My all time #KentuckyDerby story from the book:
Working in the book, a stranger walks up to the counter on Friday. Asks “how much will you take on a horse to win the Derby?”
Whatever you want to bet.
(People ask this all the time. Sports are different from parimutuel, meaning
there are limits in sports, not so much in horses)
Guy says “I’ll take the 16 horse to win for 1000.”
I look down at my sheet. It’s Animal Kingdom. 20-1.
I say “Animal Kingdom. 20-1. $1000 to win?”
He looks at me and says yes. Ticket prints.
Awkward silence. Blank stare.
He says, “I’ll take it again.”
I ask “another dime to win on the 16?”
The man nods. Ticket prints.
He goes on to do the oaks/derby double, all/16. He keys the 16 in exactas, trifectas, pick 3s, etc.
I have taken a lot of bets and met so many types over the years in the biz..
This one felt different.
He wasn’t much for small talk, but I got him to open up a little and he made a convincing case for his 20-1 shot.
I counted the money, gave him his tickets, and he left. No one else was around except my supervisor and me.
The sup asked me “what he bet”
I said “he just bet 2 dimes on Animal Kingdom to win the Derby.”
He goes “you know the guy?” Nope. “Ever seen him before?” Nope. “What do you think? Any shot?”
I paused. And then said “Hell yeah. I think he has a good shot.”
For the next 24 hours, I told everyone that asked...
“Animal Kingdom is going to win the Derby.”
It was 2011. I think my record in picking Derby winners up to this point was 0-fer.
But this guy had me convinced that this horse had a shot, and I told anyone and everyone who asked.
Race comes, and after being run over for hours...
When the race starts, everything stops. Workers join customers in watching the coolest 2 minutes in sports.
We all had bets on Animal Kingdom.
Around the last turn, it happens. “HERE COMES ANIMAL KINGDOM, charging down the back stretch.”
On the outside, in the last stretch,
He passes a couple horses (Nehro and Mucho Macho Man) and WINS the race.
Usually, we don’t show much emotion behind the counter, but a co worker named Mike almost tackled me. He bet $100 to win on him so he picked up two dimes, which was a huge score.
Not many people had him..
I couldn’t believe I finally had a Derby winner. I wondered about the guy who bet him with me the day before.
As fate would have it, Sunday morning, I opened the book again.
Nobody in there at 7am except me and the sup. In walks the guy.
“There he is.” High fives ensue..
We rehash the race, step by step. Watch the replay on the screens above us.
Tells me his name is Jimmy. Just moved to Vegas from Jersey less than a year ago. Tired of winter and taxes.
I cash his tickets while we talk. All said and done, just north of 50k. He fills out the...
paperwork while we get the fill from the cage.
I pay the man his money. He had a gym bag to put it in.
He counts out some money and says “is this good for a tip?”
I don’t count it and say yes. And thank him for the horse and the tip. We shake hands and he says “see you for..
the Preakness.” Off he went.
Animal Kingdom will always have a special place in my memory.
For those of you who made
It through the story, I have a question. How much was Jimmy’s tip?
Answer will be revealed after the race.
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