A Day at the Races

Not today, but last Saturday. And not a day, but a couple of hours. And not at the races, but at the OTB room at the casino which is just a couple miles from my home.

A local talk show host has an investment in a race horse. Being well studied in the sport of horse racing he often has tips for races and horses he has confidence in. The Friday before last he had two such tips for The Travers Cup at Saratoga. I had put some money down on some extensive tips he had given in the past and lost more than I had won. If I had been more conservative in my bets, sticking with the top three horses he recommended, I would have come in ahead. For The Travers Cup last week he gave two picks, not the favorite, that I decided to pursue.

It was a $16 investment. What attracted me to this race was the potential for these two horses with the favorite to fill in the top three. So a $6 trifecta box. Than another $6 dollars in $2 exacta boxes and $2 each for his picks to place. Then, the wait for race 12, The Travers Cup.

I was early, or maybe it was just the rain that delayed the race. Capt. Candyman Can looked attractive to me in race 11 and thought of putting $2 to show but didn't. It would have paid. Thought of putting $4 on the favorite for race 12 to show, #4 Quality Road, but the rewards were too small for the investment. It would have paid. Then I thought of putting $2 on the race 12 long shot to show, #1 Hold Me Back, and that also would have paid.

Yes, #1 Hold Me Back, the long shot came in second messing up my chances at the trifecta and exacta boxes with #2 Charitable Man, the first tip coming in 4th, #4 Quality Road, the favorite coming in 3rd, and #6 Summer Bird, the second tip finishing first. The three making up my boxes. Summer Bird paid something over double to place.

But it was an interesting experience rubbing elbows and watching the races with some serious followers of the sport for awhile. And together with the potential for a great return, a good chance at hundreds of dollars, a day worthwhile. The information was obviously excellent. You just never know what's going to happen though. But you never stop learning. I may go back, not too soon, if I see a chance for some good returns investing in boxes, and hedging my bets with some solid picks and maybe $2 on a long shot potential.

A little windfall would have been great. Always seems to be opportunity before me but we just can't catch a break. It's as if something keeps holding me back.