I barely left the house yesterday, but I still managed to procure a winning mutuel ticket on the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.
If you read my Derby post two weeks ago, you know I was unhappy about Nyquist winning the Derby — not because I don’t like the horse but because his owner is in the payday loan business and his trainer has more than a dozen medication violations on his record.
One of the horses I liked in the Derby was Exaggerator, who finished second (although I didn’t bet him to place). In April, he had won the Santa Anita Derby, making a huge move on the home turn, on a sloppy track. He loves the slop.
When I saw earlier this week that the Baltimore forecast called for 100 percent chance of rain yesterday, I figured Exaggerator would have a great shot at turning the tables on Nyquist today. On Friday, then, I deposited $100 in son Charlie’s checking account and asked him to bet $100 to win for me today on Exaggerator.
Charlie, as some of you know, is a graduate student at UNLV. He just completed his class work for a master’s in environmental health physics, which basically involves measuring and controlling radiation levels in a variety of workplaces.
Early Saturday afternoon Charlie went to the Green Valley Ranch Casino’s sports book — where bettors wager on all kinds of sporting events — and placed the bet. He even took a photo (below) with his cellphone.
After the horses broke from the starting gate, Nyquist got caught up in a front-end speed duel on the sloppy track, while Exaggerator stayed back and saved ground along the inside. On the backstretch, Exaggerator, still on the rail, made up a lot of ground, and then, turning for home, jockey Kent Desormeaux swung Exaggerator to the outside. He easily passed two tiring front-runners, including Nyquist and sailed on to a three-length victory.
Kent Desormeaux (green cap) moves Exaggerator past Nyquist in the stretch at Pimlico Race Course in Saturday’s Preakness Stakes.
Exaggerator paid $7.20 on a $2 bet, so my total return was $360, with a $260 profit.
Not long after the race, Charlie sent me a text, saying, “I forgot to mention there’s a 10 percent bookie fee.”
The kid is a notorious deal maker, always finding a way to get a piece of the action. Naturally, I agreed to his terms because, as I told him, I wouldn’t have won anything if it hadn’t been for him.
So we both made out pretty well…But one last thing: Before you start thinking I must be a shrewd horse player, you should know I lost about $300 on Derby Day and that over the course of 40-plus years of playing the horses — most of it in my bachelor days — I’m probably down more than 10 grand. I’m not one of those gamblers who contends he wins nine out of 10 times. No, I lose most of the time. I can count on two hands the number of Derby, Preakness and Belmont winners I’ve had over the last 35 years. But I was reminded again yesterday how much fun it is to notch a big score on a Triple Crown race.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Jim. Hi if you cannot get ahold of Charlie you can always call me as I have a TVG account. Bet on the iPhone APP. I loved Exaggarator, too. Saw him romp at Santa Anita and was sold. Bet him to win and place. Then had the trifecta, too, as I really liked Cherry Wine. Always look at Dale Romans’ horses since he is based here. He is good to his horses, too. When they interviewed him coming over from the barns and he said the horse loved a wet track that made it easy to pick the trifecta. Good payday on that $146 for $2 bucks. 😄
Our Louisville correspondent weighs in…Good to hear from you, Kim!
…It’s never easy to pick a trifecta (first three horses in exact order of finish) so a big congratulations on that. As for TVG, I’m afraid if I got an account I’d spend too much time — and money — watching that. As it is, I watch the Golf Channel — much cheaper.
Good to know you’ll make bets for me; I could keep it under control that way!
(It was great to see you in Louisville. Sorry I didn’t make it over Derby night. With cashing other people’s winning tickets and the post-race exodus, I didn’t get off Taylor Blvd. until after 8.)
Is there a trick to get a TVG account, every time that I have tried I get “we do not accept wagers from Missouri”
Good question, Robert. I’ve never tried to sign up, but a Google check shows that TVG is available in 30 states but not in the other 20 — including Missouri — “due to varying state laws and the complexity of licensing in some states.” Kansas is also on the no-access list.