A Day at the Races

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than at the horse races? Port Louis has a racetrack within walking distance from the marina and Jon and I, accompanied by our two friends and new crew members who are going to sail with us to South Africa, Keith and Geert, spent a day at the races. We were joined with our new friends from Small Nest and Blauwe Penguin. Small nest is from Belgium and Wilem and Heike have three children aboard. Blauwe Pengquin, or Blue Penguin, is from Holland and is owned by a young couple, Ben and Anika.

Is this my winner?

For me, it was a new experience. Though I have been to many rodeos in my day, I had never been to a horse race. I had never bet on an animal. There were eight races over the course of the afternoon and I watched carefully as our friends placed their bets. Knowing nothing about the sport, I wondered how to chose. Do you pick the horse whose name you like best, or is it the jockey's name, or is it the jockey's colors? They had a book with all sorts of information about the horse's weight, past 5 performances, and how the horse was favored, but it still seemed like guessing to me. The favorite did not always win.

Jon and Keith do the analysis.

Our friend Keith, however, used to work at a race track in his youth in Cape Town, South Africa. More importantly, he definitely knows the laws of probability and how to play the odds. He and Jon would bet "in the middle," that is, they would not bet on the favorite because its pay off would be the least. Nor would they bet on the long shots because, although their payoffs would be greatest, they were very unlikely to win or place. Keith and Jon also often bet to place rather than win, which paid off less, but meant they often enjoyed the thrill of "winning." That said, the minimum bet was 100 rupees, which is less than $3.50 and so their winnings combined would not have bought either one of them dinner.

Geert, with reporters notepad in hand

Our friend Geert, a journalist and novelist, looked upon this as an opportunity for social observation and to gain insights into the life of our lovely island. Because he was wearing long pants, Geert was allowed into the paddock area where the horses are gathered and readied before each race. He was a roving reporter, also covering the action on the grounds, the stands, and behind the stands where the bets are placed. Eventually Geert joined us spectators and placed a bet as well. He is keeping his results secret, so we assume he was not so lucky.

The three children of Small Nest took a different strategy. They always bet on the long shots in the hopes of "winning big." Though they consistently lost their bets, they never gave up hope nor their enthusiasm for the next race. Eventually, their optimism paid off. The last race of the day, when many people had already left, they placed their bet on a long shot, horse number 8. When the starting gates were released and the horses were heading toward the first turn, number 8 was dead last. Without binoculars, which we sailors all have but forgot to bring with us to the track, we could not follow the race very well when the horses were on the opposite side, but as they turned the last corner and came into the "home stretch," the excitement built as we cheered for our horse. The race was close, but one horse was closing in on the favored leader....it was number 8. By the time they approached the finish line, number 8 won by a nose.  These kids were beyond ecstatic, they had finally won a BIG payoff, about 1800 rupees for a 100 bet.

As for me, I placed bets on two races. One was based on liking the horse's name. The other was based on going for the long shot win in the last race. I bet big, for me, on two horses. Number 7 to win and number 9 to place. So close to number 8, but I came up empty. It was with accurate foresight that I kissed my money goodbye when I placed my bets with the cashier. He laughed, and so did I. So I was not a winner, but I had a winning day.