Rereading: THE BLACK STALLION’S FILLY by Walter Farley

Cover and illustrations by Milton Menasco

While clearly a series, Farley’s horse stories have more variety and are better written than American series books like The Hardy Boys and Tom Swift. This one has some similarities to “Son of the Black Stallion” in that it’s about preparing a young horse for a big race, but there are many new and interesting developments to the overall story.

Henry Dailey has been working with Alec Ramsey as his trainer for some years now, and both are busy at their upstate New York home and breeding business, Hopeful Farm, but Henry is restless, and quietly missing the excitement of racing. He’s never owned a horse himself, but keeping an eye on Kentucky horse sales, sees that Black Minx, the first filly sired by The Black, their prize stallion, is going up for sale. Minx has only raced once, and it was a disaster: she went through the fence and put her jockey in the hospital. Henry thinks he can turn her around, and hopes he can buy her for a price he can afford. When the sale comes, things work in his favor, and he comes home with the filly for $1,000.

Minx turns out to be contrary, a biter, and full of tricks. She was treated as a family pet by her first owner, and learned all kinds of bad habits. Henry and Alec begin a new training regime they hope will cure most of that, but she’s also reluctant to run fast unless she gets the bit in her mouth and can bolt out of control. This does not bode well for racing, but she does have her sire’s speed and endurance. The tale of making Minx into a race horse that could possibly win the Kentucky Derby is full of twists and turns, and memorable races, horses, and people that bring the racing world of the early 1950s to life. When they bring Minx to Kentucky, things get more difficult.

Recommended.

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