Playing the Ponies (Anatomy of a Bad Night)
by Luckbox
(Update! Results below...)
My diversion from poker continues with another night at the races. Last Friday night, I posted a $700 profit with an un-repeatable run of bets. So you can safely assume the picks below will bomb. Nonetheless, here they are. I don't have time to go in depth, so you'll have to settle for simplicity.
Evangeline Downs, Friday March 17
(Horse number, Horse Name, Morning Line Odds)
Race #1:
#7 Arcatec 2/1, #4 Streaking Pine 9/5, #3 Plinko 6/1
Final order 4-5-7: I did not bet this race because I didn't get there in time. With the odds Streaking Pine went off at, I would have had WP money on him. I would not have hit an exotics.
Race #2:
#5 Sidcup 2/1, #7 Target Hit 5/2, #2 Green Gold 10/1
Final order 5-7-2: I got in with just 2 minutes before this race, so I didn't bet it either. It was as chalk as chalk gets, however. The exacta paid just $7.40 and the Trifecta $22.80.
Race #3:
#1 Convinceable 5/2, #2 My Proud Rebel 9/2, #11 Melrose Man 7/2
Final order 1-3-12: I did not bet the winner here because I wasn't in love with the odds. This would be a trend that would come back to haunt me. I missed on exotics here, too.
Race #4:
#7 Imski 20/1, #13 Angelic Kiss 5/1, #4 Proudest Princess 7/2
Final order 1-6-3: I wasn't anywhere near this race. My top pick ran well until the turn and then stopped.
Race #5:
#3 It Just Got Better 9/2, #6 Toolengthoflite 6/1, #1 Brasswick 15/1
Final order 6-7-8: The Toolengthoflite went off at okay odds, paying $10.20 , but I didn't have him to win. My exotics all failed, too.
Race #6:
#8 My Roarer 6/1, #12 Buck's Limit 8/1, #1 Hamel the Camel 6/1
Final order 12-10-1: I really liked My Roarer here, so, again, I didn't have a win bet on Buck's Limit and it's $11.40. Why don't I bet my picks? If the 10 isn't there, I hit the exacta and the trifecta (8 came in 4th).
Race #7:
#13 Sister Jill 5/1, #14 Vanilla Whirl 15/1, #3 Duplicate Award 4/1
Final order 9-3-8: Nowhere near this one. My top pick came in 4th.
Race #8:
#5 Raja Jet 5/2, #8 Texas Eagle 7/2, #9 Power Hawk 10/1
Final order 6-8-12: I liked the 6 here, but it was only my 4th chocie and I didn't have it in the necessary exotics.
Race #9:
#4 Motor Home 5/2, #8 Mr. Canaveral 8/5, #3 Robbeau 10/1
Final order 8-6-1: I didn't bet my second choice to win here. I didn't like the odds again. My top choice came home in 5th.
Race #10:
#12 Saro Smile 8/1, #1 Gold Bag 7/2, #2 Star Agenda 6/1
Final order 7-9-12: I had the #7 in some exoctics because I liked it, but the 9 horse screwed me. Gold Bag came in 4th and if the #9 was gone, I'd have hit the exacta and the trifecta.
Race #11:
#7 De's Sweet Dream 5/2, #8 Rich'n Restless 4/1, #9 Conessa Slaney 5/1
Final order 7-4-5: My top choice wins again, but, again, I don't bet it. It paid $6.20, so it's not like the odds were terrible. I did have it as the first half of a double, though.
Race #12:
#2 Valay Jeans 3/1, #4 Amy's Battle 5/2, #1 River Boat Blues 10/1
Final order 2-5-1: I had a large bet on Valay Jeans and some various exotics. I cashed the win ticket and the double from the last race, but the 5 horse screwed all my exotics. Those two tickets were the only cashes of the night. I finished down $200.
All my selections were made "blind" (without the influence of any morning lines). The horses are listed in my order of preference. No horses were harmed in the making of these picks.
