Off to the Races

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of illness, death, and gender discrimination.

One of the major inciting incidents in Off to the Races takes place when Vaughn sees a beautiful woman arrive at his ranch, and instead of guessing that she is the experienced horse trainer he is scheduled to interview, he automatically assumes that she has been sent by his matchmaking mother to lure him back to his life in the city. Although Vaughn quickly realizes his mistake and makes amends, this incident highlights the pervasive sexist attitudes that women often face when working in largely male-dominated fields. As Silver’s narrative soon establishes, Billie is intimately familiar with this issue and encounters it several times over the course of the novel. She must therefore respond with a strategic blend of assertiveness and professionalism to counter these incidents. Prime examples range from Vaughn’s vague surprise at her arrival to the hostile Patrick’s choice to ignore her instructions and mistreat DD. In the latter case, the text implies that the jockey holds the sexist belief that Billie’s gender makes her too lenient with horses. In each case, Billie selects a colorful response that leaves her opponent in no doubt as to her competence and strength of will.