For liability reasons, Luis could not stay with her during the flight, as only the horse flight crew was allowed. He would be on the same flight, yes, but not with her in the holding stall. He saw the horse stalls being hydraulically lifted into the hold and he left to take his seat. He hated to leave her, even for a few hours.
As the plane took flight, Luis thought about how he drove an old unreliable pick-up truck, but the horses flew in new private jets. He was happy for her and would not have had it any other way.
Six hours later, after the flight and subsequent van ride, Luis led Winning Colors down the van ramp to her temporary stall at the historic Churchill Downs racetrack, in Louisville, Kentucky. Like all new horse arrivals from out of state, she would be quarantined for 48 hours in the barn stall area before being led to the special barn section reserved for the elite Derby contestants.
Miami and Dino met at their favorite Mexican restaurant for happy hour, just west of Santa Anita, and ordered a blended strawberry margarita for Dino and a Cadillac margarita on the rocks with salt, for Miami. They were not in joking moods and got right into a heated debate.
Miami wanted to go to Louisville to watch the race in person. “Hell, even if we lose, we will never in our lifetime have this moment at the Derby again,” he said. “Let’s ride it out in person and make a week out of it we’ll never forget! Come on Dino, it’s not a business, it’s a horse race!”
Dino waited for Miami to calm down and get some tequila in his bloodstream before responding. “Yes, it’s exciting and a chance of a lifetime, but it is a business for me, or at least I want it to be. I can’t be spending thousands of dollars partying with you in Kentucky, and then come home empty if she loses. If she wins this year, and we collect, I promise I’ll go next year with you. But for now, we need to treat this as a business. So, what’s the best way for us to get paid and not get mugged or worse?”
“I agree the safest day to collect is in TJ on Derby day, in person. I’ve never been to Agua Caliente on Derby day, but for sure it will be packed, and we have to be safer surrounded by thousands of people, right?” Miami sounded like he was still working to convince himself that it would be safe.
“Yes, I know it will be crowded, and we have to go there before we even know if she will be a winner. Damn, we are going to be depressed if she loses and we have to drive home with empty trash bags.”
“I’ll have to put you on suicide watch if that happens. OK, if we drive down on Derby Saturday, the race won’t go off until like 4:00 p.m. our time, and I know we will want to play the other Derby races. The card will be awesome with full horse fields and all that stupid money in the pools from people that bet on their favorite colors and shit. And I have to drive. Obviously, we can’t get in a cab with 250K on us!”
“There’s another problem. Amalia and I researched the border laws and we are not allowed to bring in more than $10,000 each without declaring it to US Customs.”
“Shit…now you tell me. Are we going to declare it? Then we would have to pay taxes! I’m not doing that!”
“I have a plan I’m thinking about. What if we pay say 23 guys to come with the two of us and they each carry back 10K? Or what if we have, say, eight guys, and we make three separate trips?”
“Who knew it was so hard to win a quarter of a million dollars? Now I know why Big Bernie is keeping the money down in Mexico. Can you imagine this discussion if we were talking four times that amount…hell, who are we kidding, that’s the greatest problem I ever heard of!”
Miami and Dino had two full plates of arroz con pollo, and steaming carnitas, with two more grande margaritas before coming to agreement to watch the Kentucky Derby live on TV in Mexico, at the track. Dino agreed to bring a suitcase and clothes bags for the cash and Miami would figure out the car insurance. They couldn’t agree whether to bring muscle with them in the form of other guys, or just risk the border crossing without declaring the money, but they were too clouded with tequila to complete the plan that evening.
Chapter 9
The Greatest Two Minutes
Louisville is horse country and it embraces everything associated with racing, from bourbon to gambling. The city is a throwback to a different, slower time. Think drinking a mint julep on a hot afternoon while watching horses race—it’s an art form to be savored and enjoyed.
For one May weekend each year, the jet set arrives a bit early in Louisville to transform the city into a place like Monte Carlo or Beverly Hills. The jets were pouring in as early as Wednesday and professional athletes were ready to party. NBA superstar Julius Erving (aka “Dr. J.”) was seen laughing with Jim Kelly, the star quarterback of the Buffalo Bills. Steve Garvey of the Los Angeles Dodgers was present, along with Art Rooney, the legendary owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were wined and dined at the parties leading up to the big race. College basketball coach Bobby Knight of Indiana (famous for throwing a temper tantrum and a chair onto the court during a game in 1985) was friends with Lukas. He told the trainer, “You are so competitive that when you lose the race, you think you are going to win the replay.”
The week of the Kentucky Derby is frenetic in
