. The sun is just starting to shine through the doors of his stall when trainers and grooms start prepping Durango Jet for the night's race.

For breakfast, it's a good helping of hay. By 6:30 a.m., he is treated to a body shampoo, covered with soap and water.

"He's kind of asleep," says Lisa Martinez, the daughter of Durango Jet's trainer, Junior Martinez.

"And look at all those whiskers. He's growing a beard."

The beard stays, for now. Instead, Lisa's mother, Shreta, puts down the sponge she has been running over the horse's body, grabs a bottle of sheen and sprays generously all over Durango Jet's mane and tail.

"This stuff here takes the tangles out and makes him shine," Shreta says. "They really use a lot of this stuff on show horses. We just want to keep his tail from getting all tied up."

With a wet body and smooth tail, Durango Jet is now ready for his first exercise of the day.

Lisa Martinez, 15, takes the bridle and leads her huge partner 150 feet up the barn row, around the end stall and back down another row. The walk takes about 40 minutes.

Durango Jet walks slowly. You wonder if he can hear Shreta and Junior as they talk about his chances in the race that night.

The race is a $10,000 claiming event and is a step down for Durango Jet in class. Race handicappers have him picked third, and the Martinez family likes his chances.

"Take him around a couple more times," Shreta says to Lisa. "His belly is still kind of damp."

It's a good life Durango Jet has these days. As Lisa walks him dry, 38-year-old groomer Arturo Ruvalcaba has cleaned Durango Jet's 12-square-foot living space and thrown in fresh pine shavings. Ruvalcaba could be considered Durango Jet's nutritionist, assistant trainer and massage therapist.

The horse gets a quick hoof-cleaning before going into the stall, which has a water bucket and fresh hay bale in it.

After all, race days are spa treatment days for Durango Jet.

But that might not continue if there are many more performances performances like Thursday. Defeat is an easy route to a short-lived career.

Maybe this is why his demeanor changed after the seventh race Thursday night. Maybe he understands what all the pampering is all about.

"That's just the way it goes," Junior Martinez says. "You do everything you can to get them ready for the race. But after that, you never know."

Typical athlete? Not really.

Durango Jet doesn't have the luxury of being able to blame someone as many athletes do. All he's paid to do is run faster than the other horses on the track.

That's why he's back in his stall after his first morning exercise by 7:30. The people keep passing by. His veterinarian arrives about two hours later for a quick inspection. Somehow, the handlers and well-wishers finally find some time to leave Durango Jet alone. It's as if he's being given some quiet time to focus on the night's race.

"They need rest just like we do," Shreta Martinez says. "Until the vet comes, he'll probably just take it easy. We treat these horses better than some people treat their kids."

At 9:45, Ruvalcaba shaves the whiskers off Durango Jet's face and cuts his bridle hair, making sure the athlete and entertainer looks good for the fans. He then cleans the dirt from inside the horse's shoes and gives Durango Jet's legs a quick rubdown.

Dr. Happy Fluitt, who has 50 horses to inspect this morning, arrives at 9:57. Durango Jet trots up and down the stall row to show the doctor that he is in good racing shape.

"Bueno, bueno," Fluitt says. "I just have to make sure there is nothing wrong with the ones who race tonight. He looks good. He's ready to go."

The athlete is left alone until 3 p.m., when Lisa and Shreta install a fan in his living area and Ruvalcaba cleans his pen for the third time.

Finally, at 8 p.m., Ruvalcaba and 32-year-old Reyes Hernandez give Durango Jet another shower and brushing. Ruvalcaba cleans the bottom of each hoof, then applies oil to keep Durango Jet from having dirt caked inside near the shoe. It's the same reason other athletes wear spikes on the bottom of their shoes.

For the first time, Durango Jet looks edgy and nervous.

"He knows what's coming," Reyes says. "He knows it's time to run."

At 8:55 p.m., Durango Jet enters the gate. A few minutes later, he's running third around the first turn. He is with the leaders until the last turn, where he falls way back through the front stretch.

And his head falls on the slow walk back to the barn.

Win or lose, Junior Martinez says, you can't be too hard on an athlete like Durango Jet.

Not until you run a mile in his hooves.

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