GR1@HTR
06-25-2002, 09:23 AM
From Ft. Worth Star Telegram:
A hoof-and-mouth winner
Randy Galloway commentary
The following story is true. Weird, but true.
Weird, because I don't believe you animal lovers can carry on conversations with four-legged creatures, and I see
you out there in public all the time, just yakking away with Fido or Fluffy. You people force me to detour off the
sidewalk and into the middle of the street, giving myself plenty of security clearance.
True, because ABC-TV's 20/20 Downtown camera crew filmed it all for that series' first show after summer reruns,
although the network says it may now be aired sooner.
And true, because Eric Wing, who works in media relations for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, was an
eye-and-ear witness to what the camera saw and heard. I first read Wing's account in an NTRA newsletter, and then
phoned him, just for verification.
"Weird, but true," Wing confirmed.
Follow along:
Go back three weeks ago, to the Belmont Stakes, where War Emblem made his unsuccessful bid to win racing's fabled
Triple Crown. Because of the national media crush for the race, Wing had volunteered to help out the Belmont track
staff. One of his assignments, on the Friday morning before the Saturday race, was to solicit trainers for the 20/20
Downtown film crew, which had an unusual request. ABC brought a reputed "horse communicator" to the track's
stable area, and the plan was for her to "talk" to horses entered in the big race.
Dawn Hayman, in her 30s and from upstate New York, was serious about her work, according to Wing, and made it
clear she was not an animal "psychic." But Hayman operates an animal rescue farm, and, yes, she modestly claimed
she could talk to creatures and the creatures answered.
Wing figured, true or not, he wanted to see this. But it was 36 hours before the Belmont and Wing also knew most
trainers at this point are more nervous than their horses. He also knew some trainers, like the testy Bobby Frankel,
would have everyone immediately thrown out of his barn.
"I concentrated on the guys who might cooperate," said Wing, including Bob Baffert, the trainer of War Emblem.
Baffert "politely" declined. So did every other trainer they approached except Kentucky-based Kenny McPeek, a
young trainer with a friendly and mild-mannered disposition.
But McPeek's horse was Sarava, the most unlikely winner of all in the Belmont. Sarava was going to be long, long
odds when the horses left the starting gate Saturday.
McPeek ran the visit past the co-owner of the horse, Gary Drake. According to Wing, Drake's answer was, "Let me
get this straight - there's a woman outside who will let us ask questions of Sarava, and through her, Sarava will
answer us?"
When McPeek nodded somewhat sheepishly, Drake added, "Well, heck, Kenny. Get her in here."
In came Hayman with the camera and sound crew. They gathered around the stall of Sarava. McPeek or Drake asked
questions. Wing said Hayman would stare silently at Sarava's face, and after a few seconds of silence, deliver the
horse's "response."
About this time, I'm headed for the nearest barn exit, but Wing hung in there.
He heard Sarava "revealing" to Hayman that he knew something big was going on, and he thought he would soon be
famous. The horse "said" he felt well taken care of, and that he liked the Belmont track he was training on because it
was bigger and more spacious than Churchill Downs and Pimlico. And that he was also particularly fond of his new
jockey, Edgar Prado.
But then an ABC producer prompted Drake and McPeek to ask a question only they would know the answer to. "Ask
him how his feet feel," said McPeek to Hayman, who promptly gave the horse a long stare. Then she replied, "His feet
feel good. I'm getting from him that there's been a problem. I think the right front. But he says it's much better now."
Bingo. Wing said McPeek and Drake were stunned. Sarava, McPeek replied, had once had a serious right-front hoof
injury (called a quarter crack). One of the worst, according to McPeek, he has ever seen in a horse. But it was
something McPeek didn't remember ever being reported by any thoroughbred media.
As Hayman departed the McPeek barn, she left behind converts.
But the ABC crew made a last stop at another barn, trying to fit in one more "horse talk" session before Hayman
caught her train back home to upstate New York.
Wing approached trainer Lisa Lewis. She was cooperative, and although not having a horse in the big race, Lewis
introduced Hayman to a colt named River Rush, who was entered in a Saturday allowance race to be run immediately
after the Belmont Stakes.
Hayman quickly received bad vibes from River Rush. "He's telling me," she said, "that he wants to do well, but he
finds racing very intimidating. I think he's had a bad experience or a fall at some point in the past. Does that make
any sense?"
As a matter of fact ...
Lewis revealed the horse had once fallen inside the starting gate and had been difficult to keep mentally focused ever
since. Therefore, he had never performed to his talent potential.
At that point, Lewis asked for Hayman's business card. Hayman said she had none.
Fast forward to Saturday afternoon at old Belmont in Elmont, N.Y.
In the 11th race on the program, favorite River Rush burst through the starting gate as other horses were being
loaded, lost his rider, and ran away up the track. He had to be scratched.
Forty minutes earlier, Sarava, at 70-to-1, had won the Belmont Stakes in a historic upset.
Monday, I tried unsuccessfully to contact Dawn Hayman by e-mail. The reply kept coming back, "no such carrier
available."
If Eric Wing hadn't seen it, and if TV cameras hadn't recorded it, I would have told you "no such person available."
Randy Galloway's Sports at Six can be heard weeknights, 6-8 p.m., on WBAP NewsTalk 820.
rgalloway@star-telegram.com
A hoof-and-mouth winner
Randy Galloway commentary
The following story is true. Weird, but true.
Weird, because I don't believe you animal lovers can carry on conversations with four-legged creatures, and I see
you out there in public all the time, just yakking away with Fido or Fluffy. You people force me to detour off the
sidewalk and into the middle of the street, giving myself plenty of security clearance.
True, because ABC-TV's 20/20 Downtown camera crew filmed it all for that series' first show after summer reruns,
although the network says it may now be aired sooner.
And true, because Eric Wing, who works in media relations for the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, was an
eye-and-ear witness to what the camera saw and heard. I first read Wing's account in an NTRA newsletter, and then
phoned him, just for verification.
"Weird, but true," Wing confirmed.
Follow along:
Go back three weeks ago, to the Belmont Stakes, where War Emblem made his unsuccessful bid to win racing's fabled
Triple Crown. Because of the national media crush for the race, Wing had volunteered to help out the Belmont track
staff. One of his assignments, on the Friday morning before the Saturday race, was to solicit trainers for the 20/20
Downtown film crew, which had an unusual request. ABC brought a reputed "horse communicator" to the track's
stable area, and the plan was for her to "talk" to horses entered in the big race.
Dawn Hayman, in her 30s and from upstate New York, was serious about her work, according to Wing, and made it
clear she was not an animal "psychic." But Hayman operates an animal rescue farm, and, yes, she modestly claimed
she could talk to creatures and the creatures answered.
Wing figured, true or not, he wanted to see this. But it was 36 hours before the Belmont and Wing also knew most
trainers at this point are more nervous than their horses. He also knew some trainers, like the testy Bobby Frankel,
would have everyone immediately thrown out of his barn.
"I concentrated on the guys who might cooperate," said Wing, including Bob Baffert, the trainer of War Emblem.
Baffert "politely" declined. So did every other trainer they approached except Kentucky-based Kenny McPeek, a
young trainer with a friendly and mild-mannered disposition.
But McPeek's horse was Sarava, the most unlikely winner of all in the Belmont. Sarava was going to be long, long
odds when the horses left the starting gate Saturday.
McPeek ran the visit past the co-owner of the horse, Gary Drake. According to Wing, Drake's answer was, "Let me
get this straight - there's a woman outside who will let us ask questions of Sarava, and through her, Sarava will
answer us?"
When McPeek nodded somewhat sheepishly, Drake added, "Well, heck, Kenny. Get her in here."
In came Hayman with the camera and sound crew. They gathered around the stall of Sarava. McPeek or Drake asked
questions. Wing said Hayman would stare silently at Sarava's face, and after a few seconds of silence, deliver the
horse's "response."
About this time, I'm headed for the nearest barn exit, but Wing hung in there.
He heard Sarava "revealing" to Hayman that he knew something big was going on, and he thought he would soon be
famous. The horse "said" he felt well taken care of, and that he liked the Belmont track he was training on because it
was bigger and more spacious than Churchill Downs and Pimlico. And that he was also particularly fond of his new
jockey, Edgar Prado.
But then an ABC producer prompted Drake and McPeek to ask a question only they would know the answer to. "Ask
him how his feet feel," said McPeek to Hayman, who promptly gave the horse a long stare. Then she replied, "His feet
feel good. I'm getting from him that there's been a problem. I think the right front. But he says it's much better now."
Bingo. Wing said McPeek and Drake were stunned. Sarava, McPeek replied, had once had a serious right-front hoof
injury (called a quarter crack). One of the worst, according to McPeek, he has ever seen in a horse. But it was
something McPeek didn't remember ever being reported by any thoroughbred media.
As Hayman departed the McPeek barn, she left behind converts.
But the ABC crew made a last stop at another barn, trying to fit in one more "horse talk" session before Hayman
caught her train back home to upstate New York.
Wing approached trainer Lisa Lewis. She was cooperative, and although not having a horse in the big race, Lewis
introduced Hayman to a colt named River Rush, who was entered in a Saturday allowance race to be run immediately
after the Belmont Stakes.
Hayman quickly received bad vibes from River Rush. "He's telling me," she said, "that he wants to do well, but he
finds racing very intimidating. I think he's had a bad experience or a fall at some point in the past. Does that make
any sense?"
As a matter of fact ...
Lewis revealed the horse had once fallen inside the starting gate and had been difficult to keep mentally focused ever
since. Therefore, he had never performed to his talent potential.
At that point, Lewis asked for Hayman's business card. Hayman said she had none.
Fast forward to Saturday afternoon at old Belmont in Elmont, N.Y.
In the 11th race on the program, favorite River Rush burst through the starting gate as other horses were being
loaded, lost his rider, and ran away up the track. He had to be scratched.
Forty minutes earlier, Sarava, at 70-to-1, had won the Belmont Stakes in a historic upset.
Monday, I tried unsuccessfully to contact Dawn Hayman by e-mail. The reply kept coming back, "no such carrier
available."
If Eric Wing hadn't seen it, and if TV cameras hadn't recorded it, I would have told you "no such person available."
Randy Galloway's Sports at Six can be heard weeknights, 6-8 p.m., on WBAP NewsTalk 820.
rgalloway@star-telegram.com