How do you cope with coming close?
 

I just ****ed myself today in Belmont's pick 6. I singled the Lemon Drop kid million dollar horse, and got another nightmare trip/ride. Then in the Met I leave off divine park instead going with Commentator and First Defence. Im just sick, i havent been able to shake this feeling yet. Had I just spent a few more dollars, id have $45k before taxes right now

Well, I had the Derby Day Pick 6 and nowhere to bet it. Hope that makes you feel better.

Sorry for your pain, but sounds like you did a nice job of handicapping as little consolation as THAT certainly is.

I've never had similar pain for 45K, but I have had similar pain for bets not made, or bets that could have seemingly been better made with a little tweak or hindsight.

I thought it was cold advice at the time, but my horse playing mother used to tout me after a horse I thought about betting....but didn't..... would win....

"Money not bet, usually wins," she said.


I had another friend who was a bowling team member who used to go to the track and say after a close loss, "well you've got to bet it to win it."

Of course in in bowling, he also had the saying, "you've got to hit it to get it."


Neither sentiment was heartwarming at the time.

But in years since, more than once the varied "advice" of years past helped me trivialize an "almost win," and move on to happy wagers on later days.

Every losing bet is an opportunity to learn something which sounds pretty lame but it is true. I have had some awful beats in this game for large sums of money with everything from breakdowns of winners in the deep stretch of P6's to the jockey trips of doom and defeat we all have had. In some cases it's about collecting more information, sometimes it is about using different tools, or maybe watching more film or studying and learning from angles that beat you that day for the future. You will never win every day but you can learn enough about the game, form cycles, and pedigree to make some money if your patient and smart. Just one old man's opinion...

The next time you do get a big hit, make a point to remember this time that you came so close and lost. It'll make the win that much sweeter.

Or you can drown your sorrows with Victorian poetry:

For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: “It might have been!”

I would suggest actually making the bet to give yourself an opportunity to cash.

Then again, 4 out of 6 isn't exactly close.

you weren't even close, nothing to feel bad about there. it would have taken more than a few more dollars in this case. just adding Divine Park alone makes it 50% more expensive. anyone that used First Defence really did not have a good read on that race.

I can somewhat understand using Commentator but if you used First Defence OVER Divine Park, you really shouldn't be over here WHINING.

There are people taking serious bad beats daily, with the best horse. Know what I mean?

CLOSE MY FAT ASS.

Ah, the fraternity of horseplayers. Warms the cockles of my heart.

ahh venom from a 2 dollar show bettor.

LOL... you couldn't be more wrong.

Yes he can. Look no further than his BC Pick 6 ticket.

Lord have mercy

I cope by moving on.

Just have to move on. My worst ever day was Gold Cup day at Ascot in 1988

Royal Gait gets disqualified from the Gold Cup and then in the last Ile de Chypre was allegedly sonic gunned by a pair of binoculars

whining about the jockey seems to help the most

What's that?

I always look at a race from first the handicapping perspective, then from a money management perspective. It's extremely rare when the latter gives me a problem, except if I going in with my partner (he tends to be concerned about budget, while I am not).

I make a very strong effort to learn, I make sure I do, I might even call people to discuss it (pro's that I know, clockers, handicappers, etc.) -- and then . . . I move on. Turn the page. Next race.

Eric

Smashing my keboard repeatedly on my desk and firing a wireless mouse into the wall is usually a good short term fix...

The Sonic Gun case was the incident at Royal Ascot when Ile de Chypre suddenly swerved and dumped G.Starkey yards from the finish when winning easily.

From what I can remember about a year or so later a defendent in a drugs trial alleged that he fired the "sonic gun" from a pair of binoculars.

I believe many tests were carried out -I think at Starkey's farm to try to fathom out whether this was truth or fantasy

Crazy - never heard of anything like that. . .

........what is a cockle???

Seattle, im sorry to hear your story it does leave such a bad taste in your mouth to be that close but like someone else said if you would have put another horse in, the cost of the ticket jumps up so much. I've done the same thing on some pk 4 tickets and was determined not to go over $50 and its cost me on 2 occasions. Not 45k but it was still big money to me. Good luck with the next go around.

try betting on a horse that just stands there when the gate opens....a loss like that might help you forget about only having 4 out of 6

I think you got your story mixed up.

The Lemon Drop Kid horse, Colonial Kid is an Edward Evans homebred and won the race.

The million dollar horse I think you're referring to is Les Antique by Kingmambo who closed for second.

I noticed that someone bet $5k on a 5 yr old first time starter at Turfway
the horse opens at 1/9. I was convinced he had no shot whatsoever

they opened the gates and the horse just stood there. they had to lead him out so they could move the gate.

the gate opened so they lost the bet.

I made a large bet ($20 to win) at Woodbine on a 7-1 shot that was the best on paper. The gates open, the horse goes to his knees, the jockey takes a header and that's all folks

other than that.. First Defence?
piling on but
no way - no how.

........or needing a horse to complete a decent pick 3, like the one that i had at h/p that broke down..... with like 50 yards from the wire while winning for fun.

It's called "Close but no Cigar" which translates to another losing ticket. We all have had many and I would recommend that you keep doubling up your bets till you hit a good one.

before you try your bs read whats actually been said. I had 4 of 6. I dont get you stupid ass ****ers who have nothing better to do than say stupid **** and attack people

The stunning return of Seattleallstar

well yeah when someone who tries to flame you and doesnt even have his **** together, deserves something like that

i get that. its just that you lamented losing one leg on a million dollar Lemon Drop Kid horse, a horse that wasn't sold for one million and who won the race.
not an attack, just wondering what you're talking about.

I thought he was referring to the Personal Ensign colt? lol

I loved First Defence. I thought the horse had a big shot. I wasn't expecting him to hook Commentator, who ran a nice race in defeat. Interesting that Divine Park is a Chester House(Tossaud) and First Defence is out of a Tousaud daughter. I would expect First Defence to be given a shot as a stallion and I think he could be better suited for grass. Perhaps Frankel will switch him over if he can't get a G1 on the dirt with him in the next few months?

First Defense is a decent Grade3 7 furlong horse. Racing a mile with a quicker horse like Commentator likely to set wicked fractions, in a grade 2 level race was pretty much an improbable task.
Frankel has done a nice job with him. The first impression of FD was that he was completely lacking any gameness, but it now appears that FD can be game at his level.

I bet that horse
could you see it's knees buckling the moment my $2 hit.

I'm confused your lamenting the fact that you were 4-6.... Tis part of horse racing. I bet a horse to win today and he got second, how do i cope with that... You have to take the wins with the losses, but i don't think that 4-6 is that close. Sure, if you use more horses you could have hit it, but i know from personal experience that most of bets are like that. You can't bet every horse.