The Omaha guide., 1946-07-13
ODE STREET
and t~hereab0uts
by p. W =

A0SCo arc over. ana again i
can feel a little change juggling in
my pocket. 1 believe as most all
sport lovers believe; that 1 could
pick the winners if the horses
were running true to form. But
like a lot of others / could not tell
how the horse felt that dav he
was running, and there was no
way the horse could tell me. So
of course, 1 fed them a little oats,
but the n good thing that hap
pened, was my helping the relief
in the foreign countries, because
l did not eat as heartily as usual,
my money was short and my mind
was on the horses that didn't win.
1t was very hot the last day that
L attended the races, but the heat
did not bother me as much as one
would think. 1 expected to return
home with money in my pocket.
and no one could tell me different.
AS 1 wiped the sweat away from
my brow, looking at the odds po-
sted on the board for the first
race a young lady walked excited
ly up to me, smiling a friendly
smile, she said, Lawrence, I've
got the winner in this first race.
See this book? It rates almost all
Of the horses, and the horse 1 bet
on, has the best rating of them
ALL
1 looked the book over and not
iced the horse that this young
lady thought was going to win,
and if the lady hadn't been so pref
ty, and so happy about everything
l would have walked away in dis
gust, because the horse that she
chose was not the one of my choice
nor the World Herald's choice, nor
the cards choice, nor the
Blue Sheets choice. According to
the form the horse was out of his
class.
1 smiled pleasantly into dark
shining eyes, and said, Gould be,
could be, and I am sure if the
horce could see who was betting
on her, L know the horse would
do her best to VIM
She swiftly walked away, half
shouting, Better bet on him,
Lawrence.
1 didn't have a chance to say
a word, because the announcer
yelled, They're Off"
L didn't care to see how they
were running because my horse
was in the lead, and what more
can a man ask for his money. /
Just sat back and rubbed my
hands.
They were in the stretch and my
horse was still leading, when all
of a sudden the announcer said,
" Here comes Pat-K closing fast
on the outside.
All 1 could hear for the next
few seconds was Pat-K and what
made me so mad, it was the horse
that the young lady asked me to
bet on. Pat-K of course won the
race. and I was still looking for
my horse when Pat-K was on his
way back to the stables.
I am so used to losing that it
didn't faze me in the least, SO [
Just buckled down, looking over
the forms eager to pick a winner
in the next race.
l studied and studied, and fin
ally decided on the one that look
ed like the best of the field of the
twelve. I was almost at the bet
ting window when one of my
friends came up, grabbing me by
the arm, and said, Lewis, l just
got a tip from the paddock, and
it seems to be the real thing. No.
8. bet her on the nose"
1 had wanted to bet on No. 8
and according to the form sheets,
he looked like the winner. l was
undecided now, but 1 just let a
good one slip by, so number Z It
shall be and right on the nose
Don't say it. Number 6 won like
a champion, and 1 just sat there,
wanting to shout, but so let down,
that it took the touch of a hand
to bring me out of a trance.
How are you doing. Lewis n,
asked another one Of my racing
associates.
Not so good,' I finally got it
out.
And to make it worse. he said,
II caught the first two already,
and this one looks like a cincn.
Not too much price on him, but a
sure thing is a sure thing.
1 didn't say a word as he leaned
over to whisper, as if not wanting
to let everybody in on the secret,
although hundreds of others were
betting on the same horse, "Num-
Der /, Bailey is riding him, and
you know Bailey"
Thanks I said as he walked
| away, with that confident strut OF
a man winning money.
1 didn't even look at my form.
What was the use 1 placed a bet
| on Bailey and Number L.
After the race I was sure OF one
thing; Bailey didn't make any
extra money on that race. Some
where on that track the horses
got a little mixed up, and Bailey
| got lost in the shuttle.
For the next race, I just closed
my eyes, took my pencil out, and
jabbed at a number. The horse did
the best of them all that I had bet