Off The Reservation

This one's for Jay, equa, Ocho and my friends that may take a flier on games of chance once in a while.

As I mentioned in an earlier tale, I worked at Ruby Pearl Diamond several years as a Stage Craft Electrician, rigger, lighting console operator, and what have you. During the school year - Labor Day through the end of the Spring term, plenty work - good pay. When the students all went away for summer vacation, our work ran out 'til fall. I really liked working as a technician in the performing arts (plentyo fluffy little doe rabbits, who were most all acolytes of the sexual revolution), and as I wanted to keep doing it, had to find a summer job that would keep the bills paid, and Uncle Nash in corn likker squeezins.

I had a good friend that used to take me over to Monticello to the Greyhound Track. He was a good handicapper, and usually made pretty good money at it. I liked the action, and despite owning just cats at this stage of my life (a raspberry fer you equa), was always a dog person. Raised and trained some Golden Retrievers, pointers, springer spaniels and one idiot mutt that was my best friend for a lot of years. We were at J's, and I asked if anyone knew of any summer jobs opening up. B, my gamblin' pal, said he was going to work at the dog track, and knew they were hiring betting window tellers. I asked for a shot, got hired and off we go. He was going to be in the club level (airco all the way baby), while I was at ground level where the vast majority of the bettors hung out. Got paid $30.00 a card, of which there were 7 cards a week. One each Mon-Fri, and two on Sat. Not too bad as my expenses were low, and we car-pooled with two other guys. Got a few tips and 'drops' (bettors who run off as the race is supposed to start and forget to pick up their change - we had to hold it for two races, then if they don't come back, we keep it - but most give it back even after the time limit though - just good business and karma).

My first night, my work station counter is set between a decent lookin' young kid, and an older guy that didn't speak much, but was friendly in a quiet sorta way, especially after I bought him a coke. He corrected my mistakes and showed me the ropes. The kid was a real character however. During a break, he told me:
'Welcome to the Belgian Congo'
'What?'
"Yeah, the Congo. Just look out there, what do you see.'
'Well, there are alotta Black folks, but others too.'
'Watch this.'
An elderly African Lady came up to his window, placed her bet, and went out toward the rail.
Me. 'You cheated her out of $3.'
He. 'Yeah, if you give them 5 or more pieces of money, they don't know what they got, and you can steal 'em blind.'
Me. 'I'd watch that if I was you'.
He. 'I take home sometimes $40-50 a night from this.'
I ignored him after that, but made damn sure I gave back correct change to all my customers, Ralph, the older guy had witnessed this and said:
'Don't get mixed up with him, he's an ice hole and headed for trouble.'
'Yes sir, I don't live my life that way.'
We went on workin' or a couple of weeks, and I pretty much got the hang of things. I started to get some of the more heavy gamblers coming to my window, as I turned out to have a knack for it, and was fast, accurate and always made sure their tickets and cash came out as it was supposed to.
One Saturday Matinee, I went to pee between races, and as I came out of the head, here comes young britches running toward me at speed. He's being chased by a Black man, the kinda dude you don't want to meet in a dark alley at ANY TIME! I plastered myself against the wall as they flew past, the black dude gaining steadily. They were running out of room fast, and both leaped over the counter and headed toward the exit. Well, the bell rang, and I had to work my window for the next race. About 30 minutes later, we hear a siren approaching the track. We found out later jerkwater got caught and an 'indeterminate number of black men' had proceeded to beat him to within an inch of harpland. Didn't see HIM no more boyo!

There are all kinds of parimutuel wagering. Win, Place or Show, Quinella (top two in any order), Perfecta/Exacta (top two in exact order), Trifecta (top THREE) in order, Superfecta (Top FOUR in order) are the most widely offered. At the end of the night, there is a special feature called the BIG Q. This consists of picking the top two finishers in any order in the next to last race of the night. If you are successful, you exchange that ticket for a ticket calling out the top two in any order in the final race of the evening. Pretty big pot, and hard to hit.

One night, one of the gamblers that had sorta made friends with me (when he placed his bets, if there was an odd buck or two in his change, he'd flip it to me sometimes), hit the first half of the Big Q, and comes up right after the race to look over his program. Now the dogs are rated:
Grade A - the top dogs at the track.
Grade B - the next best.
Grade C - the next best.
Grade D - the next.
Grade M (Maiden) - had not won a race yet.
Grade E - the worst broke down mutts that if they didn't win soon, were either destined for pets, or adoption by a charitable org. that specialized in that milieu, or were sent on to puppy heaven.
You were rated at first before the track season opened, by how you had done at other tracks, or if you were just a pup starting out, in 'schooling' races to see what you could do. You moved up or down by how you finished. If you won a Grade D - you moved up to C. If you couldn't win or at least place highly there, back down to D, and so on.

This particular night, the back half of the Q, was a Grade E race. Nothing but the absolute stinkbuttiest hounds at the track. My friend sez:
'Bri, they've done it again, set up the back half with the sheeeet'.
'Yeah, I see that. You hit the front end?'
He. 'Yeah, got one exchange. See anythin' you like?'
Me. 'No. Target practice maybe.'
He. 'Well, I gotta pick somethin. Look at the dam card and pic one'.
Out of the eight dogs in the race, the 7 had some early foot (speed), but always faded in the final stretch, watching all the rest run by. The three was a little brindle bitch, that showed just a little bit of closing speed.
Me. 'If you stuck a gun on me and made me choose, I don't see anything but a 3-7.'
He. 'Well, punch it up!'
I do, and we settle in to watch the race on the monitor. 'Here comes Rusty', which is the phrase the track announcer uses to let everyone know the fake rabbit lure is coming around and they're about to open the gates. The race starts and lo and behold the 7 breaks on top and sprints to the rail. The 3 is laying 5th, and is running in the middle of the track. There is a major train wreck going into the first turn, leaving the 7 all alone about 6 lengths in front, and the 3 is now laying third behind the 8. They hold position through the backstretch, and come out of the far turn 7-8-3. the 3 begins to live up to her tendency and closes on the 8. 7 is totally out front by about 10 lengths, and if he doesn't stop for a drink or fall down dead, will win the race. Photo finish for second between the 3 and 8. 'Hold all tickets'. So, we settle in for the duration while they examine the pics. After about what seems like a half hour, but was only about 7-8 minutes, the official results are posted. 7-3-8. One winning ticket. My bud is losing his mind! I check the payout, and it reads $8,943.57. He takes the whole pot. I begin to put my station in overnight storage position, and when I look up he's gone. Well, so much for friendship I'm thinkin'.

The next night, he comes up to my window and howdy's me.
Me. Sarcastically. 'Did OK on the Q?'
He. 'Yeah, here's a little something fer ya.'
He drops 5 - $100.00 bills on my counter.
Me. Slightly stunned. "Thanks man. I can sure use it'.

Word leaked out about this to the other major gamblers, at what an astute handicapper Uncle Nash was supposed to be (yeah RIGHT!). Almost every race, and for sure all the Grade B and higher contests, I'd have 4-5 of them come over (by themselves as they didn't want anyone else to see their picks), and ask me what I liked. Well, pretty fasto, I learned to have 4 to 5 dogs in any given race that had a chance to get into the top 3 finishers and and gave a different one to each dude - reserving my top pick for my pal. If they tipped me pretty good, I moved them up the list so to speak. Better bucks - better pup.

This went on for the rest of the summer, and now I was the one taking home sometimes up to an additional C-Note each night.

There was this one guy, a VERY noted Gambler who the other pundits bowed down to, who made a very good living betting greyhound races. He came up to my window one night, and dropped two $100.00 bills on the counter. The race is a Grad A - Stakes Race, all the VERY best dogs at the track race for an enhanced pot. VERY HARD to call this race, as every pup in it has won a lotta Grade A races.
'Gimme the 2-5 quinella 100 times' he sez:
I'm about to crap myself. NOBODY picks a Grade A - Stakes race cold like that. The 2 and the 5 were not even the strongest dogs on the card. I punch it up.
He throws a $10.00 bill on my counter and sez:
'Punch up 5 more for yourself but I wanna see 'em.'
I do, and tell him thanks very much, all the while wishing I had the green ten spot, and to heck with the 2-5.
He moves off a few yards and leans on a column to watch the race on my overhead monitor.
Sure enough, a very fast race, breaks the sprint distance track record, and comes in 5-2. Quinella payout is $31.40, and he has it 100 TIMES! $3,140.00. I cash out for $157.00 beanaroonies mesel.
He comes back to the window, and I'm falling all over myself thanking him. I say:
'H. Can I ask you a question?'
'Sure, go ahead'.
'Jeesis Jumpin' Christ. How in the world did you call that Q?'
'Son. You can beat a race if you study, research the long term results of a dog, especially if it's run at another track, and play when you understand how the race should, barring accidents, be run. And remember - you can beat a race, but you can't beat the races.

In other words, no one can bet on and win all the races, you - as in life I guess - have to pick your spots, and Get Tore In!