Off to the races!

 You know I am game for almost anything, OK well anything legal and non-life threatening.  So a few weeks ago one of my co-workers asked if any of us wanted to go to the horse track on May 4th (yes May the 4th be with you day).  He worked at Lone Star Park our local horse track all through high school and college and he was familiar with the ponies.  May 4th was the Kentucky Derby and so to capitalize on that the track and probably every track has a "Derby Day" on that day so to bring a party to the park.  Lone Star park had a hat contest, live band, and all the guys wearing these funny suits, I asked my buddy and he said the suits were some sort of backwoods Kentucky thing.  In the picture above you can see Josh and I out in the sun waiting for the next race and he was busy on his phone taking last calls for Kentucky derby bets.

 Now I have always wanted to go to the horse track but I have between zero and no experience with horse betting.  The only other time I had done anything with horse betting was once at a restaurant they had the off track betting and another  guy at the event who knew about horse betting did a few bets for me and I made like 45 bucks that night, even after dinner.  Above you can see my buddy Josh with our local track guide putting in our bets while we waited for the big one.  Of course we lost on all our bets that day but the day flew by like nothing.  I thought we had been there for like thirty minutes and looked at my watch and it had been three hours.  Horse betting is like a gamblers dream, there are about a million ways to bet on the same horse to win or multiple places with boxing in and all the such.  I was lost but that is what was nice about having somebody there with "knowledge" with the K to hold my hand and help me lose my money in a smart way.  Not to just blow my money on the horse that goes pee last but one with solid odds to lose and has a good name and maybe from a town I can find on a map.  Makes a bunch of sense right?

The moment came when the Kentucky derby race number 13 I think it was (they have other races at the derby besides the big one) and we headed into the off track betting which is where you can bet and watch tracks from all over the country.  The video boards switched to the derby and everyone was at the gambling machines making last minute bets.  Then in like two minutes it was over and my long shot Lines of Battle pulled up the middle of the back of the pack and we threw our stubs away headed to get some food at Cracker Barrel.

I think days like this is why I think everyone should be open and nice to each other.  If it weren't for my co-worker willing to hold my hand at the race track I would have never gone in my life and look now I have done it and have the pictures to prove it.  If I were an angry or easily upset person then my co-worker would have never offered this adventure to me.  This is why even with vinegar and salt in our blood steam because of diabetes we still need to have a positive look on life and be friendly to each other.  That other person just might educate you on how to lose your money properly.