BUCYRUS — Harness racing is a sport I have watched casually over the years, covering it professionally for publication on forums such as Crawford County Now.
But when it comes to betting — well that’s another story altogether. For starters, I am not a gambler and especially with horse racing, I have absolutely no clue what to do to make a calculated bet.
That’s why I thought it would be fun to pretend I was betting to see what would happen with a novice like me. Other than asking Gordy Teynor, who was actually betting, to explain payouts and odds, I was winging it.
Wednesday was the first of two nights of racing at the Crawford County Fair and there were seven races on the card. I kept things simple, “betting” two dollars on one winner per race. I stayed away from the trifectas, exactas, quinellas and all the other complexities of harness race betting.
That said, the worst I could do is “lose” $14. The odds and pure chance would determine what I might “win”. My methods for picking my winners were, to say the least, unconventional.
For instance, in the first race, the Rollie Wilson Memorial, my $2 went down on Twentyfour K Magic. My reasoning was that she had career winnings of more than double any of the other five horses.
Alas, Twentyfour K Magic finished third and I was out two dollars (on paper).
In Race 2, I changed my strategy. My pick was based on the horse’s name, Eternal Faith. I thought that, in a sports setting, it represented my eternal faith in the Cleveland Browns, the Cleveland Indians and the Bucyrus Redmen.
Leaving the gate at 7-2 odds, Eternal Faith rallied to win. The $9.20 payout left me $5.20 to the good after two races. Now, if only the Browns, Indians and Redmen can follow Eternal Faith’s lead.
In Race 3, I stuck with the No. 3 horse — the same number as Eternal Faith — but not for that reason. The horse, Winchester Walley, was owned by local businessman David Pirnstill.
With 2-1 odds, Winchester Walley brought home a winner, leading wire to wire. The $6 payout left me at $9.20 to the good after just three races! I was on a roll.
But the reality of betting horses set in in Race 4. Of course, the fact that I put my money on Bella Lugosi because the name reminded me of the old-time horror film star might have had something to do with it.
Bella Lugosi broke (a racing term for breaking trotting stride) and finished dead last. Nothing to show for that two bucks.
Majors Blue Sky was my pick in Race 5. I got my inspiration from the fact that, after three days of rain, the sky over the fairgrounds was finally blue. Majors Blue Sky finished in the money at third, but not for me. Two more greenback dollars down the drain.
Race 6 saved the night for me. I chose the No. 1 horse, Good Citations. When I read the name in the program, I couldn’t get the Beach Boys’ song “Good Vibrations” out of my head.
Good Citations came through and the $8.40 payout put my balance sheet at $11.60 to the good. With just one race left, I was guaranteed to come out “in the black” by staying with my night-long strategy.
In the seventh race, I went with the horse that had the top career winnings, Hanky L, and left the gate at 7-2 odds. But Hanky L finished fourth, leaving me with a net “profit” of $9.60.
I did this purely for entertainment and to be able to relate to the folks who really bet while I am covering their sport for the media. I would in no way recommend any of the methods I used to come out slightly ahead.
One other gambler told me he used a simpler method, two dollars on each race for No. 3 to win. He came out just over a dollar to the good.
In any case, there is another set of races at the Crawford County Fair Thursday night with a post time of 6 p.m. If any of you plan to wager, I only hope for your sakes that you are more knowledgeable than I.
With this experience under my belt, I will slip quietly back into the casual observer I have always been.