Best racing tip or contact you ever had?

[rontheman1964]

What is the best tip on a horse or the best racing connection you ever had?

In the 90's my brother was a manager of a pizza place in Omaha. He notices an order with the last name of a pretty "big time" trainer at Ak-Sar-Ben at the time. He tells the kid in pick-up to come get him when the people come to get this pizza. Sure enough, one of the younger sons ,Donnie, is there for the pizza. My brother introduces himself and tells the guy he is a racing fan and the pizza in on the house that night. Donnie is very grateful and says, "Here's my phone number. Give me a call when you're going to the races and I'll tell you if I like anything."

Hmmm, how often do you take advantage of an offer like this?

Well, we called that weekend. Donnie gives us one of their horses and he wins as the favorite.

About a week later. My brother calls me at school and says Donnie gave him 2 of his horses that day. They are in the 1st and 2nd races. I leave early, bet some big doubles and some money on the horse in the 1st. He wins in a cakewalk at 5-1. I feel strangely confident with my daily double wager. The horse breaks on top and increases his margin until he coasts home the easiest of winners.

It all culminates when my brother calls where I am on rotation and they page me on the intercom. I get the call and he tells me Donnie gave him a horse in the feature race. The meet is about to end and we think the goose who lays the golden eggs will be out of our lives forever. I am supposed to be at me rotation site up to when I would miss the race. What to do??? I went to my supervisor and told him the truth. The page was my brother calling me with a tip on a horse from a trainer friend of ours. If I were to make the race I would have to leave early. The guy looks at me puzzled and says "I know this must be the truth because it sounds too goofy to be a lie. Sure go ahead." I offered to take a bet for him but he said these things never work out for him.
I stop by the bank and get some money for my last bet from "The Pizza Man". I get there and find my brother and our neighbor. I bet $500 on the nose on his horse (again the favorite.) The horse stumbles and goes down to his nose at the break. The jockey somehow stays in the saddle, gathers him up, and patiently works his way into contention. He goes about 4 wide on the turn and blitzes down the middle of the stretch all the while whipping the horse. (Apparently the barn must have backed this horse as well.) The horse wins in a very tight photo and we are ecstatic as we cash our tickets.

We had received a total of 8 horses from "The Pizza Man" - each from his or one of his family members barns - and 7 of them won. The other ran second.

Sorry for the long post. It was amazing what we received for the price of one pizza. Does anyone else have similar stories?