WORTHINGTON - King Turkey Day goers won’t have to worry about going cold turkey this year.
As always, the competition between Worthington’s turkey, Paycheck, and the Cuero, Texas, turkey, Ruby Begonia, is heating up. Both racing teams have been busy preparing and training their feathery friends for Saturday’s race.
Worthington’s coach, Susanne Murphy, said her team has a few tricks up its sleeves.
“We implemented our secret protein this year,” Murphy said. “And we’ve been training with leg weights on the turkey, so when we take those off, get ready for Paycheck to fly.”
Just don’t expect Murphy to spill the beans about the turbo turkey mixture.
“I can’t tell you what’s in the protein mixture,” Murphy said. “Because when everyone sees how fast Paycheck is, everybody is going to want to start using it.”
Michael Ruschhaupt, the captain of Cuero’s team, said he isn’t worried about Worthington’s team because he knows Ruby won’t let her team down. Ruschhaupt said Ruby’s handlers are using the same strategy they have for the past few years.
“We’re going to stick with what we’ve been doing,” Ruschhaupt said. “It seems to be working. ... We’ll have our Texas oversized hats to blind the turkey on each side, and we’ll use rattle paddles behind (Ruby) in order to make some noise, so all she’ll want to do is run straight down to the finish line.”
Ruby has beaten Paycheck in each of the six heats of racing over the last three years, and Ruschhaupt said he can’t imagine the pressure the Worthington team must be under.
“I really feel for their dilemma - losing six in a row is pretty disheartening,” he said. “I’d like to say we could help them do something about that, but it won’t be this year.”
Though Murphy agrees it’s time for Paycheck to make a comeback, she said the team isn’t concerned about the race.
“I think last year the stress weighed everybody down,” she said. “This year, we are going in with confidence.”
There can only be one winner, and both teams seem to think their bird is it. The race will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on 10th Street in downtown Worthington.
“Paycheck will win,” Murphy said. “Nothing goes faster than a paycheck.”
