The Runaway Racehorse

Here’s what kids, parents,
and teachers have to say
to Ron Roy, author of the
A to Z Mysteries
series:

The R book is dedicated to readers.
—R.R.

To author and horse lover Jessie Haas.
—J.S.G.

Josh picked up a French fry, dipped it in ketchup, and drew his initials on his plate. When he ate the French fry, a glob of ketchup plopped onto his shirt.

“Rats, this is my favorite T-shirt!” Josh said.

Dink put down his book and grinned at his freckle-faced, redheaded friend.
“Was
your favorite shirt,” he said.

Josh, Dink, and Ruth Rose were taking a train to Larchmont, New York, to visit their friend Forest Evans. Forest and Dink’s uncle Warren had bought a
racehorse together. The kids were invited to watch the horse, Whirlaway, run in a race in Saratoga Springs.

Josh picked up a napkin and wiped at the red stain. He only made it worse.

“Josh is finger-painting,” Ruth Rose said to Dink.

“Someday I’ll be a famous ketchup artist,” Josh said. He gazed out the window. “When do we get there?”

“In a few minutes,” Ruth Rose said, checking her train schedule.

“I can’t wait to see Whirlaway,” Dink said. “I’ve never met a real racehorse before. All I can think about is horses! That’s why I’m reading this.”

He held up his book. It was
The Black Stallion
by Walter Farley. The cover showed a beautiful black horse with wild eyes and a flowing mane.

Dink Duncan’s real first name was Donald, and his middle name was David. But when he first started to
talk and tried to say “Donald David Duncan,” it came out as “Dink.” Dink had been his nickname ever since.

“Look what I brought,” Ruth Rose said, pulling a book from her backpack. The cover showed a girl on a horse. The book’s title was
Learning to Ride.

“Josh, did you bring a horse book?” Dink asked.

Josh grinned. “Nope. I figured you guys will tell me anything I need to know.” He dropped a few sugar cubes into his backpack.

“Still hungry?” Dink teased.

“They’re for Whirlaway,” Josh said.

Just then the conductor walked through the dining car. “Larchmont is next,” he told the kids.

“Oh, wait!” Ruth Rose said, digging in her backpack. She brought out her new camera.

Ruth Rose liked to dress all in one color. Today everything was white,
from her headband down to her sneakers. Even her camera was white!

“Would you please take our picture?” she asked the conductor.

“My pleasure,” said the man. He took the camera and focused it on the kids. “Say ‘cheese’!”

“Cheese!” they all said.

The conductor handed Ruth Rose her camera. “Have a great day,” he said.

The train slowed, then stopped. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose grabbed their backpacks and walked to the end of the car. The conductor lowered a set of stairs, and the kids climbed down to the platform.

Dink heard someone call his name. He saw his uncle Warren and Forest Evans walking toward them. Dink’s uncle was short and round and wore glasses. Forest Evans had a trimmed brown beard and wore jeans and a T-shirt.

“Why, it’s Wink, Gosh, and Tooth Toes!” Forest said.

The kids had met Forest when his painting had gotten stolen from Uncle Warren’s apartment.

“Hi, Mr. Evans!” they all said.

“Please call me Forest, okay?” he asked.

Dink hugged his uncle.

“How was the train ride?” Uncle Warren asked.

“Great!” Josh said. “The hamburgers were awesome!”

Forest led them to a black car and opened a rear door. The kids piled in with their backpacks. Uncle Warren sat next to Forest up front. Forest started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

“How many horses do you have?” Josh asked.

“Just Whirlaway,” Forest said.

“Do you ride him in races?” Ruth Rose asked.

Forest laughed. “No, I’m too heavy. Professional jockeys are small and light. I hired a woman named Sunny to be Whirlaway’s jockey.”

“Awesome!” Josh said. “I’ve never met a girl jockey before.” Then he added, “I’ve never met a boy jockey, either.”

Forest slowed down near a group of small shops and flipped on his turn signal. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose recognized the long, tree-lined driveway. They had been here once before with Dink’s uncle.

A minute later, Forest stopped at his garage. At the end of a stone path stood a large brick house. Out back a stone barn nestled between a tennis court and a swimming pool.

“Here we are,” Forest said.

The kids climbed out of the backseat with their backpacks.

“When can we meet Whirlaway?” Josh asked, looking toward the barn.

“Right now!” Forest said.

Uncle Warren headed to the house while the kids followed Forest toward the barn.

Josh dug in his pocket and pulled out a sugar cube. “I brought this for Whirlaway,” he said.

“That was a nice idea, Josh,” Forest said. “But Whirlaway doesn’t like sugar. He’s the only horse I’ve seen who doesn’t!”

Josh stuck the cube back in his pocket as the kids entered the cool, dim barn. Dink took a deep breath. “It smells nice in here,” he said.

“I agree,” Forest said. He also took a deep breath. “There’s nothing like the sweet smell of hay and horse.”

“Don’t forget chocolate,” Josh added.

They all laughed as Forest led the way to a stall near the barn’s rear doors. The doors were open and sunlight poured in. Out back was a truck parked on a wide area of gravel.

The stall door was also open, but there was no horse inside.

“That’s funny,” Forest said, closing the stall door. He thought for a moment, then smiled.

“I’ll bet Sunny took Whirlaway out for exercise,” he said. “They should be back soon. Let’s go get you guys settled in the house.”

He led Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose back outside and into the house. They passed through a small room with boots on the floor and jackets hanging on pegs.

“This is the mudroom,” Forest said,
untying and kicking off his boots.

He took the kids through another door into the kitchen. The room was yellow with blue tiles on the counter and floor.

Forest pointed to a low bench. “You can leave your backpacks there for now,” he said.

The kids stood their packs on the bench. Dink glanced at a newspaper clipping stuck to the refrigerator door with a magnet. There was a picture of a dark horse with a diamond-shaped blaze on his forehead. The headline read
LOCAL HORSE BEATS ALL.

“Is that Whirlaway?” Dink asked.

“That’s him,” Forest said.

“He’s real pretty” Ruth Rose said.

“He’s even prettier in person,” Forest said, opening the fridge. “You kids like fruit?”

“We like
everything!”
Josh said.

Forest set grapes and strawberries
on the table. The kids sat down and began to snack.

Suddenly the door burst open. A small woman in jeans, riding boots, and a flannel shirt rushed into the kitchen.

“Hi, Sunny,” Forest said. “Say hello to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. They’re here to watch you and Whirlaway race tomorrow.”

“He’s gone!” Sunny said, trying to catch her breath.

“Who’s gone?”

“Whirlaway!” she said. “I just got here to take him out. When I looked in his stall, it was empty!”