Calvin Borel and Mine that Bird Provide Minor Miracle for Horse Racing Fans

My wife, son and I were watching the Kentucky Derby simulcast at the track yesterday. Never in my wildest dreams would I have predicted that Calvin Borel aboard Mine That Bird would cross the finish line first. A 50-1 choice, Mine that Bird wasn't even on my radar. In fact, I had placed $5 to win and place on Pioneerof The Nile just because most people had backed off the one time pre-race favorite. It seemed like a good bet and I won 21 dollars when it finished second to the biggest longshot to win the Derby since 1913.

A guy standing next to me had placed $2 across the board on Borel and Mine That Bird. The guy seemed like he was almost comatose as he said "Yeah, I had 2 across the board on Mine That Bird." It was at that point that I wished the horse racing gods would reverse the finish and put the favorite on top. Who picks a 50-1 longshot and has it win and doesn't get excited. Are we becoming that selfish that we aren't satisfied when the biggest of longshots comes through? You could have lost the $6 dollars. But here's a guy who probably won close to $200 dollars on a $6 dollar bet taking his winnings for granted. Is the economy that bad that we can not appreciate a huge win like that? Or is the guy trying to get rich on Derby Day so he doesn't have to return to his normal life on Monday.

But there were happy stories at the track where people actually seemed excited. One friend approached the terminal with a big grin on his face. He had picked the correct Pick 4 on a $16 dollar bet where he had wheeled Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel as one of his selections. He said it paid around $1500 dollars. It's kind of funny that a win like that will bring huge smiles but the guy who won $200 dollars acts as if it's another Obama stimulus check and so what?

Heck, I was just happy I came out $15 for the good on the day which included some concessions and giving my wife $5 of my winnings so she didn't feel so bad about the $20 she lost. It would have been nice to win on Mine That Bird and Calvin Borel is a big time jockey who knows how to win on underdogs. But would I have ever wasted $2 on a longshot like that? Not likely. There were about 5 horses that were near 50-1 odds. If you'd have place $2 on each one them and lost you'd be out ten dollars 99 out of 100 times on Derby Day.

So since I missed my window I guess next year I'll still bet on one of the close to favorites. Not the favorite of course since it won 2 years ago. We'll just stick with the middle of the pack and be happy if we are so lucky to go home even or down or up a few bucks. That way I won't feel cheated when a longshot comes through and pays my $200 for a $6 bet. Unrealistic expectations can certainly make it not as much fun. I've always said you should expect to lose $10-20 when you go on any kind of gambling expedition. Then you can be thrilled when you do win and not incredibly ticked when you come home with $20 less. The Kentucky Derby shouldn't be used a personal money maker. But there are people out there who do it for a living. I can't imagine what kind of living that would be. And for every Calvin Borel and Mine That Bird that puts some extra dollars in a pocket of an avid gambler, there are 9 more Big Browns out there who won't pay much at all when it wins as a heavy favorite.