Though it doesn’t happen often, there are rarified circumstances where I flirt with shouldering a thoroughbred racehorse with a majority of my bankroll. In fact, leading up to this year’s Pacific Classic (the 1 ¼ mile feature event on Del Mar Racetrack’s calendar), I felt myself falling under a spell of equine lust so potent that a pair of ATM transactions were necessary. Now while some might attest that it is foolhardy to wager a dime (that’s gambling slang for $1000) while under the thumb of a stagnant economy, money is nothing more than a tool destined to be wielded in the circles where I conduct commerce.

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There is an ancient axiom in thoroughbred racing that states, “Weight can stop a freight train.” In an effort to paint the proper illustration, I’ll now reference a one-mile contest run at Aqueduct Racetrack earlier this year. Soon after the break, a horse to the inside veered left, smashed into the rail and dislodged his rider. The field scooted well clear as the fractious entry attempted to regain balance but, by the time a proper gait was located, ten lengths separated our straggler from the pack’s rear racer.

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