“Not just high, they are over 10 percent...everyone’s scared. The stock market is a mess, too.”
“I’m sorry. It has to be difficult.” She smiled at him and put her hand to his face. “Thanks for sharing with me.”
“I’ve always been successful…and I will be again.”
February 20, 1988, Santa Anita Racetrack, California
The next morning, Miami brought Ava coffee and opened the curtains. The winter morning sun reflected off the Westwood skyline office towers. “My track buddy Dino is going to join us today. He’s the best horse handicapper in the country. We’re going to drive there with him because my car doesn’t seat three.”
“He’s coming with us on our track date?”
“I never go to the track without him. If you want to win, believe me you always want him with us.”
They relaxed as Ava made avocado and bacon omelets. She read the Los Angeles Times and Hollywood Reporter as Miami read the racing form, with the Saturday college basketball games on in the background, with the sound on mute. He was relaxed and had no interest in betting on the games today.
Later that morning they dressed for their afternoon at the turf club. Miami put on a teal blue sports jacket, crisp white dress shirt, and tied a blue silk tie as he told Ava for the first time about their recent bet on Winning Colors to win the Kentucky Derby, still three months away. He told her about how spectacular Winning Colors was, and that today she would have to defeat the best fillies in California to continue her advance toward the Derby and have a chance to beat the males.
“We’ve had five dates, and I’ve never seen you so excited to go anywhere as you seem today,” she said. Ava smiled at him. She even seemed happy to accept that Dino was now going with them on this date.
“You’ll see, Ava, it’s so beautiful at Santa Anita. You’ll love the mountains, and I’ll get you right up close to the horses in the saddling paddock. The horses are gorgeous, and it’ll be exciting. What will you do with all the money you’ll win today? Oh, and bring some shoes that you can walk in the mud and dirt…and other horse stuff…in.”
“Are you sure Winning Colors will win today?”
“She’s undefeated, and Dino thinks she is the best 3-year-old in the country, even better than the male colts, and believe me, he knows what he is doing. He has made me a ton of money.”
“I can’t wait. It sounds fun!” Ava laughed harder than he’d ever heard her laugh as she disappeared into the closet. “Oh yeah…let me show you my hat.” She came back out wearing one of the widest hats he had ever seen, with blue feathers jutting out on top, over her long auburn hair. “See… I told you it would be understated.”
“Ava…it won’t fit in the car.”
“You just pick us some winners…and leave the fashion to me.”
It wasn’t just the hat. Miami was apprehensive. He had seen, time and time again, that the instant a gambler fell in love and started spending time with a woman, he would inevitably always go on the largest losing streak of his life. Lucky at love, unlucky at gambling was a common saying. However, unlucky at gambling did not necessarily lead to being lucky at love.
The February afternoon was a typical bright California winter day with temperatures in the mid-70s. Dino picked them up in his yellow, four-door Impala, blasting “Faith,” by George Michael. Ava and Miami hopped in the back seat. Forty-five minutes later they arrived to find the track packed with fans, with long lines for the public to get through the turnstiles.
They ordered lunch at their usual turf club table overlooking the Santa Anita stretch. It was fun for Miami and Dino to have Ava at their table, and many of their usual gambling buddies stopped by to say hello and meet her.
“How often do you and Dino go to the track?” she asked.
Miami shrugged off the question.
“No really…how often do you and Dino go to the track?”
“We don’t go to the track as much as we used too. Now we only go when it’s open.”
“Mark…so why does everyone here call you ‘Miami?’”
“It’s my nickname. No idea how it started….”
“I’ll stick with Mark.”
“I hope you do.” He looked into her eyes and smiled.
When Ava stepped away, Dino told him, “She seems to really make you happy.”
“She does. Just something about her is special. She’s kind of like Winning Colors… tall…athletic…and very feisty, too.”
The boys were not hitting any winners at all; their horses were not running well. Miami had been buying small denomination betting tickets for Ava all day. The races are exciting when your horses are competitive and involved in photo finish stretch runs, but today their betting selections were not in the outcomes of any of the races at the finish.
“Zip. Zero. Zilch. We have not cashed a single damn ticket today. Ava, I usually perform better than this.”
“No, he doesn’t,” said Dino.
“Let me pick one…I’d like to win at least one race today. I need a winner!” said Ava.
“Sure…but, it’s complicated. Dino can explain and help you understand the important stuff, like early speed, track post position bias, class, and closing internal fractions.”
“Nah…I’m good…I like Quacky Ducky in the next race,” she said as she smiled at Mark.
“Quacky Ducky? You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s a great name.”
“Quacky Ducky it is.” Miami went down to bet $20 to win for Ava on her horse and put $100 each for Dino and himself on Dino’s race selection of Dancing Papa.
Dancing Papa went to an early lead and as he turned for home, he looked like a winner. A wall of closing horses charged late in a three-horse photo finish. Miami could tell Dancing Papa had faded and was not paying attention when the photo finish result was posted showing a 48-1 long shot: Ava’s horse was the winner. Quacky Ducky had won for only the
