The Legend of Zippy Chippy (36 page)

The precise moment that Zippy Chippy and Red Down South met. Since then, they have been inseparable stablemates
. (
photo credit bm3.13
)

Zippy Chippy picks the pocket of William Thomas at Cabin Creek. Admits the author: “I am scared shitless of that horse!”
(
photo credit bm3.14
)

After fifteen years of professional racing, which includes 132 trips around the track, now it's time for Zippy Chippy and Red to just hang out and think about what might have been … and carrots
. (
photo credit bm3.15
)

Marisa at three in a feed bucket. Fortunately, Zippy wasn't hungry that day
. (
photo credit bm3.16
)

Marisa, five, celebrates her father's 41
^st
birthday
. (
photo credit bm3.17
)

Marisa Monserrate today – out of the feed bucket and into the serious business of training horses and pony riding at Finger Lakes
. (
photo credit bm3.18
)

If you've ever enjoyed a horse race or even this book, if you've ever been impressed by the beauty of these muscled and elegant beasts, if you've ever spent even a little time with a horse and come away feeling better, then please, support the Old Friends Farms. Michael Blowen and the Peppers are the caretakers of these magnificent creatures who, after their working days are done, remain helpless and homeless.

As charities that help our four-footed friends go, Old Friends is one of the best and most deserving of your donation. Not only would you be helping to make a comfortable life for the ex-champions and also-rans, but you would be helping these farm operators expand their facilities to bring more aging thoroughbreds in out of the cold.

I won't even mention the alternative option to a retirement; it is far too painful a thought. Please give what you can to yesterday's heroes, who without Old Friends would be in dire straits. Think of it as placing a bet on Zippy Chippy, only this time you win!

While most of the information presented in this book was obtained from interviews with the aforementioned participants and original research, several sources and publications provided background material that proved most useful in this project including:

Mike Moran, sports editor of the
Daily Hampshire Gazette
, kindly offered copy he'd written about Zippy Chippy and provided columns filed by
previous writers, including Scott Cacciola, Andy Walter, Lou Carlozo, and David Abramowitz.

In addition to these newspaper articles, the columns of Bob Matthews in the
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
that really got the Zippy Chippy story rolling across America were entertaining and helpful. Additional articles I referenced would include: “Our Hero: Mr. Potato has the right stuff” by Jason Stark (Baseball America Online); “HORSE RACING – Races Make Return to Fairgrounds” by Bill Mooney (
The New York Times
, 2001); “Catching Up With A Lovable Loser” by Bill Littlefield (
Only a Game
, National Public Radio); and, “Puss N Boots: Splishin' And A-Splashin' ” by Nick Cota (Trackside with Trackman).

The following issues of
People Magazine
were also helpful: May 8, 2000 (“Running Joke”) and December 25, 2000 (“Short On Horsepower.”)

Always at my fingertips were the information bases of Google, Wikipedia (yes, I do send money!),
The Blood-Horse
magazine, and especially Equibase.

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Team Monserrate: photo courtesy of Emily Schoeneman

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Racing's Biggest Loser: photo courtesy of Emily Schoeneman

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Zippy Chippy, Milton Delvalle, Felix Monserrate: photo used with permission of the
Philadelphia Inquirer

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Zippy biting pants: photo credit to Connie Bush

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Zippy grazing in the field: photo courtesy of Emily Schoeneman

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3 County Fair flyer: courtesy of Emily Schoeneman

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Pedro Castillo and Zippy Chippy: photo courtesy of the Rochester Red Wings

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Felix and Zippy Chippy: photo credit to Emily Schoeneman

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Jorge Hiraldo and Zippy Chippy: photo courtesy of the Rochester Red Wings

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Zippy Chippy at Northampton Fair: photo courtesy of Emily Schoeneman

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Zippy Chippy and Michael Blowen: photo credit to Old Friends at Cabin Creek

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Old Friends at Cabin Creek: photo credit to Connie Bush

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Zippy Chippy and Red Down South touching noses: photo credit to Connie Bush

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William Thomas and Zippy Chippy: photo credit to Monica Rose

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Zippy and Red: photo credit to Old Friends at Cabin Creek

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Marisa in the feed bucket: photo credit to Emily Schoeneman

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Marisa and Felix: photo credit to Emily Schoeneman

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Marisa Monserrate: photo courtesy of Emily Schoeneman

William Thomas is an author, scriptwriter, and nationally syndicated humor columnist. He is the author of ten books, including the runaway bestseller
The Dog Rules
–
Damn Near Everything!
William's work was included in the
Great Canadian Anthology of Humor
along with fifty of the best humor writers in Canada.
www.​williamthomas.​ca