Talk to any horse-player who has been playing for some time and ask him about his bad beats at the track. On second thought, don’t do it unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands.
There is an old saying at the track that there is only one way to win a race and thousands of ways to lose, this may be a bit of an exaggeration.
However it does explain how difficult it can be to win at this game in the long run.
If it just wasn’t so damn much fun.
Anyways, I have compiled a list of things that can (and often do) go wrong for a horse-player . I am calling them the Top Ten Nightmares. As with most lists they can be adjusted depending on your personal pain.
10. Late Scratch of a Horse You Came to Bet
All the way to the track your thinking about how your going to make this big score on a horse you have been waiting for, only to find out when you get there that it is a late scratch.
9. Losing a Close Photo Finish
Either your horse couldn’t get up in time or couldn’t hang on. Part of the game but it still hurts.
8. Forgetting Your Racing Form at Home
Now if you do everything by memory, this is no big deal. But if you spent the better part of the night highlighting and making notes, this is a disaster.
7. Getting “Shut Out” at the Betting Window
It should not happen, but it does. Of course its not your fault, its that idiot that is still handicapping at the machine (while they load in the gate).
6. Your Horse Pulling Up During the Race
Yes, the horse’s welfare is the main concern. It still hurts when you look at your tickets and realize that you needed him on everything.
5. You Realize the Clerk Punched Out the Wrong Ticket
Of course your level of anguish will depend on whether you win or lose, but whoever wins in this situation?
4. Disqualification
Your horse gets disqualified and your (what you thought was) winning ticket is now worthless. They say these even out over your lifetime, but what the hell does “they” know.
3. Losing Your Winning Ticket
Pretty self-explanatory here. Now you have to decide which garbage can you are going to rummage through.
2. Leaving a Cash Voucher in the Self-Service Machine
You say you never did this? Either your lying or you don’t use these machines. Something about someone else betting your money (or cashing out) that made me rank this so high.
1. Racing Gets Cancelled
This does not happen often in Southern California. But the only thing worse than losing is not having any action at all.
