“I’m starting to like it here,” said Miami. “Dino can you not get into another fight at the betting window, because I want to live.”
Dino looked at the full bucket of beers on ice and said, “Miami, you have to drive us home!”
“If you keep arguing with the customers we won’t have to worry about the drive, because we’ll be stabbed to death long before my driving is an issue.”
“How much money do you have on you?”
“Enough for the beers and…I don’t know about the Winning Colors bet.”
“Miami, the odds are incredible here…way better than Vegas. We need to start coming here every month.”
Another thing about Dino that was different than any other gambler Miami had met was Dino’s specialty with long shots. Where most big bettors would bet $5,000 on a football game at basically even money odds, Dino would bet $5,000 or $10,000 on a team to win the Super Bowl at 6-1, 10-1, 20-1 or more. Sure, he lost far more bets than he won every year, but when he cashed, he really cashed for big money. Same thing on horses, as Dino would bet only on long-shot horses offered at 6-1 odds or higher. If he lost five in a row and then won one race, he was going home with a big profit.
Now he was on to another big opportunity. “Our horse Winning Colors, she is still 50-1, that’s incredible. When she wins…our $5,000 bet will pay out $250,000. I have my $2,500,” said Dino.
“You are serious about this, aren’t you? I need to keep a few bucks on the side for beers, margaritas, and dinner. I know you told me to save up for this bet…but man, I’ve got nothing working! Nothing.” Miami shook his head. “My office deal in escrow cancelled Friday. I really should just keep this money for my car payment, pay bills, and maybe just take Ava out to dinner.”
“I get it…things are tight…but this is different. Even if you don’t bet another race this year…you gotta make this bet!”
“If you say so. Dino…I believe in you, man…here’s $2,500 for your horse.” Miami handed Dino a white envelope under the table. “I don’t think we should make the bet until right before we leave. I don’t want these assholes to see we have real money with us. I think they would kill us for 20 bucks.”
“No way! Let’s bet her now before the odds go down! This is the bet of a lifetime.”
“Holy shit, Dino, you have never said that before…ever. You’re usually quiet about your betting opinions.”
Now Miami knew Dino was there to make a serious wager. He believed one of the richest horse owners in the world might enter his female horse in the 1988 Kentucky Derby. A billionaire so rich he had owned an NFL team. Dino knew the former NFL owner’s horse could win the Derby. Dino believed this horse would win the Derby. Traditionally only male horses, colts, enter the Kentucky Derby, and in 113 years, only two female horses had ever won the race. Dino thought that was about to change with a filly named Winning Colors.
Dino was a slow walker and could never keep up with his tall friend—outside of a gambling venue, that is. When they got within 500 yards of a betting facility, suddenly Dino could move like a racehorse on methamphetamines. Dino would then suddenly be walking so fast Miami would struggle to stay in sight of him. Dino had perfected a form of gambling radar that allowed him to dart in and out of pedestrians in order not to get shut out of a bet. Now on the betting floor of Agua Caliente, Dino’s senses were fully alive, and he knew that the betting decisions he was about to make could change his life.
Dino didn’t wait. He jumped up and dashed to the betting window like a 350-yard quarter horse at Los Alamitos racetrack. Miami thought, Damn I’ve got to see this, and came up on Dino’s right side, at the betting window.
Miami listened as Dino told the ticket writer, “Five thousand US dollars on the Kentucky Derby future book. Winning Colors at 50-1, to win $250,000 on the race.”
The ticket writer’s eyebrows raised, and he became agitated. “Jefe ven aca! Mas dinero en Winning Colors,” he shouted to his supervisor.
An older man with a gold tooth and an expensive looking shirt came into view. He spoke in Spanish with the ticket writer; the men went back and forth, and then he said to them, under his breath in English, “Another bet on this stupid bitch of a horse? Un momento por favor.” The supervisor then walked to a back room, out of sight.
Now Dino looked worried. Miami asked, “What’s up, Dino?”
“I think someone else already made a huge bet on her to win the Derby. Probably way bigger than our bet. That’s what I have been afraid of and why I woke you up so early today. With our bet they can lose another $250,000 if she wins. It’s too big a bet for him to accept himself. Too much risk to the track. He needs approval. Man, I hope they take this bet. Miami, if they do they are idiots because 50-1 on her is a gift.”
“Someone’s an idiot here,” Miami responded, “and I hope it’s not us.”
The supervisor came back out to the window with a good looking, much younger man with dark wavy hair, much like an Elvis impersonator. The new man was dressed in a crisp white shirt and groomed perfectly in the way only handsome Latin guys can look. “Señors…a girl horse cannot beat the boys in the Kentucky Derby, my friends. Are you sure? Save your money, amigos.”
Dino didn’t hesitate and said, “I know we are crazy…but still we would like to make that bet, and please make it into three or four separate smaller, different tickets, thank you.”
The young Mexican boss waited
