Originally Posted by
billhart22
You know that you can only get slapped in the head with a 2x4 so many times before you start to try and figure out what in the hell is going on. Even a dog will just lay down and piss after a while. Everybody and everything has to win once in a while for confidence.
I used to love (and would still love to) go to the horse races. To me that is an absolute rush. The first time that I went, I thought it was the most boring thing that I had ever been to, because I was ready to slap money down every 5 minutes...but the races ran every 45 minutes. I didn't have a mentor, so over a period of time I got to meet some trackie friends and we would meet on Saturdays and Sundays for the race day.
Well, my track buddies taught me how to handicap horses (no, not by breaking their knees). They gave me the basics and then I got some books and took it from there. Well, low and behold, I barely had enough time in between races to get to the window to make a bet. Sometimes we would carry each others' bets to make up for time lost. We would send somebody else for the hot dogs and beer ...and so on.
Well, after a period of time, you get a pretty good idea of who is hanging out at the races and how well they are doing. Everybody has their eyes on everybody that matters. Small players..big players...it doesn't matter, just as long as you are familiar and/or a regular.
Well, I used to keep my eyes on this one Chinese guy. He dressed very nicely in a suit...had slicked back hair (was either a businessman or a gangster) and carried WADS of money. I never saw him lose. I used to get behind him to read his racing form if he flashed it. I mean this guy went to the $100 tote window and picked up stacks of money.
After a while, he became aware of me. He would really hide his racing form from me and it was really uncomfortable. I finally got to the point where I could ask him a couple questions and he would tell me what to do...and I made money every time, but that was close as it got.
I actually had status at Long Acres in Seattle. I had it made. I would drive through the toll booth for free (I had a special pass) and then about 20 feet more and then the parking attendants would lift up the rope for me and I would park my car in the very first lot with the officials and owners. All of the other people would drive half way to Oregon to get a parking place. I always offered the guys food and lemonade or tea for the next week, but they wouldn't take it. The parking attendants would give me their employee passes and I would carry money in for them for certain races. They would give me all of the tips from the jockeys that they talked to. Everything was free for me...drinks..you name it, except the races. It was a good time. My dad used to say, "That is the only place that a guy goes to make an ass out of himself, chasing a horse's ass and loving it."
Anyway...it was fun...DAMN! The stories never end, sportsfans! Do I qualify for Nurtisystem?
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