CHAPTER FOUR

Benny watched the mare in the birthing stall lay down and look at him with kind eyes. He entered the stall and stood in the back, just in case she needed help delivering her first foal.

"Dad? Where are you?" Brady called, entering the barn.

"Down here. Brady, how would you like to see a miracle happen?"

"Are you drunk like Uncle Collins?"

Benny chuckled as Brady walked up next to him. He looked in the stall and saw the mare on her side.

"How close is she?" Brady asked, entering the birthing stall.

"Very close. I can see her contractions getting closer together."

Just then Brady started singing. Benny smiled and recognized the words – La Vie Boheme.

Just then, the mare gave one final push and stood up so that she could clean her foal off. Benny went to clean the birthing sac away from the foal's head as the mare nudged Benny with her nose.

"Congrats, Hot Tomato Soup. You have a son." Benny told the mare, stepping back to let the mare and colt have some bonding time.

"Any thoughts on a name?" Benny asked Brady.

"Just one and it's perfect – La Vie Boheme."

It seems like yesterday that he was born Benny thought to himself as he watched La Vie Boheme eat his dinner. Alison and the boys were in the hotel room, along with Roger, Melina and Angel-Glory. Roger's sister, Anna, was watching the younger kids, who were still sick.


Two weeks later was the last leg of the Triple Crown. Benny had been preparing all four horses for the most important race of their entire careers. Benny was pacing up and down the shedrow; all four horses had their heads over their stall doors.

"Listen up guys." Benny started as he paced. "Today is the most important race of your entire careers – the Belmont. Now, win or lose, I love all of you guys dearly. Go and do your best."

As the grooms that Benny hired got the horses ready, La Vie Boheme began snorting and pacing happily, knowing that he was going to the race with the others.

"Sorry, boy. You're staying here." Chuck, one of the grooms told Boheme. La Vie Boheme began tossing his head wildly. Chuck put his hands up and calmed the gentle horse. During the night, Boheme's eyesight had gotten worse, which caused Benny to scratch him from the race. Chuck had offered to stay with Boheme while the other three ran the race.

Meanwhile, the other three horses were getting saddled and ready to run in the biggest race of their careers.

"Brady, I want you to ride Trumpin' Charlie for this race. Paul has said he wants to ride Lady Marmalade." Benny told his oldest before heading to the stands. Brady nodded and with some help, mounted Trumpin' Charlie.

"Coffin!" a female voice called. Benny looked over his shoulder and saw Julie O'Malley – Yero My Hero's owner – come walking over to where Benny, Alison, Isaac, Roger, Melina and Angel-Glory were seated.

"Hey Julie." Benny greeted the other owner, knowing how much he despised her.

"I have a feeling Yero My Hero is going to win this." Julie bragged, pushing her blond hair off her shoulder.

"No way – Lady Marmalade is going to beat the pants off Yero My Hero." Angel-Glory spoke up. Julie let out a wry chuckle and turned her attention back to the field.

"I see that you have only three horses running. What happened to the fourth?" she inquired.

"He's losing his eyesight." Benny told her, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, what a shame." Julie's voice was filled with sympathy.

"It really is." Benny told her, smiling as the numbers 1, 10 and 13 horses came walking by. He saw Yero My Hero had drawn the number 17 position.

"I just came over to wish you good luck, despite the fact that Yero My Hero is faster than any horse on this track." Julie said, shaking hands with everyone in the Owner's Box before heading to the seats behind them.

What seemed like an eternity later, all of the horses were loaded into the starting gate and the bell went off as soon as the last horse was in the gate. Eighteen horses sprinted out of the gate and raced down the track.

Benny was on his feet the whole time, along with everyone else in the box. They were all screaming for Trumpin' Charlie, Lady Marmalade and CloudJumpinRainbow as they came down the stretch. Lady Marmalade was in front, followed by Yero My Hero and Trumpin' Charlie. The other filly in the field – number 7 Lady Gaga – was catching up fast to Lady Marmalade. Soon the two fillies were neck-in-neck, but it was Lady Marmalade's nose that was at the finish line first.

Benny hugged everyone in the box as he, Alison, Roger, Isaac, Melina and Angel-Glory headed to the Winner's Circle.

"Benny – Laurie Goode from Time Magazine – how does it feel to have a Triple Crown Winner in your stables?" a reporter asked.

"It feels wonderful." Benny said as cameras went off in every direction. Paul dismounted Lady Marmalade as a blanket of roses was draped over her neck.

That was the happiest day of Benny's life and nothing could ruin the moment.