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Vengeance of Rain
03-23-2012, 10:44 PM
Does anyone have one they want to admit to?

One from when you were new to it all or a hunch play because of a name or something stupid, that kind of thing?

Please share but there is one requirement. You have to have lost on it.

therussmeister
03-23-2012, 10:56 PM
I only remember the dumb bets that I won.

thaskalos
03-23-2012, 11:03 PM
It doesn't seem possible, but it's 100% true...and it happened a couple years ago.

I never play horses on Monday, but, with nothing better to do that particular Monday, I decided to go to the OTB to get a bite to eat.

I bought the Racing Form at the door, and proceeded to play a few races at Beulah and Parx.

I had lost $300 before I realized that the girl had sold me the next day's Racing Form by mistake.

All was not lost, however, because when I brought this mistake to the attention of the girl...she was nice enough to give me Monday's Racing Form for free.

PhantomOnTour
03-23-2012, 11:05 PM
It doesn't seem possible, but it's 100% true...and it happened a couple years ago.

I never play horses on Monday, but, with nothing better to do that particular Monday, I decided to go to the OTB to get a bite to eat.

I bought the Racing Form at the door, and proceeded to play a few races at Beulah and Parx.

I had lost $300 before I realized that the girl had sold me the next day's Racing Form.

All was not lost, however, because when I brought this mistake to the attention of the girl...she was nice enough to give me Monday's Racing Form for free.
:lol: Awesome story

My worst bet was probably War Emblem in the BC Classic :ThmbDown:

Dave Schwartz
03-23-2012, 11:13 PM
Mr. Frisky. It is a long story but worth telling.

racingfan378
03-23-2012, 11:37 PM
well me and my ex g/f had a bad breakup...and she left me while I was away at work (out of town)...LONG story

anyways, that was 6 yrs ago and we talk now, but not beforea few yrs. passed until we both got over what happened

anyways i was betting the races online from woodbine in May of 2009 and there was a horse with her name in it in the last race. Now the ex is from Mexico so not many horse's names running in N. America have her name. This horse fit my ex to a tee. Looked horrible in the paddock, beyers sucked, 0-14 maiden and just didnt stand a chance on paper with no pace going 5.5 furlongs.

i was having a bad day betting but doing ok in the late pick 4 and the mule, uh i meant horse was 7-1 and I had two horses in the final leg of the pick 4. i did not put the ex's horse in the pick 4 b/c i dont bet maidens in general with a 0-10 + record.

however, i was in a rare "the hell with everything" mood and put $50 on her to win, the reason why was that she already screwed me once over and i wont let it happen again in a wide open event to close out the pick 4.

the damn horse won and paid $16.50 to win. i was laughing so hard that i actually bet a horse based on the name and what happened to me in the past! I might have lost once before, but she didnt "screw" me again LMAO:D

Vengeance of Rain
03-23-2012, 11:44 PM
Great stories so far so I'll change the rule since not everyone can follow it (!)...

You can post bets you won but do so at your own risk.

This is more about losing, about non-traditional plays where capping is tossed out the window because of some stupid thing.

I only remember the dumb bets that I won.

Again, great stories so far.

Are we going to hear the Mr. Frisky tale?

turninforhome10
03-23-2012, 11:47 PM
It doesn't seem possible, but it's 100% true...and it happened a couple years ago.

I never play horses on Monday, but, with nothing better to do that particular Monday, I decided to go to the OTB to get a bite to eat.

I bought the Racing Form at the door, and proceeded to play a few races at Beulah and Parx.

I had lost $300 before I realized that the girl had sold me the next day's Racing Form by mistake.

All was not lost, however, because when I brought this mistake to the attention of the girl...she was nice enough to give me Monday's Racing Form for free.

I did something similar. Playing AP, I bought the form for Sun and it was SAT
Hit the daily double and decided to duck out early to shoot a late 9 holes. When I went to buy the form for SUN ( since my handicapping was so good :lol: ) I realized I already had it.

racingfan378
03-23-2012, 11:50 PM
sorry about that, i didnt see the tail end about "losing"

i lost a $32k pick 6 on the headbob at BM the last year they were opened on a $16 ticket using one of those cheesy "pick 6 methods" and my horse was leading by FIVE turning for home!

talk about wanting to start a riot that day and tipping over self service machines!

:bang:

tbwinner
03-24-2012, 12:01 AM
I have one of those "wrong day's program" stories. It was 2 Augusts ago I think, I was betting Saratoga and Arlington. I was running a bit late so right as I got to arlington the 1st at the SPA was 2 minutes to post. This happened to me where I LOVED a horse in "this race" and considered it my best bet of the "day" so I put 50/50 WP on the horse and keyed a $10 exacta over three other horses.

They go to the post and I notice something odd. There's no starting gate.

OH WAIT, THIS IS A STEEPLECHASE RACE!! :bang:

Turns out I was using tomorrow's form and the first today was indeed a hurdle.

The horse I bet was 15-1 or so and didn't win or run 2nd. There went $130.

The horse I meant to bet the next day went off as 5-2 second fav and ran 2nd. So was no consolation.

turninforhome10
03-24-2012, 12:33 AM
I did something similar. Playing AP, I bought the form for Sun and it was SAT
Hit the daily double and decided to duck out early to shoot a late 9 holes. When I went to buy the form for SUN ( since my handicapping was so good :lol: ) I realized I already had it.
Reading is fundamental
To finish the story, I handicapped SUN card and after much deliberation I saw things differently on SUn and bet accordingly. The horses that I picked the day before but did not today play for reasons chalked up to overthink came in and payed twice what the numbers did before Did not really want to admit to that part :bang:

Dave Schwartz
03-24-2012, 01:05 AM
I just finished the new par times so, yes, I have time for Mr. Frisky.

This was a long time ago, so if you don't know who Mr. Frisky was, here is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Frisky

This story is a little anti-climactic because everyone knows Frisky did not win the Derby but I think it is still a good story.

BTW, I think it is more fun for me to write this story from memory so I did not check any of my facts. LOL - For all I know I got the whole thing wrong and should be checked into a facility ASAP.

Thinking back on this, I might actually have told this story here before. LOL - So, for those who want to check if I am consistent, go searching. (I can never find anything when I search.)

Here's the story:

I did a small piece of computer work for a friend as a favor and he insisted on paying me $50. I refused and we actually argued about it. Finally, he suggested that we have some fun with the $50.

The deal was that one of us would get to make a bet with the $50. If we won, the entire balance would be handed to the other guy to make a bet. I am not sure who went first, but we were out there looking for "sure things" to the point where after we had won like 6 bets in a row, the bankroll was about $75 or so. LOL $2.40 would have been a big payoff.

As I recall (and my memory might be faulty here) we made a bet on Willie Shoemaker's last ride. (Was it Patchy Groundfog, maybe?) It was my bet and I bet him to show. LOL - He was in the race down the stretch (I swear they were trying to give him the race) and when he saw he wasn't going to win, he gave up, taking the horse from 1st to 3rd, so we cashed again.

We won another couple of bets and then my friend, Stewart, has another bright idea. He had been following Mr. Frisky and really liked him. So now we've got (as I recall) like $120. Stewart's idea is to bet half of the money on Frisky in his next start and the rest in the future book. The plan is to continue this pattern in each of his future races: 1/2 on the nose to win, and the other half in the future book.

I think the next start was at Santa Anita and we got (as I recall) 7/2. Pumped the BR and we got down on Frisky at 8/1.

So, Frisky kept winning, and we kept buying these future tickets. We took his last win and put all the money on him at (guess here) like 3/1 in the future book.

On the day of the Derby we are holding some crazy amount of these tickets at varying prices. I believe if Frisky wins we cash like $7,000.

But we have a problem. You see, we have come to the conclusion that Frisky has absolutely no chance to win the Derby.

We agonized over this for several days. We considered kicking in with say $1,000 each and dutching a bunch of horses, but the problem was we really did not have a clue who was going to win. I think when we got to picking contenders that between us we had like 7 horses. (Special note: Did not include the eventual winner, whoever that was.)

We also considered trying to sell the tickets at the MGM where we were going to watch the Derby live but the thought of selling them for (say) $500 and watching him win was just too much to bear.

So, we watched the race in silence. As I recall he went off as the favorite, went for the lead and was done relatively early, finishing way back in the pack.


We went for a hot dog.

End of story.



Dave Schwartz

johnhannibalsmith
03-24-2012, 01:23 AM
...where capping is tossed out the window because of some stupid thing.

...

This became a ridiculously long tale for literally no good reason. Reader discretion advised.


Several or more years ago I bought a maiden through a friend at Pomona. He was an 0-fer many type, but had mostly solid check earning efforts on dirt, turf, sprints, routes, and at five different tracks. He was coming to Turf Paradise, so really he had all of the credentials, but I had to spend more than I really wanted to. Horse showed up and looked fairly awful and had a few problems, but I fell in love with him - had one of, if not the best, personalities on a gelding you'd bounce into. Anyway...

I ran in a MOC $30k on turf going 7.5 or a mile the first two times and ran third (I think) the first time and then won very easily the second time. Ran him back in a $10k non-2 claimer on dirt going a mile(didn't want to try allowance horses and no cheap conditioned claimers on turf were offered) and did basically the same thing - ran 2nd or 3rd the first time, then won pretty easily the second time. So, he had been pretty good to me in his first four starts in the barn, winning two and a couple of other solid races.

But I was stuck on where to run him now. Realistically, he probably needed to drop in claiming price again to keep it up against non-threes and he was acting more and more confident, which after going 0 fer double digits to start his career in California, was a trend I wanted to continue. I didn't want to drop him and lose him quite yet, but I didn't want to get him in too tough and risk shattering the confidence he had built up.

So on a whim, I decided to look at the conditions for Rillito Park in Tucson, a fun little fair meet that runs on weekends for about two months. It's a little five-eighths track and most of the card is $1,500 claimers running for a winning pot of around a grand. I had taken a filly there the year before and won a couple with her and had a good time, and made WAY more money betting than I did purse money, so I kinda wanted an excuse to go back anyway.

Amazingly, there was a non-three allowance coming up that was a sponsored race and actually had added money. It was a "fifteen pointer" (each point is worth so many dollars based on handle to determine the purse) plus $1,500, so the purse was about as good as it could get without being in a stake. It was a two-turn six furlong race. Perfect.

Two in front into the first turn, five in front into the second turn, won by about ten and was a fifth off the track record while basically just being breezed around the track by the jock. Amazingly, he paid $4.40 or thereabouts and should have paid $2.20.

So the next week, they have an open allowance. Six days later. Same distance, fifteen pointer, $2,000 added money. I have a chance to make probably more than $6,000 in purses in less than a week at this rinkydink joint and win a couple, have some fun, and confuse any potential buyers when he went back to TuP with the bizarre RILLITO form off of four perfectly good races at TuP. He came out of the first race at RIL like a monster, so six days later, we went back and he crushed the field again in identical time to the previous win. In a week he had made more in purses at RIL than he would have if he had stayed at TuP and actually jumped a claiming level instead of dropping, which was my original plan.

So now, I'm on the jazz about running at RIL with this sucker. He's just loving it. Struts like he owns the joint when he gets there, bumrushes onto the van to get there, and comes back to his stall at TuP bragging to his friends in the shedrow. Plus, I keep getting to bet a few hundred and double or triple my pocket load for what amounts to a paid workout. So, now I MUST go back for the end of the meet stakes race.

He gets three weeks between his second win and the stakes race. My jock down there is calling wanting to come up to TuP to gallop him, breeze him, whatever - he just wants to make sure I don't decide to skip the race or replace him with someone that is slightly less awful than he is. I tell him not to fret, we're going back. We enter up, certainly the toughest of his three races there, but hardly anything frightening. He probably won't win by ten this time, but there's nothing in there that can beat him. Hell, he's never been more than hand ridden in either of his other two races - never seen the whip at any point.

So naturally, I'm more cocky than the horse is at this point. For most guys training a handful of horses at a dump like Turf Paradise, you're just happy when you are able to pay the bills at the end of the month. I had won a couple at TuP with other horses around the same time and had been paid in the days leading up to the race, so between that and the tickets cashed at Rillito, I was actually flush with cash. This was the opportunity to seize upon and get well ahead for once and have some margin for error that would last months.

The stakes race is five or six grand with added money that bumps it to around $7,500 or thereabouts so there's going to be a little more value than usual even with his good form. The handle will be much better than most other races and even though he's a big morning line favorite, he was 8-5 or 9-5 and most of the rest of the seven others were pretty evenly matched and would take enough money that I should get at least even money in the win pool. The race is part of the pick three and late double, so I spend most of the evening before the race laying out bet after bet after bet - I'm crushing all the pools - win, exactas, quinellas, trifecta, doubles, pick 3 - all of them are mine.

I bring a few thousand with the horse and go up after Lasix to the grandstand and uncork a furious rally at the machines. I make all my bets except for win money. I don't want to seed the pool with $1000 before we even saddle and make him 1-9 from the gitgo; you have to bleed the win money into those tiny pools or every dummy that never went to the races that might bet on the gray horse because he's gray will just pile on with you because you are 1-9. My pockets are overflowing with every other pool.

We saddle and hit the track and he's almost 2-1 when I go up to bet. $100 to win. A few minutes later, another $100 to win. And then again a minute or so later. Dammit, we're still 8-5 and I've got a bunch more in 100's to run through the window... this is GREAT! If I can get $1000 into the pool and be even money, I'm going to feel like a thief!

I get most of the way there - five minutes to post is more like fifteen minutes to post - they always just keep circling behind the gate until the lines are gone. So I keep going until we're down below even money. At 4-5, I stop betting to win and hope we get back to even money. To my astonishment, as we are about to load, we're at 6-5!!! Never mind all my pick 3's and doubles, exactas, quinellas, and trifectas that can't miss - I'm already ahead just in the win pool!!! Pure profit!!!

Bingo - like always, he's breaks a length in front of the next best away - great gate horse - and we make the long run out of the chute and past the wire for the first time under a stranglehold and a couple in front. Into the turn and we're still easily on top, just dragging this superstar career 2%'er out of the saddle onto the backside. One guy suffers from premature ejaculation and takes an early run at the lead, no problem, we just let it out a notch and maintain the lead.

The rest of the field has a panicky look as we go to the far turn, three-eighths from home. I'm waiting for that big knockout blow - my superior racerider is going to release the trigger any second and play catch me if you can like he has each of the last two times.

No, no. Today, he's more confident than either the horse or I am. He's decided that he's Pat Day. He's just going to sit there like a statue and audition for a career in his fifties at Del Mar. He's going to just... sit and wait... forever... I guess.

We spin out of the turn with the short run to the wire and still in front, but by this measured lead he's hell-bent on maintaining. Nevermind that he's freewheeled on the lead in just about every race he's run in for me and turned for home twice at the track with a big lead and just coasted home. Nevermind he's so sharp and on top of his game that he doesn't want to let anyone near him. We're going to toy with the rest of the field for some bizarre reason.

Still in front, but now we have a guy jumping and flopping and slapping and driving just outside of our hip and finally my sensational raceriding sonofabitch decides it's GoGo time and gives it the ole' yeehah, uncocks his stick (don't ask me) and sets to take a great big new cross and do some real professional like jockeying.

I knew I was cooked. I had known it for about an eighth of a mile when I realized this guy suddenly was under the delusion that he was an important component in getting this horse to win. The guy wasn't even a good gallop boy, that's why he got the mount. I never in a million years thought for a second that he would actually try to think out there.

When he throws away the lines and draws his saber for the big crescendo, the maniac next to him pummels his horse right handed and sideswipes us, blasting my horse right into the rail. I mean, INTO the rail. Somehow, Einstein managed not to fall off, but blows an iron and in about three strides, we go from home and cooled out to fifth and stuck at the rail behind a wall of horses that have just seized the moment. While Angelo Cordildo is busy trying not to pass out from diarrheal overload, the horse tries to finish the race without him. But of course, with an eighth of a mile stretch, there's not a whole lot of time to overcome that degree of sheer ... jockey thought.

The tote board comes to life with big payouts as far as they eye had the stomach to see. They had me to thank for that of course. I was virtually a one-man full wagering menu bridgejumper. It's fun to laugh about now, but it was a loooooooong ride back to Phoenix. There is no bettor anywhere that is stupider than the overconfident owner or trainer. And I managed to even surpass expectations for that realm of stupidity.

CincyHorseplayer
03-24-2012, 01:40 AM
You guys outclass me on the stories.I've always believed in my big bet losers!My most embarrasing losses were hesitations at the last minute to bet good horses at odds.And watch them win convincingly.

JustRalph
03-24-2012, 01:44 AM
It's 1982, A few weeks into April. I get hitched to a 5'7 110 lb redhead full of spirit, after dating for over a year....."..









It's a thread about bad bets, right?

CincyHorseplayer
03-24-2012, 02:00 AM
It's 1982, A few weeks into April. I get hitched to a 5'7 110 lb redhead full of spirit, after dating for over a year....."..









It's a thread about bad bets, right?

I thought of that too Ralph.If you rack a good enough body count in your life,it's bound to happen!!And probably funnier stories at that.

NJ Stinks
03-24-2012, 02:12 AM
I never play horses on Monday, but, with nothing better to do that particular Monday, I decided to go to the OTB to get a bite to eat.




I can't stop laughing about the going "to the OTB for a bite to eat" part! :lol:

WeirdWilly
03-24-2012, 04:26 AM
2005 - my rookie year.

Box ALL on a 7 horse dime Superfecta. $81. Those things pay hundreds, even thousands, right?

Except when the chalk dominates and only pays $8 and change.

shouldacoulda
03-24-2012, 04:31 AM
This is by far the worst bet I ever made. It was a maiden race at Beulah a couple years ago. I don't remember the horses name but it was 0 for 77 starts. I figured the odds are good :lol: It has to be due :lol: After the race it was 0 for 78. I figured the owners must really love that horse to keep it :lol:

v j stauffer
03-24-2012, 04:35 AM
One day after the races at Gulfstream four of us decide to head to South Beach and have dinner at Joe's Stone Crab.

Much laughter and even more wine ensued. After dinner fortunately we had one sober non drinker. What to do? What to do?

None of us had the guts to go to a strip club. Wives and girlfriends have a way of knowing. Not worth it.

I know!! Flagler Dog !!

Walked in like I owned the place. Big shot Gulfstream Park announcer gonna take some cash outta this place. Pari-mutual is pari-mutual. Decide to do a quick "heat check" Grab a program as I walk through the door. 1 min to race 8. Find the lone speed. Easy. #8. Knew enough to remember that's a great post for a fast dog.

Gimme $200 win on #8.

They're all in the box. Heeeeeeere comes Rusty, or Lucky or Stinky or whatever the hell it was.

Glance at the board just as the bunny was about to pass in front of the gate. #8 1-9.

$ 256.00 in the win pool.

POS mutt didn't even send himself. Bad 4th.

lamboguy
03-24-2012, 06:10 AM
my dumbest bet===================

i was flying from new york to los angeles with my firiend jimmy the greek snyder, we had been playing gin rummy throughout the trip. i couldn't wait for the plane to land, i said instead of renting a car, we will grab a cab to the hotel in beverly hills, greek said good idea and i 'll bet ya $200 the cab -driver WE GET IS A RUSSIAN. we get in the cab and tell the guy where we want to go, and look for the tag with his name on. it wasn't there. we ask him for it, he opens up his glove compartment and pulls it out. sure enough his name was GURI KAMINIVOV. 2 seconds later i peeled off 2 c-notes and handed it to the greek.





















4300

Jay Trotter
03-24-2012, 09:41 AM
Not sure if this qualifies as a dumb bet -- but a loser none the less:

1981 - 19 years old $26,000 Pick 6 carryover at the local track

We were heading out of town to go camping but I had to at least make the half hour drive to the track to put something down on the fairly large carry-over for that track and time.

My big play was a 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 2 x 4 ticket for $8.00 whole bucks
*I'm sure it was a $1.00 base at the time.

Anyway, bet the ticket and head out of town for the camping trip. The next morning I pull out the paper to see I hit all the singles and the race with 2 entries, but only caught 2nd in the Maiden race where I took 4 horses.

As a nineteen year old, one never knows what a win like that may have done -- I may have become a degenerate gambler who thought he knew more than he actually did or I may have taken that money to stake myself to a better head start in life.

Either way, it's a ticket that will stay with me always! Good times!:ThmbUp:

Bennie
03-24-2012, 10:04 AM
same line as Jay but more recent and more painful. When they first started the "high-5" at Santa Anita thought I would take a just for fun stab for $1. Played a $1 ticket 6-4-2-8-11 cold. Next day check the results and it came 6-4-2-11-8. There were no winners in a $215,000 carryover pool. The 6 horse paid $64 to win and don't remember the exacta or tri payouts but the super was just over $10,000. Didn't have a single bet on the winner, the exacta, the tri or even a 10 cent super play. My Buddy's reply- at least you only lost a $1:mad:

Tom
03-24-2012, 10:12 AM
Three of us go to the track, circa 1970. We decide to each pick a horse and box the trifecta on the last race. By the time the 9th comes around, we have about
$5 each left after getting bamboozled all day long. So we can do the box, but that means no beer money if we lose. So we pick a few combos and save enough for "last call" at the track bar.

None of our numbers come in, but, if we have done the box, we had it, and it paid over $17 grand!!!!!

Dave Schwartz
03-24-2012, 10:47 AM
John Hannibal,

That was a great story!

:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:


Dave

johnhannibalsmith
03-24-2012, 10:54 AM
...
$ 256.00 in the win pool.

POS mutt didn't even send himself. Bad 4th.

:D
This is a good synopsis of every effort I've ever made at playing the dogs.

DeanT
03-24-2012, 10:54 AM
Fantastically entertaining story John Hannibal.

(and everyone else too)

rastajenk
03-24-2012, 12:45 PM
John Hannibal,

That was a great story!

:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:


DaveAargh, I guess I'll have to read it now. :D

Grits
03-24-2012, 12:51 PM
Aargh, I guess I'll have to read it now. :D

Its a keeper! What a tale, one that will long be remembered. JohnHannibal, you made me really laugh first thing in the a.m. and this is quite a good thing. Hilarious stuff. Thank you.

ArlJim78
03-24-2012, 01:15 PM
Years and years ago I remember being at Hazel Park and playing with money I probably shouldn't have. I was live to 5 horses out of a 12 horse field for some pretty nice PK3's. I decide that I'm taking no chances and start covering the rest of the field. I tell myself there is no way I'm going to lose on this race. Well covering so many horses gets expensive and I had to draw the line at some point because I was now to the point where I was virtually all-in on this race. So I left the most pathetic hopeless looking horse uncovered, feeling confident that there was no way I could lose with 11 of 12 horses that would return money to me.

Of course you already know what happened and which horse won. I was in shock, busted by the one and only horse I didn't have.

I crawled out of that joint steaming mad but probably a little wiser.

classhandicapper
03-24-2012, 01:21 PM
Far and away the worst bet of my life was Cure the Blues in the Derby. I thought he ran a huge race in the Gotham, got burnt out in a fast pace at 9F the Wood, but somehow I convinced myself he would rate and get 10F in a Derby loaded with speed. :bang:

The worst part of all is that I wasn't working and had very little money at the time. So I sold my Fender Telecaster guitar to fund the bet. That guitar is probably worth well north of 1K now. I don't even want to know how much it's worth. It would be too painful. :rolleyes:

Track Phantom
03-24-2012, 01:44 PM
I have many.....but one that stands out was the day that Hallowed Dreams was going for the record of consecutive races in a row.

Earlier that day, a friend of mine and I were talking about bridgejumping and how I thought an $80 place bet on Malek (in a 4 horse field with Gentleman at 1-9) was my best bet ever. Gentleman ran last and Malek paid something like $12 to win and $40 to place.

It gets to the race with Hallowed Dreams and there is bridgejumping on the place spot with Hallowed Dreams. I liked the 1. So, what do I do? I play $60 straight exacta with Hallowed Dreams over the 1.

Hallowed Dreams runs out and the 1 paid (I believe) $100 something to place.

Insanely stupid. Tried to beat the race instead of the races.

classhandicapper
03-24-2012, 01:50 PM
I had lost $300 before I realized that the girl had sold me the next day's Racing Form by mistake.



:lol:

I don't mean to laugh at you, but seriously, I was on the floor after that one.

That's actually happened to me too, but fortunately I caught it. I handicapped the race and the odds looked out of whack. I was getting ready to make a play and then fortunately I noticed it.

Track Phantom
03-24-2012, 02:21 PM
It doesn't seem possible, but it's 100% true...and it happened a couple years ago.

I never play horses on Monday, but, with nothing better to do that particular Monday, I decided to go to the OTB to get a bite to eat.

I bought the Racing Form at the door, and proceeded to play a few races at Beulah and Parx.

I had lost $300 before I realized that the girl had sold me the next day's Racing Form by mistake.

All was not lost, however, because when I brought this mistake to the attention of the girl...she was nice enough to give me Monday's Racing Form for free.

Actually, I saw a variation on this theme. Years ago, a friend of my dad's ran into the track to bet the 2nd race as they were going into the gate. Second race was a 5 horse field and he put in a $50 exacta box on 1-5 (the two favorites).

He runs up to us as the race just went off and he keeps looking at his program and then at the horses running. Finally, he realizes he bet the third race (he was a race off). Wouldn't you know there was a blanket finish and it ran 5 - 1. It was a full field and the $2 exacta paid nearly $150. I sh*t you not. COULDN'T believe it. Dude makes nearly 4k by betting the wrong race.

Oh---and wouldn't you know he would have missed the 2nd race as the two favorites didn't run 1 -2.

Better to be lucky than good!!!

castaway01
03-24-2012, 02:31 PM
Great stories, especially John Hannibal. That was awesome.

I have so many dumb bets that they've blurred in my mind, but there was one night at Penn National where I left one horse out of 12 out in the last leg of the Pick 3 and that horse won. The Pick 3 paid $3000 or so. I learned my lesson---never bet Penn National, er, I mean, press the "All" button (that's actually not all that smart either, but it would have been in this case).

Wisely, I never went to an OTB just to get something to eat, but I'm adding that to my list as a great excuse to tell the wife. "Honey, I couldn't resist the burgers there, so I ended betting for three hours...the food was so good though!" :)

PhantomOnTour
03-24-2012, 02:32 PM
Can i include a story about being a dummy and not making a bet that i should have?

Here goes:

Waiting in line to be seated in the Pim clubhouse for Black Eyed Susan day, around 2005 or so. Behind us in line are the owners of a horse running in the last race of the day. They are beside themselves with anticipation. So much so that they tell the folks behind them in line about their horse, Leebearski, and how excited they are about him...he is a first time starter.
Anyway, we get seated and i have a look at the horse. Nothing to get excited about...going long on turf for his debut. I chalk it up to the usual overexuberance of owners and ignore the horse.
Well, this guy rolls like Big Brown in his debut...i mean a total slaughter on the front end at something like 25 or 30-1.
Good Lord!

Funny caveat...the horse was later DQ'd from monies won due to a drug positive.
True story

appistappis
03-24-2012, 11:34 PM
Last year I bet a combo ticket on a triactor at parx at a mile and 16th on the grass. keep in mind I am the king at running 1st, 2nd and 4th on my tri bets.

Well, the race goes off and all my horses are in good spots (unfortunately for me I am watching delaware) which is also 1 1/16 on the turf. My buddy and his son realize I am watching the wrong race but let me go. What are the odds but doesnt it happen......I run 1st 2nd and 4th.

how cliche
03-25-2012, 01:39 AM
Mine had to be Giacomo's Derby.

I'd doped Afleet Alex as the best of his crop. I'd also 'capped Giacomo as the runner most likely to improve dramatically. Shirreffs tipped his hand. Those were the only two I liked.

I bet Afleet alex to win at 9-2.
I didn't bet Giacomo to win at 50-1.
I bet a dollar tri placing those two back and forth in 1st and 2nd with ALL.
I didn't bet 'em back and forth 1st and 3rd or 2nd and 3rd with ALL.

Next!

NJ Stinks
03-25-2012, 02:44 AM
This story does not hold a candle to John's masterpiece but it does relate something about the human experience. :eek:


Circa 1975 at Keystone (now PARX).

What happened does not reflect well on me. But dumb is dumb....

I had been going to the track with a couple of buddies for a while. Back then Keystone had a $3 trifecta in the last race only. So each of the three of us would pick one horse on a trifecta ticket and we would box the three horses for a total cost of $18. But there was one caveat. If your horse hit the board, you got your $6 back from whoever picked a horse that didn't hit the board. (Yea, I know. Bad caveat.)

We hit a tri for about $250 the second time we played the bet. Not bad at all some young dudes with small bankrolls. A couple months went by and I found myself paying $9 or the entire $18 more often than not. It wasn't just bad handicapping by me - although that didn't help. It was more a case of me being the only one taking a chance and not picking chalk. Anyway, the last Saturday we played this bet together here's what happened.

(I had $26 on me going into the last race.)

Rodney went first and took the 9-5 favorite. It was my turn to choose. I liked a 20-1 shot but I knew Pete - picking last - would take the second choice if I took the 20-1 shot. So I took the second choice and Pete picked a 6-1 shot.

So far the only thing you know for sure is the 20-1 shot is going to win.

Anyway, because I needed $18 to cover the trifecta box bet if my pick was the only horse that ran out, I snuck off and put my last $8 ($26-$18) on the 20-1 shot. He won and paid around $49 (23-1). Pete's pick finished second and Rodney's favorite ran third in the twelve horse field. The tri paid around $2,900.

After the race, I gave both guys their $6 back and said I didn't want to be partners in the trifecta bet anymore.

I never told those guys I cashed that win ticket. :blush:

KingChas
03-25-2012, 07:15 AM
The dumbest bets I ever make are usually on the 1st Saturday in May annually at Churchill Downs..................... :D

usedtolovetvg
03-25-2012, 10:40 AM
Went to Vegas with my wife and told my wife I am going to make a huge score. I liked a race at Churchill, full field and longshot opportunities. I normally bet tris and exactas never supers. I told my wife i'm taking a $10 super ice cold. This was before they had .10 cent ones. The horse I put in the top spot was 8-1. Can't remember the odds of the rest but they were 20-1 and higher, one I know was 60-1. Coming for home my horses were all in contention. To make a miserable story the 60-1 shot wins. the other 3 hit the ticket. The super paid 3 of 4, so had I boxed them, I would have hit the pool. Probably would have paid pool if I hit my ice cold. wasting $9.