[Jessica]Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
-What did you get? -1.38.2.
He’s ready to fire.
You entered Swift Prince behind my back.
If he wins Saturday, we’re looking at 30 million.
What do you think? Is this going to kill ’em?
If Swift Prince doesn’t win this race,
I'm gonna lose everything.
-I didn’t give you permission to work him. -Freeze!
My God, they’ve injected Swift Prince.
I’d appreciate it if you could keep this quiet.
I can do this. Nobody understands that horse like I do.
[yelling] Ride him, Jill.
You know, I remember hearing about Swift Prince
as a two-year-old when I was writing The Triple Crown Murders.
Wasn’t he burning the tracks up on the West Coast?
You got a hell of a memory, Jessica.
He was running for Mentone Farms near Del Mar then.
And being mentioned as a contender
in the following year’s Kentucky Derby, wasn’t he?
-Right. -But then, he just seemed to vanish.
Well, he had a training accident.
His fetlock, he injured it.
Never ran as a three-year-old.
You know, this may be
an amateur’s observation, but from the way he’s looking,
I would say that Swift Prince
could hold his own again on the track.
Yeah, that’s what the new owners,
Wally and Catherine, said to me.
They wanted me to enter him in the Raleigh this Saturday.
He works real good now, he’ll be runnin’ Saturday.
With Jill aboard? [laughs]
Maybe that was the surprise you were so closed-mouthed about.
Call it fatherly pride,
but, Jessica, she knows how to sit a horse
as fine as anybody else that ever rode.
Well, at the risk of a little God-motherly pride,
I have to agree.
What have you got?
About three-quarters.
Twelve and two. Movin’ real good.
But he’s goin’ wide! Don’t go wide with him!
Keep him on the rail, Jill.
Don’t let him bear out on you like that
in the middle of the track.
Honey... go with him.
[yells]
-What did you get? -1.38 and two.
Matt, that’s terrific.
Terrific? He’s ready to fire.
Excuse me, will you?
-[phone ringing] -[man] Hello.
Matt, hold on a second. I wanna put you on the speaker.
Catherine dropped by for a drink,
and I want her to hear this, too.
Now what was his time?
38 and two.
Ha ha, it’s a go then!
And we’re gonna win it, too.
Oh, Matt, you’re magic.
What about Lloyd? Is he gonna give us any trouble?
Uh, he’s coming in from the coast this afternoon.
Don’t worry.
At worst, it will be two against one. [dial tone]
-Good ride, Jill. -Thanks.
Dad, how’d he do?
1.38.2, honey.
[relieved sigh] [both laugh]
So are we racin’ Saturday or what?
You bet we are, honey. We’re racin’ Saturday.
Ah, Jill!
[Matt] Okay, Jess, here’s the deal.
You tell me everything you know about riding,
and I'll tell you everything I know about racing.
Hey, and, Jess, to top it off,
I’ll bet you a lobster dinner
you can’t outdo The Triple Crown Murders.
You’re on, Matt.
So what’s this one gonna be about, aside from murder?
Oh, this wonderful Blue Ridge country.
Breeding champions.
Those dreams you all chase after.
Jess, the bet’s off.
If I can help you with your research.
Oh, you will. I’ll guarantee it. You both will.
And if I’m not here pounding this keyboard,
I will be up at the house.
Wally has given me the most beautiful room,
with a great view of the mountains.
Say, when am I gonna see Catherine and Tracy?
-Tracy, are you around? -Over here, mom.
Swift Prince is going to run in the Raleigh stakes on Saturday.
That’s great! His time must have gone up .
Better than we hoped.
And that means that if he wins, his stud fees go up, right?
Exactly. To the moon, if we’re lucky.
We’ll have to wait until the race on Saturday for that.
So does this mean I get to, uh,
invite another 100 guests to the wedding?
Oh, I’m afraid not, my darling.
We’re talking future now.
But your share of the Raleigh handicap purse...
that won’t even come close to getting us even,
and that’s if he wins.
Just the bridesmaids’ dresses, and now...
I don’t like this any better than you do.
God knows, I don’t want to disappoint you.
Things will loosen up.
If Paul can push the loan through...
maybe we should just postpone the damn wedding
until we can afford to do it right.
I’m sorry, mom.
I didn’t mean to snap at you.
All you’ve got to worry about.
Paul told me a lot.
You don’t know the half of it, my darling.
The truth is, Tracy,
we’re about this far from losing all of it.
The farm, the horses,
the entire estate.
Oh, my God.
I’ve been hanging on by my fingernails for months.
That’s why you needed Wally to come in on Swift Prince, wasn’t it?
Well, and you’re marrying a Hampton.
I thought it would be in our best interests.
Well, it’s gonna be a beautiful wedding.
Now you’re not just doing this for me.
No. I’m definitely doing it for me.
I like your champagne, Wally,
but not your surprises.
You entered Swift Prince behind my back.
There was a deadline for entries, Lloyd.
And he’s sound. Just ask the Doc.
Our deal was the horse goes straight to stud, no racing.
Catherine, Wally.
I’ve known Swift Prince since he was a yearling.
I nursed him through his injury.
When I checked his leg before I left the coast,
it was badly swollen.
You’ll find horses have swollen legs
when they’ve been laid up for a long time.
I took X-Rays yesterday.
There’s no indication of residual damage.
He never gives me any sign whatsoever
that he’s in any kind of pain. He loves to run.
I don’t understand you people.
What in hell is the matter with a sure
five, six million in stud fees?
This may sound like a foolish question, Mr. Mentone,
but wouldn’t it be better to have Swift Prince compete
in some of these big handicap races,
and perhaps increase his value by winning,
rather than not racing at all?
Bravo, Jessica!
If he reinjures that leg and we have to destroy him,
we’ll have nothing.
Dad, Lloyd’s got a point.
I’m sorry you’re not with us on this, Lloyd,
but it’s a done deal.
Catherine and I have you outvoted.
To Matt and Jill.
We’re going to put Swift Prince in the winner’s circle
at the Raleigh handicap.
To Jill then.
Catherine, I haven’t seen Tracy yet.
Oh, Jessica, she’s in town.
She’s shopping for wedding decorations.
Forgive me if I touched a raw spot.
It’s not so raw anymore, Jessica.
Paul and I just developed different values over time.
What she’s trying to say is,
he was trying to buy into Catherine and Wally’s plan--
you know, bloodlines and stables.
Daddy, let go of it, please. It’s over.
Oh, yeah, sure, it’s over.
-Yes. -It’s over.
Have a drink with your old man.
I gotta get back to the bank.
Things okay with you and Tracy?
Okay.
Wonderful.
The wedding should be a lot of laughs.
Dad, what do you want from me?
For you to get out of that three-piece suit,
come back here, help me run the farm.
But...
I’ll settle for that year-end audit you promised.
The tax deposits are due in a couple of days.
Okay, I’ll take care of it tomorrow.
Thank you very much.
[knocking on door] Come in.
Mrs. Fletcher, pardon me.
Oh, no, please. Please come in.
You don’t really give yourself much time to relax, do you?
Well, I try, but life and deadlines,
they seem to interfere.
And now me.
-May I? -Oh, please.
I’m afraid all I can offer you
is some lukewarm coffee.
My favorite kind. Black.
Matt tells me
that you spent most of your life in horse racing.
Yes, I grew up watching races
from the tower at Saratoga.
I’m kind of concerned about Swift Prince.
Yes, so I gathered.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned,
and I’m sure your research has done the same for you,
it’s that race horses are never quite the same
once they’ve been injured.
It depends on the injury, doesn’t it?
-Yes. -And the horse.
Mm-hmm.
The Raleigh handicap is big time.
The top four-year-olds.
Ambitious trainers.
Hungry jocks. They play for keeps.
And dangerous.
A shove by another horse,
a stumble, that leg could collapse.
And there’s Jill’s safety to be considered, too.
I suspect that Matt and Jill are aware of the risks.
Forgive me, but I think that your memory
is playing tricks on you, Mr. Mentone.
The tower at Saratoga wasn’t built when you were growing up.
If you’ll excuse me, I think I’d better get back to work.
What do you say, Gus?
I hear you haven’t been around the stable in about a week.
That’s about right.
That money I’ve been slipping you,
I need you to be there, keep me posted.
Well, I've been under the weather.
Assistant trainer.
I’ve been on that job ten years
before Hampton brought Matt in there.
I got it, Gus.
One of the saddest stories I ever heard.
I want you back at work.
Now. [drops bottle]
And sober.
Jessie, say hello to a yearling broken about two months ago.
Still gets a little skittish
when you put a saddle on him.
-Ah, he’s lovely. -Yeah.
All right, Sherry, up on top.
Let me tell you.
He’ll be a little green with you.
Go easy with him now.
[Sherry] Easy, easy.
Take it easy.
Steady.
I didn’t give you permission to work him.
I did.
Seeing as how you’re not tending to your job.
You can’t do this to me.
I can’t? I just did.
Why don’t you gather up your gear and get outta here?
We’re not through, Matt.
You were through the day you were hired.
Hey, we’re not talking about the national debt here.
We’re just looking at a $600,000 line of credit,
fully secured, and Mrs. Noble’s assets
are as sound as...
Yeah, I’ll have the appraisal for you tomorrow at the latest.
Thanks. Oh, by the way, I wanna get this through before the weekend,
because if, God forbid, something should happen to Swift Prince
at the Raleigh handicap, the lady’s balance sheet
is gonna take a major nosedive. Thanks.
Very impressive.
-Hi, my darling. -Hi, Tracy.
I’ve been trying to call you all morning.
Well, I had to go to Phillipsburg for a meeting.
So, what do you think? Is this going to kill ’em
at my top-secret surprise bridal shower?
You look very beautiful.
Oh, Paul, it’s gonna be so spectacular.
We are going to have the finest stable in Virginia.
Then you won’t have to work in this...
silly bank anymore.
Tracy, I happen to like banking, okay?
Come on.
You said you wanna be your own person.
Face it, Paul.
The only reason you like it
is because your father doesn’t.
[horse whinnies]
[Matt exclaiming]
[thudding sound, horse whinnies]
[groaning]
Matt!
Someone... someone clobbered me.
Don’t try to talk.
-Dad, what happened? -He’s hurt.
I saw someone running.
I’m all right.
Hold him steady for me.
What is it?
The proverbial needle in a haystack.
They’ve injected Swift Prince.
You mean, this is merely butyl methate?
That’s what it smells and tastes like.
I won’t know for sure till morning if that’s what this is,
or if it got into his bloodstream.
You should be thankful they weren’t trying to kill him.
Kill him? It would only make him run faster.
-So who’d wanna do a thing like that? -And why?
Don’t the stewards always run blood tests on the winning horses?
And whoever it was must’ve known he’d be disqualified.
Not necessarily.
Race isn’t for three days.
Bute can be hard to detect after the first 24 hours.
They had it planned, all right.
Sure, he wins the race, then he takes the test,
he tests clean.
Anyway, I’ll call you as soon as I know something.
Dad, are you okay?
Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine, sweetheart.
What are you looking at me so strangely for, honey?
What if the test comes back positive?
If the tests come out positive,
the stewards will have to report it.
We’ll have no choice, we’ll have to scratch the horse from the Raleigh.
Listen, can we talk about the assailant?
Do you remember anything about it?
Six to five, it was Gus.
You mean he tries to drug Swift Prince
to make him run fast and hopefully to win the Raleigh cup,
and then possibly be disqualified?
Then if he doesn’t win, there’s no blood test.
Exactly. But if there’s no guarantee
that you or Matt or Hampton Farms
would be harmed, I mean,
what would he hope to gain from it?
Jessica’s right.
The whole thing just doesn’t make any sense.
With Gus’ boozed-up brain, what is sense?
Well, unless I’m missin’ something,
any one of you, including Mr. Mentone and Mrs. Noble,
would have more reason than Gus
for wanting Swift Prince to run faster.
I’ll slide by Gus’ place and question him.
All right.
Plus, maybe his fingerprints will show up on the syringe.
-Or not. -Just one moment.
One more thing.
I’d appreciate it if you could keep this quiet
until after we got the blood test results.
There’s no point in unnecessarily alerting the track officials.
Of course not, Mr. Hampton.
Always delighted to do you and your friends here a favor,
so long as it’s within the law.
Mother, the bridal shop
is insisting on getting a certified check
before they even... Jessica!
[phone rings] Tracy!
Hello.
Oh, Wally, yes.
Oh, thank God.
The blood test is negative, Swift Prince is clean.
Yes, go on.
Oh, that’s fantastic.
Oh, thanks. Thanks for calling. Bye-bye.
Now I’ll be able to sleep again.
Oh, mother, that’s such great news.
I’m so pleased for you.
Yeah, the committee’ll take care of it tomorrow.
Okay, I’ll call you. Bye.
What can I do for you, Lloyd?
My friends tell me that your head office in Chicago
is very sensitive to the federal bank examiners.
Your.. friends are, uh... right.
It’s a common concern these days.
Specifically, I hear they’re worried about
the supporting documentation on the loan application
submitted by Catherine Noble,
and approved on behalf of this branch
by you.
I see.
Now, if she lied on those applications,
she’s committed fraud.
And I’m sure a case could be made
that you are a party to it.
[nervous chuckle]
Well, all I can say is,
I’m glad you’re not my partner.
And I can avoid all this unpleasantness
by talking her into voting with you
to scratch Swift Prince from the Raleigh handicap.
In that case,
I believe I can guarantee that everyone will live
happily ever after.
Get out.
Think about it, Paulie.
All right, Sammy, take him back.
Well, hi. How are you, Cathy?
-Oh, good, mostly. -That’s good.
I miss working with you, Matt.
I miss you workin’ with me, too.
It wasn’t my idea to go to work for Wally.
Oh, you know, Wally wouldn’t have bought into Swift Prince
unless I allowed you to become the trainer.
Really?
That’s a very nice compliment.
Matt...
I really need to win this one.
If Swift Prince doesn’t win this race,
I'm gonna lose everything.
Noble Farms is mortgaged way beyond the hilt.
Cathy, I knew things were kinda tight,
but I didn’t realize they were that tight.
Tony Maldonado doesn’t have a mount,
-And as you know, he’s a top rider. -That’s out.
Matt, Jill is like a daughter to me, too.
And I know how much you want her to ride,
but I think Swift Prince is too much horse for her to handle.
Oh, too much horse.
Cathy, she can sit any horse.
Okay, Matt, friendship aside,
I need to reach out for the best I can get.
All right, friendship aside,
I’m the trainer, and I’m the one that decides
who’s gonna be on top of that horse the day he runs.
Just read my contract.
I have the right to choose the rider.
I’m sorry, Cathy, but you had faith in me once.
I’m asking you to have faith in me again.
All right, thanks, anyway.
Yes, I’ll tell her. Thank you.
Excuse me, Matt.
-This just came for you. -Thank you, Jess.
Just talkin’ to sheriff Benson there.
Talked to Gus who said he didn’t know anything about butyl methate.
There were no fingerprints on the syringe.
Oh, that’s too bad.
Yeah, but don’t worry.
I think everything’s gonna be okay.,
because I have a hunch
that the key to taking three seconds off
Swift Prince’s race is right in here.
Oh?
I’ll let you know.
-Matt. -Yeah.
That business with Catherine wanting to use another jockey,
that’s gonna be all right?
Not to worry.
Nothing that a big win on Saturday won’t cure.
Right.
Jill.
-Hi. -Hi.
Got your bean-counting hat on?
Oh, yeah, dad’s audit.
Listen, you feel like maybe grabbing a bite to eat?
Yes, okay.
Now listen, don’t move.
-I’ll be right over. Okay. -Problems?
I’ll talk to you about it later, Jess. I gotta run.
[car door closes]
[engine starting]
Oh, hi, Jessica.
Have you seen Paul anywhere?
He said he was gonna be down here doing an audit.
Well, he was, but he left about an hour ago.
Oh, um, we were gonna talk about bridesmaids’ gifts.
Well, I guess it will wait.
Um, do you have any dinner plans?
-I do now. -Oh, great.
So there’s this new French restaurant in the village.
It’s a little trendy, but the food’s good,
what there is of it.
Sounds like half the French restaurants in Manhattan.
Isn’t that Matt’s truck up ahead?
Yeah, looks like it.
I wonder what it’s doing out here.
Your statements are almost ready for signature.
Nothing much to it, Mrs. Fletcher.
Your basic robbery assault that went too far.
And that video cassette? You never found that?
Nothing on his person or in the truck.
State police say witnesses saw an itinerant in the area.
They’re looking for him now.
Matt stops to fix his flat.
Guy walking along offers to help.
A drifter who just happens to be in the same spot
on a lonely, two-lane road?
Sure.
Perpetrator bludgeons him with the flashlight,
three good blows, according to the coroner’s preliminary.
Then he grabs Matt’s wallet and wristwatch,
and apparently, that videocassette you said he was carrying,
and takes off.
But there are no tools on any of these photographs here.
I mean, no jack, no tire iron, no lug wrench, nothing.
He didn’t get that far. He was still checking the tire.
Sheriff, excuse me.
Have you discovered what caused the flat?
I can answer that, ma’am.
-It was a faulty valve. -Faulty? How?
A speck of sand must’ve caused a slow leak.
I couldn’t find anything, but there were no holes in the tire.
Look, if you and Miss Noble can just please sign these.
It’s gettin’ kinda late,
and Vern and I have a whole bunch of paperwork.
-Just one other thing, Sheriff. -One.
Sheriff, if I’ve said anything, I...
I’m sorry. I guess because you’re their friend,
-I just figured... -Catherine and Wally?
Yeah. Which side of the racetrack you happen to come from around here
counts for a lot, Mrs. Fletcher.
The truth is, if it wasn’t for this badge I was wearing,
those folks you’re rubbin’ elbows with
wouldn’t give me the time of day.
You know, you might like to take a second look at that.
There’s a school of thought that says
that people get what they think they deserve.
You had a question.
Have you been able to locate Jill?
We tracked her down over at Arlo’s restaurant with Paul Hampton.
They’re on their way here now.
And have you had any response from the messages
that you left for Catherine and Wally?
That’s two questions, Mrs. Fletcher,
but the answer’s no. I guess they’re still out.
Same with Gus Tardio and Mr. Mentone.
Had you seen Matt this evening?
No.
He called a little after 7:00.
He was upset.
Wally was here, we were going out for dinner.
Matt asked if we’d wait, he’d be right over.
Wanted to talk to us.
And he never turned up.
Around 8:30, I called his office, no answer,
so Wally and I left.
Oh, Jessica, this is so horrible.
[door closes]
Yes, Louisville, please.
The number for Sport Track.
That’s on Highland Avenue.
Thank you.
Victor, Wyoming.
Right.
555-4475.
Thank you very much.
You gonna be okay?
Yeah. Thanks.
I’ll see you later.
Jill, I’m so sorry.
I loved him so much, Jessica.
I did, too.
I couldn’t go home, you know?
I had to come here.
I’m gonna win this race for him, Jessica.
I swear.
And I believe that you will.
And you’re quite certain there were no calls
to or from Matt Cleveland to Victor, Wyoming?
I see. And that notepad sheet that I mentioned,
and the videocassette, you haven’t found either one of them.
All right. [doorbell rings]
Thank you, Sheriff.
[man] Right this way, Sir.
No, I haven’t seen Mr. Tardio.
-Right. -She’s in the study.
Oh, now that is quick service.
That’s why I get the big bucks, ma’am.
If you’d sign right here, please.
Sure.
Thank you.
-Have a nice day. -Mm-hmm.
The price of fame, no doubt.
Here you are, hiding in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia,
and delivery people still manage to catch up with you.
Oh, yes, they can be relentless.
Thank you so much, Wally, for letting me use your phone,
and thanks also to your cook.
I’m gonna try to get Jill to eat some of this.
[race announcer] Out of the park
turns Swift Prince, down to the rail.
Jockey Rene Augusto goes to the right-hand whip,
and Dancing Tommy breaks Swift Prince’s stride.
He takes the lead.
On the outside, Arnie’s Boy making a bid.
But here comes Swift Prince down to the rail.
He passes Dancing Tommy with a burst of speed.
Swift Prince holds on to win.
A magnificent show of heart,
capping a truly outstanding campaign as a two-year-old.
I don’t get it.
He used to always run the rail, and now, I can’t get him near it.
Your father apparently saw something that we’re missing.
Do you think that’s why he was-- [phone rings]
Hello.
Oh, yes, Catherine. She’s right here.
I’ll tell her.
Catherine and Wally are on their way over here.
They’d like to talk to you.
Oh, Jill, you know how we felt about your dad,
and how you must be feeling right now.
We wouldn’t even be discussing this
if the race weren’t coming off tomorrow.
Go ahead.
-What Catherine’s trying to say-- -I know. I understand.
You don’t think I’m in emotional condition to ride.
And he’s going to know that.
We know how badly you want this.
How much you want to see him win.
Anyway, Tony Maldonado has become available--
I can do this.
I’m telling you, I can do this.
And we’ve decided to let him ride.
Look, nobody understands that horse like I do.
You know, nobody does, except maybe my dad.
-Tony’s been up on the best, Jill. -I know.
For some pretty big purses, and he’s won more than his share.
We’re certain that Matt would’ve understood,
and we hope you will.
Well, it’s your horse, isn’t it?
It’s your decision.
You surprise me, kid.
What made you change your mind?
You did, Lloyd, and Matt Cleveland’s death.
A bum robs him and kills him.
That made you see the light, huh?
I don’t believe that’s the way it happened, Lloyd.
I think you killed him.
[chuckles]
I never said I was brilliant,
but that dumb, I’m not. Okay.
So you change your mind.
Whatever works. Did you speak with Catherine?
No.
And I don’t intend to.
Not about scratching Swift Prince.
Are you crazy?
She’s gonna lose the farm, and you are gonna lose your job.
Her, maybe.
Me... [chuckles]
I’ll be fine.
Oh, you see this? It’s Catherine’s loan application.
And whichever way the race turns out, Lloyd,
she and my dad are gonna find out
what kind of a partner they’ve got.
I just wanted you to know.
And thank you...
for helping me get my head straight.
See ya around, Lloyd.
If you talk to her, just tell her I’ve gotta see her.
Tell her it’s about her business at the bank.
What’s the hurry, Paul? No time for your fiancée?
I gotta get over to the stable.
Got some hot audits you need to do...
like last night?
Tracy, it was getting late. I thought you weren’t coming.
Like hell.
We had a hamburger, okay? Big deal.
Then I brought her home,
after they found Matt.
Look, Paul, I’m talking about us.
For God’s sake, we’re getting married in a month.
Are we?
You know, Tracy,
I was gonna do this later, but us...
is what’s wrong with this whole arrangement.
None of it’s about us,
not the wedding, not you and me.
What are you talking about?
It’s about our parents.
You know, this royal match that they’ve put together.
Look, Tracy, I’m trying to say this as nicely as I can.
But this whole show...
two historic stables joined in holy matrimony.
I mean, they’re breeding us just like they’re gonna
breed Swift Prince.
Honey, I...
that’s a part of it.
But we care about each other.
No. You’re in love with the fantasy.
You’re in love with the best gowns,
the showiest fabrics,
some kind of gigantic racing enterprise.
Well, that’s not me,
and I’m not gonna play other people’s games anymore,
our folks or anyone else’s.
-You’re serious. -Totally.
Call off the wedding.
You can make me the heavy, you can do it any way you want,
but it’s over.
I’m sorry, Tracy.
Paul, if you wanna have a fling with Jill...
he likes the center of the track.
You’re gonna have to hold him to the rail.
Yes, Sir.
Catherine.
What did you do to my daughter?
I did her a favor.
Listen, I just wanted to wish you--
Would you do me a favor? Go to hell.
I just wanted to wish you well tomorrow.
Jill.
Hi. I need to talk to you about...
[horse whinnies]
It’s all right. Settle down.
Settle down.
Here you go.
No, not me, people. You can keep this one.
Tony! No, wait!
No.
Let her come to you.
And then, say maybe...
at least once.
Apparently, the racing association
doesn’t keep track of incoming calls.
Nobody remembers talking to Matt,
much less why he called.
You won’t need that information
from the racing association, Mrs. Fletcher.
We know who killed him. It was Gus Tardio.
We found tire prints that match Gus’ truck
on the shoulder, 30 to 40 feet from where Matt was killed.
And you picked him up?
No, just his truck. We have an APB out on him.
Sheriff, are you sure about those phone company records?
I mean, Matt called the racing association,
and he called Catherine Noble, and nobody else?
That’s also why I’m here. I brought the printout.
Oh, this is a bulletin from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Oops. Sorry about that.
I must’ve grabbed it by mistake.
Looked like the right one.
I’ll go back, pick it up and bring it back to you.
Looked like the right one. Of course.
Why wouldn’t it, except for the rail?
Come again?
Sheriff, I believe I know what this is all about.
We’ve gotta get over to the Raleigh racetrack right away.
-Can you alert security? -I’ll sure try,
but I’m not sure I understand, Mrs. Fletcher.
I’ll explain it on the way over.
I’ve got to talk to the man at the racetrack.
I believe that Swift Prince is in grave danger.
[siren blaring]
Freeze!
Drop it.
What is this stuff?
Triethyl chlorinate.
It’s a lethal poison.
The horse would’ve been dead within five minutes.
You see, I assumed that what Matt had written on this notepad
was Victor, Wyoming, and then, it hit me
that the w-y could also be an abbreviation for way,
and the racing association confirmed it for me.
Victor Way, owned by Mentone stables.
A horse that looks very much like Swift Prince.
That’s the horse in Swift Prince’s trailer right over there.
And the numbers tattooed inside their lower lips
were similar enough that they could also be altered sufficiently
to fool Catherine Noble and Wally Hampton.
But not enough to convince the track stewards
if we wanted to race him.
Thus they might’ve recognized their contrasting styles.
Swift Prince was always on the inside,
and Victor Way couldn’t be held in at the turns.
But why switch horses? Why go to all that trouble?
Money. Lots of it.
Victor Way is a good horse,
but Swift Prince is a great horse.
And unless I’m very much mistaken,
at this very moment, he is running
somewhere in South America as Victor Way,
and cleaning up for Mr. Mentone and his gambler friends.
And what was supposed to happen was
you were to clean up another million
on this Swift Prince’s stud fees.
It’s all true, but I didn’t murder anyone.
Sure, you didn’t.
Sheriff, Mr. Mentone’s telling the truth.
He didn’t kill Matt.
But I think I know who did.
Car door slamming? That told you who did it?
I had just come into Matt’s office last night.
As he was rushing out, I barely noticed
hearing a single car door slam.
I’ll talk to you about it later, Jess. I gotta run.
[car door slams] That was the killer, arriving at the stable.
Then, a few moments later, I heard two doors slam.
( doors slamming )
And the sound of Matt’s truck starting up
and driving off.
[car engine starts]
He was on his way over to tell Wally and me
-What he’d discovered about Swift Prince. -That’s right.
But he never made it,
because his killer had gotten into his truck with him.
It was you, Tracy.
[nervous laughter]
Jessica, that’s ridiculous.
Why would I kill Matt?
To keep Wally and your mother
from learning the truth about Swift Prince.
To keep her from losing those millions of dollars in stud fees,
money that she badly needed in order to hold onto the farm
for herself and for you.
That’s a very serious accusation, Jessica.
Yes, Catherine, it is.
No. No, you’re wrong.
Mother, tell her to stop.
I mean, she can’t prove any of this.
I can’t, Tracy,
but there was an eyewitness.
Gus Tardio saw everything.
He was parked on the shoulder not far down the road
from where you got Matt to stop.
Tracy...
for God’s sake, tell me this isn’t true.
She’s right.
I, um...
just arrived at the stables
to see Paul.
And Matt came rushing out.
Matt, Matt! What is it? Why are you so excited?
Tracy, your mom and Wally have been taken big time by Mentone.
-What do you mean? -That isn’t Swift Prince in there.
It’s some claimer named Victor Way. I’ve gotta tell ’em.
Oh, my God.
I’m gonna go with you.
All I knew was that if the truth got out,
mother would lose everything.
I hope this doesn’t sound too rough,
but what Mentone did, I think he oughta be whipped.
I had to stop him somehow.
Um, Matt...
I feel sick.
-Sick? -Can you pull over, please?
Yeah, sure.
[feigned vomiting]
Are you all right, honey?
So I...
let the air out of his tire...
and I left the flashlight.
And then, I walked back to the stable.
Where you came in and asked me if I’d seen Paul,
as if you’d just driven up.
I never dreamed...
that Gus was out there watching.
He wasn’t, Tracy.
I got the idea because they found his tire tracks
near the murder site, but they were from another time.
It was Gus who was paid by Lloyd Mentone
to try and drug Swift Prince,
but he has an alibi for last night.
I’m sorry, mother.
I’m so sorry.
I’m afraid I bear some of the responsibility here.
[people laughing]
Look at that, huh?
Opening up a three-length lead
and still flying into...
[Wally] Oh, we’ve got it now. We’ve got it.
He’s lengthening his lead to seven lengths.
and wins going... [cheers and applause]
I could watch that eight or ten more times tonight.
And here’s a toast to some very flexible track officials
for letting us make a last-minute name change.
Yes. Jessica, I have one question for you.
What was that business with the failed attempt to drug Victor Way?
Well, Lloyd Mentone admitted he hired Gus to do it,
but to make sure that we found the syringe,
so you’d have the horse tested before the race,
and withdraw his entry.
I can’t believe how Catherine and I
bought into Lloyd’s scheme.
You know, dad, maybe it’s the Hampton genes.
Seeing only what we wanna see,
until we wake up.
To Matt, for seeing what should’ve been obvious
to the rest of us.
And to Mrs. Fletcher,
for getting us to take a second look.