Nathan Ward just popped in the news that a racehorse named Maltese Falcon just moved up from maiden to graded stakes winner status — and in La Jolla, Raymond Chandler’s old stomping grounds.
“There are Hammett quotes to apply,” Nathan suggests, “no matter how the next races go. I remember somebody bets on a horse named Peggy O’Toole, a sly in-joke. Maybe in The Glass Key.”
Yeah, Peggy was a dame who hit New York City with Hammett on his first big trip as a newly minted novelist. And I’m pretty sure the namedrop was in Glass Key, too.
Nice-looking pony. Hammett loved the track.
Jeez, just think: maybe we’ll get a showdown someday between Maltese Falcon and Dain Curse. Red Harvest and Thin Man.
Get your bets in.
“At minimum,” Nathan says, “we have to place a bet on this horse.”
