Racing Form

CLE is annoying and costly. CLE is the Pennsylvania continuing legal education requirement for practicing attorneys. Each year there is a 1 1/2 day seminar in Hershey,PA that affords an opportunity to bang out 7 of the needed 12 credits in one shot. This seminar is in my specialty so it works out well.

It also affords the sportsman a chance to hit the Racetrack. After the afternoon seminar and dinner with colleagues, I headed to Penn natinal racetrack...about a 20 minute drive from Hershey. Their racing card started early so I was only able to catch one race, but I knew I could throw some dice in the casino after the track went dark...there is a fairly nice casino attached to Penn National.

Featured above is the pay-out for the last race. having arrived with about 12 minutes to post time, I grabbed a Racing Form and studied the entries for the last race. The number 3 horse looked attractive and had past performances that showed him driving hard in the final stretch of his last races. He also carried a nice price at 12-1 and a quality Jockey. He looked game in the paddock as well. Now, betting at these 2nd rate tracks is always hit or miss and that is what makes the bigger pay-offs both attractive and possible. When a handicapper scans the Racing form for a big Grade I race...all the entries look so good it is hard to chose.

The 3 horse had a moniker that appealed to my Germanic heritage and my one-time semi-fluency in the language. Arriving at the window I told the gray haired gentleman at the terminal: " 5 across on number 3."

My 12 ounce cup of draft Yeungling and I went out to the rail to await the start. After a fairly good jump from the gate, No. 3 settled into the mid-pack. At the top of the Clubhouse turn he put on the jets and moved to the front. I spilled my beer cheering and Willkommen crossed the line in first by about a length. The $15.00 bet paid $111.00. Not a huge pay-off but I was elated at a one and done track victory.

I took the winnings to a $5.00 crap table...made a few passes including a sweet point on 6 with a diouble 3 with money on the hard-way. I sensed the table going cold after the next 2 shooters stunk up the joint so I de-camped and found a seat at Blackjack. After an hour or so of good and bad hands, and a few nice double down 21's on a 10...I left with a very healthy stack of chips, cahsed in at the cage and called for the car from the valet. Like my Grandad always said..."try to get out a winner."