It was Friday November 5th 2010 and I was sitting on my couch with the Racing Form. I had plans to head up north to the Borgata in Atlantic City to meet a friend and bet the Breeders Cup races on Saturday. As I started to handicap I noticed that they had some of the big races on Friday night as well. The races had already started but I saw that a Pick 4 was starting with the 7th race.
I have always been a fan of the Pick 4 especially in big races like this so I set to handicapping them. After that I checked my online sports account....nothing but tumbleweeds. Oh wait...I have some loyalty points which I hurriedly cash in to get some betting money. This is what I bet: $1 Pick4 part wheel 3,4,11,12/2,3,4,9/2,3,5,6,7/1,3,6,8 . The bet cost $320.
The first race went well as the 12-Dubai Majesty won the Filly and Mare Sprint at odds of about 9-1. Not a bad start. I won the second race as well as the 4-Awesome Feather came in at odds of 4-1. Now I am thinking I have a shot at a decent payoff...if only somehow I could beat the huge favorite(Midday) in the next race,the Filly and Mare Turf.
My wifes family was in town and we were leaving for dinner. I waited and stood at the door to watch while everyone else walked to the restaurant up the street. There was a cavalry charge down the stretch and about midway through I see Midday pull in front...but not pull away. The horse on the inside won by a neck....all I saw as I hurriedly left to catch up to everyone was that the winner was the 5 horse. I knew I had the 5 but had no idea of the odds.
We get to the restaurant and I try to hide the fact that I am antsy. There is a 30 minute wait. I text a friend of mine who lives and breathes horse racing and ask him what the odds were of the horse that won the 9th race. He tells me that the horse was 46-1. I text back "are you serious?" "yes..why?" "I have four horses live in the PICK 4". "OH SHIT!!!!"
Texting back and forth I try to get my potential payouts.....even though he is at the track my friend never sees them. We finally get seated for dinner and it is harder for me to be so obvious with my phone but I glance and see a text that says "4 mins to post". I am about to bust....there is a bar next door and I want to get up and find a TV but there is no escape. Ten minutes later I manage to send a "?????" to my friend. He sends back "8 horse....you are a winner". I now ignore sensibilities and pull my phone out and text "what did it pay??"
I wait. And wait. And wait. No text. I now send a "wtf??" Finally after 15 minutes I open a browser and pull up my account online....nothing. Refresh....again nothing. Refresh...oh shit...my account now shows a win of $34,809.50. OMG I think as I calculate in my head it paid over $68,000!!!
Needless to say when to the Borgata next day and lost about $5000 betting the races and craps I wasn't so upset.
I have always been a fan of the Pick 4 especially in big races like this so I set to handicapping them. After that I checked my online sports account....nothing but tumbleweeds. Oh wait...I have some loyalty points which I hurriedly cash in to get some betting money. This is what I bet: $1 Pick4 part wheel 3,4,11,12/2,3,4,9/2,3,5,6,7/1,3,6,8 . The bet cost $320.
The first race went well as the 12-Dubai Majesty won the Filly and Mare Sprint at odds of about 9-1. Not a bad start. I won the second race as well as the 4-Awesome Feather came in at odds of 4-1. Now I am thinking I have a shot at a decent payoff...if only somehow I could beat the huge favorite(Midday) in the next race,the Filly and Mare Turf.
My wifes family was in town and we were leaving for dinner. I waited and stood at the door to watch while everyone else walked to the restaurant up the street. There was a cavalry charge down the stretch and about midway through I see Midday pull in front...but not pull away. The horse on the inside won by a neck....all I saw as I hurriedly left to catch up to everyone was that the winner was the 5 horse. I knew I had the 5 but had no idea of the odds.
We get to the restaurant and I try to hide the fact that I am antsy. There is a 30 minute wait. I text a friend of mine who lives and breathes horse racing and ask him what the odds were of the horse that won the 9th race. He tells me that the horse was 46-1. I text back "are you serious?" "yes..why?" "I have four horses live in the PICK 4". "OH SHIT!!!!"
Texting back and forth I try to get my potential payouts.....even though he is at the track my friend never sees them. We finally get seated for dinner and it is harder for me to be so obvious with my phone but I glance and see a text that says "4 mins to post". I am about to bust....there is a bar next door and I want to get up and find a TV but there is no escape. Ten minutes later I manage to send a "?????" to my friend. He sends back "8 horse....you are a winner". I now ignore sensibilities and pull my phone out and text "what did it pay??"
I wait. And wait. And wait. No text. I now send a "wtf??" Finally after 15 minutes I open a browser and pull up my account online....nothing. Refresh....again nothing. Refresh...oh shit...my account now shows a win of $34,809.50. OMG I think as I calculate in my head it paid over $68,000!!!
Needless to say when to the Borgata next day and lost about $5000 betting the races and craps I wasn't so upset.
