“It ain’t over ‘til October.” Ruby Begonia and Paycheck both know better.
Paycheck, Worthington’s racing turkey, went into Saturday’s second leg of the Great Gobbler Gallop in Cuero, Texas with a nearly 20-second lead, but Ruby Begonia dominated in the Cuero heat and won by a large enough margin to win both Saturday’s race and secure the fastest overall time. Ruby, as a result, is this year’s of Traveling Turkey Trophy of Tumultuous Triumph titlist, while Paycheck must settle for the Circulation Consolation Cup of Consummate Commiseration.
Ruby Begonia and Paycheck were even early and running very closely to one another at one point before Paycheck stopped to apparently gobble with members of the crowd halfway through the race. Ruby Begonia finished Saturday’s leg with a time of 51.12 seconds with no penalties; Paycheck ended up at 2 minutes and 15 seconds after two factoring two penalties.
The final combined times for Worthington and Cuero were Ruby, 2:25.72; and Paycheck, 3:27.36. Paycheck still leads the annual series, which began in 1973, 28-20.
