Worst Kentucky Derby Wager

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

Patchy Groundfog is correct; that's one of those pieces of trivia that has stuck with me for 30 years.

And I remember Mr. Frisky: was he undefeated going to Louisville, with nothing but 1's in his running lines?

Good story.

I think so.

[Maximillion]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

My only Derby Future bet...

Copied from this old PA post

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.

I think Mister Frisky is still with us.What was the reason you thought he had no chance?

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Maximillion

I think Mister Frisky is still with us.What was the reason you thought he had no chance?

I think it was because he'd never really beaten anyone.

As I recall he came from Puerto Rico - not exactly the Mecca of racing.

[bisket]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

My only Derby Future bet...

Copied from this old PA post

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.

Lol that’s way to much fun with money nobody earned. lol

[Pigpen]

Originally Posted by rastajenk

He bled badly, seems to me; unless I'm thinking of another favorite from that era. Can't blame yourself for that.

Yes he did. Pat Day pulled him up if I recall.

[Parkview_Pirate]

1996

Don't think this is the "worst" wager for me, but the toughest beat in the Derby.

I probably used up some racing mojo that year betting on Built for Pleasure in the Fountain of Youth in February and rooting him home with some serious yelling at 143-1. Everyone on the second floor of the Red Mile knew I had him.

By Derby time though, didn't much care for him (he finished last) and also tossed Unbridled's Song (he finished 5th) from the gimmicks. Keyed Cavonnier on all my tickets, placed my wagers at Keeneland and drove back home to watch the race. Cavonnier led all the way down the stretch until the last jump. If I recall correctly, Jerry Bailey on Grindstone called out to Chris McCarron on Cavonnier that he thought Cavonnier had won. Cavonnier was near the rail and Grindstone was in the middle of the track.

While waiting on the photo, TV coverage went to commercial break, and I started sorting through my tickets, arranging the $100 win bet (9-2), exactas, tris, and superfecta tickets for cashing. Invested $250, and was looking to get back about $8K.

Then, disaster. When the coverage returned to Churchill, the #12 (Grindstone) was posted the winner, and not the #3 (Cavonnier). I was a bit numb at first. Then I resorted my tickets, and found I had cleverly placed a $2 saver exacta with some horses, which was the only ticket I cashed. $61.80.

That beat started a losing streak that lasted about two years. Ugh. That Christmas my sister-in-law rubbed salt in the wound by giving me a big poster of the finish of the race. Claimed she like Grindstone before the race, but I know better....