win the Derby with that horse," McAnally
said. "The Whithams are good people.
Hard working people, all of them."
Maybe it's the Kansas in them. She nev-
er left Leoti for some place more glamor-
ous, and whether she knows it or not, she's
given the people in McCracken something
they don't often have, something to root
for.
"It's a town people absolutely and fierce-
ly love," said Wolfe, the postal worker. "Ev-
eryone here is like family. It's just exciting
knowing about this horse."
There's a small museum in McCracken.
It's closed this time of year, a little clut-
tered and it's in need of some TLC. They've
got some souvenirs and t-shirts from the
rodeo, news clippings from when the Mc-
Cracken High Mustangs won the 1972 Kan-
sas State High School boys class 1A basket-
ball championship and, of course, a Paper
Moon display. They might need to find
some more room, for pictures of a very
good race horse.
McCraken in the Sam B. Davis winner's circle
17
