The Gentle Heroes of Churchill Downs Like the anonymous crowds in the backdrop of a major city, they are unsung heroes, day in and day out, working hard and serving a crucial purpose. The track ponies earn no fame and little attention. At the beginning of each race, a pony's rider reaches over to attach a lead to a nervous racehorse on the way to the starting gate. The racehorse might be young, anxious, distracted or just plain silly. The pony is often a calming presence, providing a safety net for both horse and jockey. In addition to ponies" role on the track, there is a phenomenon I have observed as they wait patiently between races. When racing enthusiasts see the track ponies, their faces soften and their hands extend. The ponies are easily the best track ambassadors for racing. They stoically survey all the humanity in front of them without judgment or fear. As parents hold their children up to "pet the horsy," the world becomes a gentler place. Gamblers smile and sneak a peppermint to their favorite ponies. Owners and connections stop and chat with the riders while giving the ponies a head rub. The riders sit casually on their ponies, legs folded in their saddles as they peruse the program, talk on their cellphones or chat with visitors. Each day at Churchill Downs, the rider Lynn Staffileno guides her charges from the barns to the track in the predawn hours for their workouts. In the afternoon, she shepherds thoroughbreds from the tunnel to the starting gate. Through her love of horses, Staffileno started working in the industry with thoroughbreds, jumpers and broodmares, until one day she met a lady who put her on a pony, leading her to quit her day job in 1999. I met her on the Churchill Downs backside as she tended to the needs of her two ponies stabled in a weathered brick barn. It contains more than a dozen ponies, with more located in the barns throughout the backside. As I walked the shed row of the barn, each horse leaned forward in greeting with a curious eye and a friendly demeanor. Staffileno stopped and told the story behind each of the horses as she played with them affectionately. Their names are colorful and entertaining. Their background is as varied as the denizens of the track. There is Liberty Bull, the winner of the $600,000 Sunland Derby in 2008. There is the simple country appaloosa named Applesauce, whose presence instantly makes you feel calm. Going down the line, I was greeted by Buckethead, Jackson, Dupree, Smurf and Rufus. I was mesmerized by Bandit. He is distinctive for his prominent mustache, a healthy, bushy set of whiskers above his lip setting him far apart from the average horse. When we met Staffileno's horse One Eye, she stopped and removed his face mask. One Eye is exactly as advertised, a tall thoroughbred chestnut gelding who lost his right eye in an accident when he was 4 months old. One Eye has been losing sight in his remaining eye because he has equine recurrent uveitis, also known as moon blindness. Staffileno has been trying to fend off blindness in the horse through a regimen of eye drops and care. One Eye uses his long, expressive ears to give him an idea of what is happening around him. His ears helicopter around as he alertly picks up sounds of his environment. Staffileno said that a "good pony can read the temperament of a horse like a Seeing Eye dog." She added: "He needs to know when to tell them to get back and hold them in such a way that when they lean into him going 35 to 45 miles an hour, he is able to hold them up physically." One Eye has a quiet disposition, and he has a tendency to sense what is going to happen and moves quickly when necessary to keep order on the track. Other ponies have distinctive personalities as well. Liberty Bull is not going to tolerate any shenanigans en route to the gate, and will discipline or intimidate a youngster who might bolt or buck. The slab-sided Rufus provides a calming presence for a racehorse to lean into. One Eye rode in the 515-mile Great Santa Fe Trail Horse Race Endurance Ride and went right back to work at the track. He used his sense of smell to find my offered peppermint and gently rubbed his head against me. Like the children whose parents bring them to pet the track ponies, I found myself transported into their world as I spent time with them. It's not an easy world. It's not a wealthy world. But working with the ponies daily at the track can be the perfect place in the world. "Remember, one is not better than the other," Staffileno said. They each have their own stories. There are a few things we do like the time of the Phoenicians. We harness the winter sail, and we make a living with horses. When you can make a living with horses, that is the greatest thing in the world.