Miami confirmed it. “You did! You are a track god! Who do you like in the next race?”
The Tijuana party wound itself down. Tequila had been flowing into the gamblers and revelers for many hours. Bets and cocktails had separated most of the gamblers from the money in their pockets. Dino and Miami still sat, enjoying their margaritas. Big Bernie stood next to them.
“Big Bernie, did you bet your $20,000 in one betting ticket, or multiple smaller tickets?” Dino asked.
“I made it into four $5,000 smaller bets each. I brought only one of them with me today to cash today with my buddies. Holy shit. I didn’t really want to think about it. Didn’t want to jinx it. I just realized that ticket is now worth…$250,000.” Big Bernie plopped his huge frame down on a chair.
Miami realized the win was just setting in on Big Bernie’s consciousness. He also knew that winning $1 million cannot be processed instantly by anyone. Big tears were coming out of the corners of Big Bernie’s eyes. Miami noticed and said, “We did it, Bernie.”
“Guys, I want you to come with me tonight to see the motel I’m buying. It’s so awesome, right on the water, and my office…it’s upstairs on the corner…white trim with a drop-dead view of the Pacific Ocean. You can see the whales from there like every day. We will stay there tonight. You gotta join me, boys!”
Dino was quick to answer. “We would like to, but I don’t feel safe here holding winning tickets on Winning Colors worth $250,000. I want it to calm down in here just a little, get our money, and get back to LA. We’ll come back and stay with you someday soon. I promise.”
“Man, you will never have to pay. You come down and you can have the biggest rooms with views, on me, for life!”
“Thanks, that’s great, thanks. But what’s the plan now? When do we cash our tickets and get the fuck out of here?” Dino was ready to leave.
“I don’t know,” said Miami. He looked around. “I’m living a moment right here…give me a minute.”
The race book was thinning out now, and the cocktail waitresses were picking up used glasses from the tables.
“You guys stay here. I’m going to go out and move my car and park it right out front. Then I say Dino goes up and cashes one ticket. When they start paying him, then Bernie and I’ll go up to two other windows and cash our tickets. Big Bernie, where are you going to put $250,000? Into your pockets? And where did you park your car?”
“I took a cab from the border,” he said. “I was planning on watching the Derby alone in my apartment. I really didn’t plan it out. But then, I thought it would be lonely, you know, winning all this money by myself. So, I woke up and headed across the border to watch and celebrate with…well, I was hoping to see you guys. I’ll drive back over the border with you. I don’t really want to get into a cab now with $250,000 on me…alone.”
Miami couldn’t believe it. “I only have a two-seater Z!” he said. “You can’t come with us! We have the suitcase that barely fits, and it’ll be full of money too! Let me go move my car while I figure this out.”
In the few minutes it took to move his car, Miami came up with a plan. He was eager to share it as soon as he got back to his friends. “Big Bernie, don’t cash your ticket. Just take a cab back to the border. You’ll be safe as long as they don’t see you cash the ticket.”
“OK. I trust you,” said Big Bernie. “Whatever you say.”
Miami now looked at Dino. “Go cash a $50,000 ticket. When they start paying you, I’ll go to the window down the line, and cash out for $100,000. Then you go to another window and cash the remaining $100,000. Put it in the suitcase and we’ll book it for the US border like bats out of hell.”
Dino was thinking about where to get the cash into the suitcase without making a scene.
Miami continued with his plan. “Big Bernie, I think you should leave us now. Once we have that kind of money on us, we are toxic to you. As soon as we leave the building, catch the first cab and get the hell back to the US. I’ll call you when we get back there tonight. Then I’ll help you with the attorney that will get you your check for your $1 million.”
Next, Miami called Camila over and paid his bill. She seemed afraid to be too near him now, but then whispered, “Be careful, Miami. They know you guys. Do not trust them.”
The hairs on the back of Miami’s neck went up when he heard this. Camila apparently knew more about what was going on than he thought, and her English was better than she let on.
He told Dino, “Go get the cash, Dino. Do it now!”
Dino went to a cashier’s window and told the teller, “I have a big Derby futures ticket to cash. I want $100 bills, please.”
The teller looked at the ticket, opened his mouth in a startled expression, and told him, “Un momento, por favor,” and left to go into the back room. Miami and Big Bernie were watching from the other side of the room.
Several minutes passed.
The older man with the gold tooth who had been there in January returned. He was wearing a cheap dark brown suit and burnt orange tie.
“Señor, you need to come back later,” said the man with the gold tooth.
“Later? When…like in an hour?”
“No…not today. Possible manaña.”
Dino’s voice rose much louder, “What the fuck are you talking about? Manana my ass. Look…the ticket says, ‘Winning Colors to win the 1988 Kentucky
