The narrator is so awestruck with horses and horseracing that his throat hurts when he sees a really promising horse and he is certain that he "can tell a winner" (4). He considers his aching throat as a sure fire sign that the horse is a champion but in reality it is a symbol of much more. The narrator's throat hurting can be likened to the feeling of pride that swells up in a parent as her child takes her first step or graduates from high school. In addition, just like a parent who thinks her child can do no wrong, the narrator's vision of the perfect trainer is shattered when he witnesses the grim reality of the trainer's life.

The feeling of pride that washes over the narrator as he sees these horses is because he feels that "horse racing is in every...