A day at de races

Aug 12, 2024 Dem Boys Seh, Features / Columnists

Kaieteur News – Horse racing is a mirror of class relations in society. Dem boys seh, if yuh want fuh see who running things, go to the races. Is not the horses who run things, but the big ones sitting in the VIP stands. Dem with the fat wallets and the flashy clothes. The ones who get free pass to watch de horses run and get de best view in de house.

But wha happen to de small man? De die-hard fans who keep de sport alive? De same small man who love de Sport of Kings, who bet he last dollar hoping fuh catch a break. He got to fork out $6,000 just fuh stand up in the sun or squeeze in like sardines in de stands, sweating like if he running the race heself. And if he tek he family, well, he better be prepared fuh eat dry bread fuh the rest of the week cause is $6,000 per head.

Dem boys seh, the big ones don’t worry ’bout de cost of living. They don’t have to. While de small man watching de race, he thinking ’bout how he gon pay de bills. De irony is thick. The horses running at full speed, but is de small man who really running. Running fuh make ends meet, running fuh pay dem bills, running fuh survive, running just fuh afford to go to de races. And at de end of de day, he $6,000 short.

Dem horses getting whipped to run faster. But at the end of the day, dem getting three square meals. Some of dem in de stands wah cheering dem on, might only manage two. Dem horses living better than some of we.

Dem boys seh, is not just a race track. Is a mirror. It show yuh the gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country. It show yuh how de rich live in a different world, while de small man struggling to even stand up in the sun and watch the show.

So next time yuh at the races, remember who really winning. It ain’t the horse. It ain’t the jockey. It’s the man sitting comfortable in de VIP box, watching the rest of we sweat and struggle.

But like dem boys always seh, is just another day at the races.

Talk half. Leff half