Ladies and gentlemen, this is why gambling is the best. There's nothing like it. The high's, the low's, the low's, the even lower, the rock bottom, it's all fantastic.
So for those that didn't follow the events at the Kentucky Derby* this past weekend, let me tell you, it was a quite a seen (as experienced from my living room).
Maximum Security became the betting favorite by post time. The betting favorite has taken the Derby the last 7 years. Naturally a ton of people had money on him, and he basically dominated the race from start to finish. Great news for the folks who laid down some action on him that day, better news for the people who laid down that action earlier in the week at better odds, right? In the words of Lee Corse, 'NOT SO FAST MY FRIENDS!' For the first time in Deby history, an official complaint was filed by the horse who finished 2nd, Country House. Country House argued that Maximum Security drifted out of his lane early, and blocked traffic to be able to get in front.
So the Derby hierarchy launched an inquiry into the dispute. First of all, I love how the Derby calls it an 'inquiry' and not a 'review.' Saying 'review' is for peasants, 'inquiries' are distinguished. They're classy. They're reviews for the 1%. Well after a 22 minute 'inquiry,' the judges (?) determined that Country House was right. Maximum Security was DQ-ed and Country House, a 65 to 1 longshot, won on a technicality.
So the two videos above are coinciding reactions. The first video, complete with a blood curdling scream as if someone had just been murdered, was people reacting who likely had tickets to cash on Maximum Security. They're just learning that they in fact didn't win a single. Nothing, nada, squadoosh. The 2nd video is one that depicts people who threw a few entertainment points on Country House and just saw their 65:1 bets cash. I can honestly say I completely identify with each situation. If you gamble on sports, you know how hard it is to win ANY bet. Especially in horse racing. You've got a better chance of drawing blood from a stone than winning a horse bet. So when you actually cash a ticket, to have it taken away on a technicality is brutal.
On the flip side, to go from your 65:1 long shot JUST missing cashing, to getting that money on the first DQ in Derby history, well it warms my degenerate heart. The look on those faces is pure, unexpected, unadulterated joy. The closest I ever came to that feeling was when my book decided to nix action on the Seahawks/Packers Fail Mary. So I didn't win, but I didn't lose on that debacle. But there's nothing better than found money, and these guy found a TON of it from the clouds.
*If you're not doing something for Derby Day then what are you even doing. It's Americana. You do some gambling, you day drink cocktails, you put on a floppy hat, tell me what's better than that.
PS: In terms of the actual ruling, I'd have to say the DQ call was horsesh!t, no pun intended. I've heard the argument that, 'if this was a Wednesday at your neighborhood track it would be a DQ' blah blah blah. Look, it's not a Wednesday at a track with 47 degenerates smoking cigars and reading the paper. This is the Derby. There are 150,000 in attendance. I'm sure if you look back at video of almost any Derby race in the history of the sport you could find similar evidence of a horse edging another horse out. Rubbin' is racing.
Double PS: If I ever owned a horse it would be named 'Mudder was a Mudder.'