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any of the other entries, though he had studied them earlier. He knew that he was in a race with some famous owners, the sheiks and the Kentucky blue bloods. Racing may be the sport of kings but it can also be a great equalizer at times. Funny Cide had proven that. Six buddies from western New York purchased that seemingly ordinary gelding for $75,000 as a two-year-old. Funny Cide went on to win the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, and to bankroll $3.5 million in earnings.
    Anthony looked through his binoculars as the horses were nearing the starting gate. The track at Belmont Park is a mile and a half long, so for this one mile race on the turf the horses would start at the farthest end, across the track from the clubhouse, and would gothrough only one full turn before their run to the finish line. Many of the two-year-olds were skittish and took a long time to enter the gate. Chiefly Endeavor was one of the last to enter, but he went right in and stood like a pro his first time out. The announcer began his call of the race:
    THEY’RE IN THE GATE…AND THEY’RE OFF. FAST FALL AND PHONE TAG SHOW EARLY SPEED, FOLLOWED BY ATONED AND THE EDITOR. THEN IT’S A GAP OF THREE LENGTHS BACK TO KID ROW AND ELECTRIFY IS SIXTH. CHIEFLY ENDEAVOR IS SEVENTH, SAVING GROUND ALONG THE RAIL, AND THE TRAILER IS WALL STREET SCANDAL. THE FIRST QUARTER WENT IN 23 AND 2, AN HONEST PACE FOR THESE TURF MAIDENS…
    “It’s okay,” Jeff said, “I like him where he is now. The pace is strong. He’s good.”
    …AND THE HALF WENT IN 46 AND 1, WITH FAST FALL CONTINUING TO SET A VERY HEALTHY PACE FOR THIS FIELD OF JUVENILES.
    Gianni continued to listen to the track announcer as he focused on the royal blue Bushmill colors through his binoculars.
    AND IT IS WIDE OPEN NOW…CHIEFLY ENDEAVOR IS SUDDENLY THIRD AND LOOKING FOR ROOM ON THE INSIDE BUT CAN’T FIND IT… KID ROW HAS NOW TAKEN THE LEAD FROM FAST FALL, BUT WITH A BLANKET OF HORSES NOW CHASING FOR THE LEAD, AS THE FIELD TURNS FOR HOME.
    Through his binoculars, Anthony saw the jockey tap his horse left-handed, causing him to veer to the outside where he found room to race towards the front runners.
    NOW NEARING THE FINAL SIXTEENTH, KID ROW AND FAST FALL CONTINUE TO VIE FOR THE LEAD, AND NOW CHIEFLY ENDEAVOR IS CHARGING WITH A LATE MOVE ON THE OUTSIDE…CHIEFLY ENDEAVOR HAS TAKEN THE LEAD NOW BY TWO LENGTHS ANDAS THEY CROSS THE WIRE IT IS CHIEFLY ENDEAVOR BY AN INCREASING FIVE LENGTHS. THE MILE ON THE TURF WENT IN 134 AND 2, A VERY IMPRESSIVE SHOWING FOR CHIEFLY ENDEAVOR OVER THIS TALENTED FIELD OF MAIDEN TWO-YEAR-OLD TURF RUNNERS.
    Alison was jumping up and down, Jeff’s fist pumped the air in front of him, and Dr. Gianni, while composed as usual, felt as though his heart might jump out of his chest. He gave Brad a hearty handshake. Janice was still seated, and Gianni leaned over to kiss his wife on the cheek.
    “See, Anthony, things really are looking up,” Janice said.

Chapter 5
    The middle-aged lady wore rose colored glasses, and she was lying flat on the operating table. They were safety glasses and they were part of the protocol for any patient having laser surgery. Tufts of bleached red hair poked out along the edges of her surgical cap.
    In his hand, Dr. Gianni held a black, pencil-sized instrument attached via a flexible black wire to a carbon dioxide laser machine. The machine looked like a large robot, a tall white structure on wheels, with a confusing array of touch buttons and digital gauges. Each time he activated the laser, it made a clicking sound and emitted an invisible beam of light energy, vaporizing the brown spots on her face.
    “Do you use the same machine for wrinkles?” the patient asked.
    “Well, the same machine, used in a somewhat different manner than for the solar keratosis areas,” Gianni said.
    He studied the numerous wrinkles on her face and neck, some fine and narrow, others deep and crevicular. Like the brown spots he was treating, they were all