When Ghosts Speak - Mary Ann Winkowski [79]
Now, I had never been around horses much, and I certainly hadn’t spent a lot of time at the track, but when I got to Chicago and went to the racetrack I was fascinated. Let me tell you, racetracks are just loaded with earthbound spirits. There are the ghosts of the grooms and trainers, many of whom practically grew up on the track. There are the ghosts of jockeys—both good ones and those who might charitably be called a bit shady—as well as the spirits of old gamblers and those they call rail birds, the fellows who hang out at the track all day watching the workouts, timing the horses, and honing their betting skills. And of course, there are ghost racehorses.
Given all the energy generated at probably any racetrack in the world, I can understand why they’re so attractive to earthbound spirits. Nor am I surprised by how much energy some of these spirits have—enough to affect some of the daily events in the barns and on the track. On the other side of this equation, having all these earthbound spirits, human and equine, congregating in one area can result in some terrible problems. I expected to hear all kinds of hard-luck stories, and I wasn’t disappointed. The jockeys shared endless tales of bad health and unexpected injuries, and the grooms pointed out areas in the barn and on the track where the horses were guaranteed to act up. I was also surprised to learn that as large as racehorses are, they are surprisingly delicate. They can be susceptible to respiratory conditions, and unfortunately, just as with humans, the presence of earthbound spirits can contribute to these conditions.
Although I didn’t know exactly what I was supposed to be looking for when I went to watch Lola, I figured it out as soon as I saw the ghost horse and jockey join the others at the starting gate. Lola got off to a strong start, but it wasn’t long before the ghost horse was pulling up alongside her. I saw the ghost jockey flick his whip, and Lola took a step to the side. It was a tiny movement, but it was enough for another horse in the pack to blast past her and win the race.
When I told my friend Edie and her husband, Ken, what I had seen, they confirmed my suspicions. Waving a whip at another horse during a race is a serious foul: Lola’s step to the side could have bumped her into one of the live horses she was racing against. They asked me how we could solve the problem.
I had an idea, but it meant that we had to talk to Lola’s trainer. Gabe was a handsome Irish fellow, and I assumed he might have some superstitions of his own. Nevertheless, when it came to convincing him that a ghost horse had caused his prized filly to lose her race, he was pretty dubious. It wasn’t until I told him about the earthbound spirit of a jockey who was standing right outside his office that he began to take me seriously. I gave him the man’s name and described how he had died: During a race, both horse and rider had fallen. The rider was killed, and the horse had to be humanely put down.
After that, Gabe agreed to let me try hanging a small charm containing a quince seed on all Lola’s bridles. After she won her next two races, he invited me back to the barn. We put charms on all his horses’ bridles, and then he asked me to clear his stalls and offices of any lingering spirits. I did my best, but I have to admit that my horsemanship skills might be a bit lacking. I was able to get a few of the ghost jockeys to jump up on the horses and ride them into the Light. Some of the ghost grooms walked ghost horses in on lead ropes. But one particular stallion would not go into the Light, and I could not convince any of the earthbound spirits to get near him. I suspect he’s still out there running races.
9
EVIL SPIRITS
Rare but Real
THIS CHAPTER is brief, because frankly I don’t like