WARNING: Not for the faint of heart. Read at your own risk!
Hello students of the game!
I remember many years ago the DRF website...fairly new at the time, had a
community where horse players could gather. A place where everyone was an
expert. Everyone was a winner. Everyone was a high roller. The handles were
memorable.
I'll spare you.
But one individual stands out to this day. I don't
know who he was, and I cannot be sure he was on the level, although I think he
was. His point of view was a simple one: racing is
fixed!
AND...(this is the best part)...there is a secret language that the 'insiders' know. This
racing 'code' told you, the insider, who to bet. And when. A sort of Thoroughbred Da' Vinci code. Well, after all these years...I think I have cracked it. It is
quite simple, and really, genius. Let me give you an elementary
example:
It is May 5th and you are sitting in the Arlington grandstand.
You look like an ordinary horseplayer. Maybe you have a hotdog on the seat next
to you, your marked up DRF is in your lap, you are enjoying a beautiful May day
at the track. It is 10 minutes to race 5 post time and you look at the following
lineup, trying to deduce the exacta:
# PP HORSE
1 1 J Evans
2 2 Sacred Range
3
3 Rafale (GB)
4 4 Sgt. Major Ross
5 5 Cadcam
6 6 My
Jokester
7 7 My Contender
O.K., so this is a shamefully easy example. While the entire racing world
is throwing money at the favorite Rafale, you know better. Because you know that
the secret language of racing is at work here. Your personal ticket to the
winners circle. Figure it out yet? No?
My, My. As in My Jokester and
My Contender. That is why they are there, folks. And this is what that guy
all those years ago was talking about. Racing's Da' Vinci
code. At work!
The 7-6
exacta paid $63.00.
O.K., you think I'm kidding...right? Here is another
simple example. It is 5 days later, and you are sitting in the exact same seat
because you hit that 7-6 exacta 50 times and you're not changing nuthin'! You
got that same hot dog and the DRF is sitting there in front of you, open to race
8. You have spent 20 minutes figuring pace for this 1 & 1/16 mile
starter allowance and you are getting nowhere. Handicapping principles are
falling left and right. It is now just a minute before post and this is what you
see:
# HORSE
1 Hungry Wildcat
2 Switching to Glide
3 Name Dropper
4 Nic the
Quick
5 Musicstreet Menace
6 Codeword (IRE)
7 Silver Rock Star
8
Nolangrant'skitten
9 Part'n Parcel
10 Charging Home
11
Pedrolino
12 Paisano Creek
OK, so the exacta please? C'mon,
c'mon. Nothing to do with Mickey Rivers, either. They are going to the post. NO?
Wait...Then, you get it. Nolangrant'skitten & Hungry Wildcat. Must be
and worth a shot.
The old feline play. As old as racing itself. When you
see two felines in the same race...they don't have to be of the same type, it's
a go. But you must know that cross breeding between wildcats and house cats has
occurred throughout almost the entirety of the species' range. That is what make
this exacta possible.
Paid $202.20!
So you see where I'm going
with this? Of course, I know you are not convinced, but what the hell do I care
what you think? I mean, you believed the Mayans!!! All around us are
mysteries unsolved, dimensions unseen, meanings undefined. It seems to me that
racing has figured out a perfect language that only insiders know, and I'm going
to show you how it works. Now the exacta is only one way that the code helps
those in the know take your money. But the code enables sharp players to score
playing other types of wagers. I'm going to show you a daily double, once again
from Arlington Park that hit on 5/18. Here are the entries for races 9 and 10.
See if you can figure out what the 'racing gods' are trying to tell
you:
Race 9
# PP HORSE
1 1 Age of Aquarius
2 2 Lil
Miss Richie
3 3 Carolina Cruisin'
4 4 Ann Accolade
5 5 Lydia's
Angel
6 6 Miss Darla
7 7 Stay Foolish
8 8 Bye Bye Bunting
9
9 Scorpiobdancing
and now race 10
# PP HORSE
1 9 She's
Intoxicated
1A 11 My Place Or Yours
2 1 Sweet Harp
3 2 Three Cat
Rules
4 3 Sharp
5 4 Glad It's May
6 5 Little Miss Be
7 6
Betterlegsonatabl
8 7 Spring Formal
9 8 Astral
10 10 Take What You
Can
Well, maybe this time you got a bit closer. There is really
only one possibility: Lil Miss Richie & Little Miss Be. I mean, you
want it handed to you on a silver platter? Well...here it is: a short form
English prefix daily double that paid $156.80. And you thought you needed speed
figs when all you need is a Webster's dictionary!
So here were 3 simple
forms of secret communication that the racing gods use to clue in those in the
"know".
Now that you are clued in too, let us go back to the exacta. Here is a
race from Arlington that ran on 5/26. It was race 1. See if you can figure out
the exacta:
# PP HORSE
1 1 Queen of Scioto
2 2 Arrested by
Duffy
3 3 Electric Boat
4 4 Let It Rain
5 5 A. J.'s Love
6 6
Queen for Life
7 7 Ancient Eyes
So this one is soooo easy.
Shamefully easy. Your 5 year old daughter would know this. In fact, so many
people played the 6-1 exacta it only paid $23.40. So now that you have a
handle on the exacta, let's go back to the daily double. Scope it out and see if
you can do it. It is race 6 on 5-27 at Arlington Park. You want to play the
double. Here are the entries for races 6 and 7:
Race 6
# PP HORSE
1 1
One for Biscuit
2 2 Buddy's Bid
3 3 Exotic Wildcat
4 4 Perfect
Casting
5 5 Gavilan
6 6 Bingorun
7 7 Grand Silver
8 8
Daddyspentdamoney
9 9 Denim
Race 7
# PP HORSE
1 1 Candy
Bites
2 2 Hughes the Daddy
3 3 Razman
4 4 Strong Response
5
5 Card
6 6 Tallahatchie Luke
7 7 Next Speaker
8 8 Chatfield
Road
9 9 Chucks Turn
See how easy it is? Sure you do! The 8-2 daddy
daily double paid 72.40. That ain't chump change. And it ain't your daddy's
$72.40 either.
O.K., then. So let's get one that is a lil' harder, shall
we? It is a 6 furlong allowance at Arapahoe Park, and you want to play the
exacta. Check out the entries. What would you play?
# PP HORSE
1 1 EET
CETERA
2 2 SCUNC
3 3 SEMELE
4 4 LIL WAYNE
5 5 TTT TINY
TINA
6 6 MISTER EDD
7 7 MY FRIEND BEE
8 8 CZMOKEY THE BEAR
SWA
9 9 DJETS SON
10 10 ZELLS BELLS
11 11 RASTA
ROCKET
Not only should it be obvious by now, but they are right
next to each other. THAT, my friends...is a slap in the face to the losers.
Which excludes you, naturally. because you saw it right away.
Manners,
manners...and ladies first! That's right. The 5-4 exacta of TTT Tiny Tina
& Lil Wayne paid $66.80. Folks...size DOES matter!
Now, one of my
favorites. This one is great. And it shows just how cunning the 'racing gods'
can be. And just how sneaky racing's Da' Vinci
Code is.
We are at Belmont Park.
yes...New York, New York. If you can make it here...well anyway, check this out.
It is race # 1 on May 3, 2013 and you are looking to start the day with a
double. O.K., so here are the entries for the first two
races:
Race
1
# PP HORSE
1 1 My Bella Beauty
2 2 Currency Union
3
3 Sweet Sway
4 4 Sister City
5 5 Lurabell
6 6 Run a Dubb
Dubb
Race # 2
# PP HORSE
1 1 Madgi
2 2 Sister
State
3 3 Make It Anywhere
4 4 Previous
5 5 Street
Beauty
So, I can hear you stuttering. No freakin' way. Right?
Wrong, Chobani breath! Because the double of Sister City/Sister State
paid $16.20. Not much. But then, it's New York. Why do you think they can make
it anywhere?
Here is another NY special. On 5-17, a State Bred race had
the following lineup:
# PP HORSE
1 1 Lumineuse
2 2 Don't Hook My
Halo
3 3 Palace Dreams
4 4 Therapy
5 5 Pie's First Lady
6 6
Shake Senora
7 7 Wild Frances
8 8 McGillycuddy's Gal
9 9 Hot
Rendezvous
10 10 Ready for Therapy
Now, first a hint. The
hint is that it is a NY Bred race and you need to be familar with NY breeding.
The next hint is the character Hugo Z. Hackenbush in the Marx Brothers movie A
Day at the Races.
Got it? Yes! Both ends of the exacta were by Freud.
Ready for Therapy / Therapy paid $44.80.
THAT'S CRAZY!
And how about May 30 when
Bushie and Bushwacked paid $37.80!
In fact, Slew had two
horses that placed and showed on 5-30 at Belmont. Slew's horse in this race was
Film Shot. Here is what the results looked like:
# HORSE JOCKEY WIN PLACE
SHOW
5 Hangover Kid I. Ortiz, Jr. $23.60 $10.60 $5.00
6 Film
Shot E. Prado $7.10 $4.00
3 Screenplay J.
Espinoza $3.10
Filmshot and Screenplay. Are you kidding...Mr.
DeMille? And do you know what the trifecta paid? How about this:
$2
Trifecta (5-6-3) Paid: $363.00
Seriously?
Well,
congratulations! You have completed the class on racing's "secret code". As with
any course of this level, you must pass a final exam to continue. I suggest you
refrain from all wagering and handicapping activity until such time as your
grade is a passing one. You may take this test up to 3 times. If you do not pass
by then, you can still eat hot dogs but must cease all horse wagering and
handicapping activity immediately and take up a new interest. Badminton
anyone?
So...here goes...and good luck!
Question
#1:
You are at Canterbury Park on 5/17. It is race 3. You have 17
apples, 12 oranges and $14 in your pocket. Race 2 is a cheap claimer with 7
horses. With the all button in race 2,you need 2 singles in race 3 & 4 for
a successful pick 3.
Here are the entrants for those
races:
Race 3
# PP HORSE
1 1 Patriate
2
2 Swiss G's
3 3 Seattle Sal
4 4 Already There
5
5 No Crossing Lane
6 6 Marathon Moon
7 7
Backtrack
8 8 King of Rhythm
Race # 4
# PP HORSE
1 1 Cap and Trade
2 2 Talk About Me
3 3
Bleu Moon Magic
4 4 Tapitintime
5 5 Talkin Bout
6 6
Amazingly Karen
7 7 Somerset Ballerina
8 8 Chile
Win
The pick 3 paid $200.90. Who won the last two
legs?
Question # 2
You are at Calder on 6/2 and praying for
the exacta in race 2. Here are the entrants:
Race # 2
# PP HORSE
1 1 Cambiata
2 2 Jill's Reflection
3 3
Proverbs Thirtyone
4 4 Follow My Luck
5 5 My Novena
6
6 Holy Day
7 7 Karen's Wildcat
Now, be careful.
This is a bit of a trick question. The exacta paid $38.40. Who do you use as an
exacta box in this race?
Question # 3
Back to Calder. it is
5/31 and you are playing race #5. Once again, you are playing the exacta. Here
are the horses:
Race #5
# PP HORSE
1 1 No
Calcetines
2 2 Gold Man
3 3 My Big News
4 4
Treasures Image
5 5 Dangerous Brew
6 6 Financial
Pathway
7 7 Luigi Q
8 8 Solicitation
9 MTO Gold
Vegas
10 AE Big Bentley
11 AE Wat
12 AE
Concorde County
13 AE Revere's Ride
14 AE Jim N
John
The race stayed on the turf and the exacta paid
$57.60. Who do you play in the exacta?
Question # 4
Here is
a history question. It is Canterbury Park on 5/18. Here are the horses for race
#3:
Race
#3
# PP HORSE
1 1 Smokin Mojo
2 2 This
Guy
3 3 Blothefeld Away
4 4 Candy Can Do
5 5
Union Buster
6 6 Star Searcher
7 7 Eighteen Wheels
8
8 Forest Colors
9 9 Dakota Smokey
You are going
to play the exacta box which paid $33.00. DO NOT fall for the trap here. Which horses do you use, good
buddy?
Question #5
Here is a more esoteric example of
racing's Da' Vinci code at work. It is May 4 at Calder. You are soaking up the sunshine and
looking at race 8. You got some cash in your pocket and lookin' to play the
exacta. Here are the horses:
# PP HORSE
1 1 Mize the Big Cat
2 2 Well Read
3
3 Avie's Pegasus
4 4 Calpullec
5 5 Flyin Trey
6 6 Include
Traci
7 7 Brave Apache
8 8 Run Smart One
The exacta paid
$32.60. You had it. Which two horses did you use?
EXTRA CREDIT
QUESTION
This one is a tough one, and I don't expect all of you, or
maybe any of you to get it. That is why it is offered as extra credit. Here
goes:
You are at Canterbury Park on 5/31. It is race 3. You have 14 cows,
3 pigs, and 27 goats,. You are playing the exacta which paid $57.00. Here are
the horses:
# PP HORSE
1 1 Setnmupknocknmdown
2
2 Model Citizen
3 3 Mack's Tiger Paw
4 4 In
Jeopardy
5 5 Private Warrior
6 6 Resist
7 7
Finding Candy
8 8 Evert
9 9 Common Sense
10 10
Soul Sacrifice
11 11 Wild Student
Which two horses,
and in what order, made up the exacta in this race?
The horses
please???
Well...time is up. All answers can be found in the DRF or
Equibase results.
Put down your pencils and hand in your papers. And the next time you handicap...bring your dictionary AND Little Orphan Annie decoder ring!
It's
post time!
Good luck and good 'capping!
- Slew
