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?