[QUOTE=capitalman;2512041]10/31/2010: During the Saratoga meet on 8/21 I bet a first time starter who got shuffled back on a speed favoring turf course and ended up finishing 5th, a little over 5 lengths back, but after the race galloped out well and went by the winner. Due to some rain that fall, he didn't get into another race until Halloween, closing day at Belmont. In between, many of the horses who ran in the 8/21 race came back & won or ran well-a key race. On 10/31 the trainer was switching to his go-to rider at the time and they had great stats together on 2nd time starters. I can still say to this day, I've never been as confident in a horse winning, & I was waiting over 2 months for him to run back. I went all in on him, putting him in 3 P3s, a P4 & singling him in the P6 as well as win, exactas & trifectas. He won by a neck, coming from off the pace to run down another horse (my 2nd choice which gave me the exacta and trifecta too). I ended up hitting all 3 P3s he was in & the P4, then I hit a small P6. By the end of the day I won more than I ever won before or after. The next day I called up OTB and asked them how to cash all the bets. I had some in tickets & some in my account. I ended up going to their offices & getting 2 checks, one from the account & the other for the tickets I had punched. I put the money in the bank & later that year bought a new car with the winnings.
Basically I won a new car that day.[/QUOTE]
I was working part time in a department store selling carpet. Freshman in college. 18 years old. On a Thursday I was informed my uncle had a 1965 Ford Galaxy {289 engine
} for sale. He was offered 500 but was willing to sell it to me for $300 if I could come up with the money by Sunday. It was mid summer 1973.
Friday morning I rushed to the department store, cashed my check worth around 85 bucks and drove my parents Mercury Comet down Imperial Blvd to Hollywood Park. Post time was two o'clock and I had four races to either win or lose as I was due back at work later that evening.
The opener I could only see one play. The horses name was "Away Satan" ridden by Laffit and Trained by Bobby Frankel for his main owner at that time.
I bet 60 to win on this 4/5 shot and stood by the finish line holding my breath.
It was a grinding and grueling three horse battle the length of the stretch. The favorite pulled clear in the final yards to win by a neck.
The same connections had the favorite in the next race. I thought the second choice was just as good on paper. Princess Something? from the one post and was driving by Ken Skinner. Off at 5/2 this fiily found a hole in early stretch and won by a length over the 3/5 favorite. I'd bet 100 on her nose and cashed enough to pay for my first car. I drove that car over 150000 miles till the engine went.
Not a new car but I won my first car at the track!
