Betting on Horses – Dawn Lupul

January 4, 2020January 4, 2020

Predicting the Future

Rain, sun, or both? 50-50 chance – take the umbrella and then it won’t matter

If you had the ability to see what was going to happen, would you want it? I think it would be an advantage in so many ways, but at the same time a curse.

For one thing, I don’t want to know when people around me are going to die. I definitely don’t want to know when I am going to be leaving. Knowing other things though would be quite useful.

I would like to know what the weather is going to be like so I can plan accordingly. The weatherman always sounds like he knows what he’s talking about. Then you get rained on when he said it was going to be sunny and you wonder if he is just guessing.

Kind of like handicappers I guess.

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020

The Racetrack World

A beautiful sight – the crowd enjoying Queen’s Plate at Woodbine Racetrack

I consider myself fortunate. I was six years old when racehorses became a part of my life.

My earliest memories include running around the tarmac at Northlands Park in Edmonton, picking up tickets that bettors had thrown away. My brother and I used to run all over the place, never being told not to and enjoying the freedom to do whatever we wanted.

The backstretch where the horses were stalled was always a source of fascination for me. I loved seeing the horses there, relaxing or eating or flat-out sleeping. It was always comforting to hear them munching away on hay, with the sunlight streaming in through the open doors and the whole place smelling like heaven.

At least to me it smelled like heaven.

January 2, 2020January 2, 2020

Betting On Me

Seven is a lucky number – one of many for me

It was early, the night’s velvet darkness still keeping the morning light at bay, and I was just waking up. My eyes were barely focusing after a long night of sleep. Excitement suddenly gripped me as I remembered that there was a race the night before, and our horse had a good chance to win. I forced my sleepy eyes to work so I could see if it was there on my night table.

It was. Joy surged through me as I saw the small stack of money sitting beside my radio. Success! Another winning effort and the spoils that came with it. I felt richer than anyone in the world.

I was also six years old. My parents always put $2 across on our horses for me, and I am so thankful for that and what it did to help make me who I ended up becoming.