The $58,000 Five

On Saturday my friends and I had a syndicate for the Kentucky Derby. And that syndicate almost won $58,000. Let me explain.

Six of us each kicked in $50 towards a superfecta bet. We picked the six horses we thought most likely to win and we played them again plus three more horses who we then played again plus three more horses. So we had six picks over nine picks over 12 picks over the same 12 picks. It's actually a good system that if we hit would have paid $58,737.80 on Saturday.

The fly in our ointment was that we neglected to take the five horse - the filly Eight Bells who came in second. The five horse cost us $58,737.80. We had Dennis of Cork at 27-1 but not Eight Bells.

What happened to our syndicate was a miscalculation that was briefly bemoaned. What happened to Eight Bells was a tragedy. But honestly it was a tragedy that went largely unnoticed at the bar where I watched the race. We were awed by Big Brown's performance, we were concerned with who won the $50 pool and the $20 pool, we were concerned with ordering the rounds that come with the pool and we were concerned with flipping the channel over to the Red Sox pre-game. Most of us were aware that a horse was injured but maybe two people in the bar were aware of the details.

In the days since the Derby it is the story of Eight Bells that has dominated racing news. It is a compelling story. A horse goes from finishing second in the Kentucky Derby to being put down within minutes. Horse racing just as quickly went from being the sport of kings to a blood sport. The story is a tragedy but one aspect that has not gotten enough attention is the fact that this was jockey Gabriel Saez's first Kentucky Derby and now he'll have to carry the question of what role he played in Eight Bells death with him for the rest of his life.

Next year I'm guessing that our syndicate will carry the five horse in our picks for the Kentucky Derby no matter who it happens to be. Gabriel Saez will have to carry more weighty memories.