Race Track Diary, Entry Number
Thirty-Three
33 – Billy Budd’s (May 30, 2026)
Introduction
This blog and some following blogs are sections from an informal diary of “visits to the race-track” at a particular time and place, by a person who has followed the races with varying levels of participation over a long period. These relate primarily to some visits to the track and/or off-track betting venues in the 2025 period and onward. They contain observations about the activity, both specific and general. Although these remarks are personal, they also reflect general cultural and historical trends, as they have impacted horse-racing, wagering and culture in general.
The setting is Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (population of about one million plus). However, I imagine that the observations would apply to many places in the world, as they are a reflection of how changing trends in technology, globalization and culture in general have affected this ancient and honourable activity of horse-racing.
For now, I will use what I call “polished point-form” for the narrative.
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I had to skip the previous weekend’s horseracing venture, as the need for gardening and related yard chores had become rather urgent at my place. In this neck of the woods, the tendency is for people to have their planting done by Victoria Day, which is generally around the 20th of May.
So, we got that done on time, only to have a minor late frost (only for a couple of hours, and only slightly below the freezing point temperature) descend on the area. It was looking bad for the begonias (they can’t handle much frost), but with tender loving care they recovered. Shortly thereafter, there came a minor heat wave, then torrential rains for a few days. But most of the flowers, tomatoes and potatoes seem to have survived the wildly varying weather conditions.
So much for the weather and garden report. Time to get back to racing!
This was another series of Saturday race-cards. I expected the place to be rather crowded, since there was an important World Cup semi-final hockey game on, Canada vs Finland. But that didn’t turn out to be the case.
It was the usual crowd with a few new people added to the group, a few women among them.
One voice arose from the crowd saying "I came here to gamble, man, so let’s get going!" Taking a cue from this fellow, lets jump right into the thoroughbred races at Santa Anita.
After working out my numbers for Race 1, there looked to be a couple of good picks, but I was too late to bet them. Good thing too, as they did nothing.
Race 2 only had six horses, two of which were scratched. Santa Anita, what is going on with you? Needless to say, I skipped that one. My top pick did place, but coming in second in a four horse field is no great betting opportunity.
For Race 3, I made a wager on the #1 horse, which not only came in dead last, but didn’t even seem to try. It just came out the gate, tucked in last, and ran a desultory race. Maybe sick, maybe should have been scratched? The winner was a 30-1 horse. Go figure.
Race 4 was a Maiden Claiming Fillies and Mares race; most of the horses had no past performances to speak of, so I gave it a pass. It included 5 year-old horses. If a horse hasn’t won by then, well, it seems doubtful.
In Race 5 I bet the #6 horse which rank ok for a while, then died. Some of the old yellers in the pub were shouting "Come on six! Come on Six! Son of a bitch". That’s more or less how I felt too.
For the 6th Race, I was planning to bet a "beer bet". That’s a bet guaranteed to make a small amount, so that I can have a beer (I have a rule not to partake of alcohol until I have won a bet). My horse did come in second (for a beer bet I will settle for show), but I was shut out. Alas, no beer for me.
At that point, I was not feeling good about Santa Anita, so I segued to the Woodbine-Mohawk bucket pullers. Had I bet these races, I would have finally picked a winner, though it would have just done slightly over breaking even for those races. So, basically the Santa Anita day was a washout. That said, shut-outs and a generally negative feeling towards the track that day meant that I only lost two races. For, for the record, some later calculations showed:
Santa Anita Race 7 – my preferred horse came in dead last
Santa Anita Race 8 – my preferred horse came in third in a 5 horse field. The morning line had him at 2-5 odds.
Santa Anita Race 9 – my preferred horse won, paying $6.40 to win.
Here are a few random general observations from the other horseracing fans in attendance:
The Canada-Finland hockey game didn’t seem to matter much to people. In fact, I don’t think it was on any of the screens. However that might be related to some sort of licensing agreements which don’t cover that tournament.
A group of people came in to bet, who were "Century Mile" folks (that’s the actual racetrack, located near the airport). But, they were upset with food prices there, if I am not mistaken:
One of the women chatting with another one. "$24 for 8 chicken wings and no fries! I won’t be going back there again!"
She should have taken a picture and put it on Facebook - that’s what people seem to do these days.
A couple of older guys discussing Jack Cartier and the exploration of the St. Lawrence River. Probably triggered by the name of some jockey or trainer. Then they segued into talking about the cartoon and song "The Logdriver’s Waltz" (which is very good, you can check it out on Youtube).
Another older guy chatting up the English lass waitress. He noted that her name is the same as (or similar to) one of the characters on the old Beverly Hillbillies TV show (Elly-Mae, I presume). She said she had never heard of the show. Different country, different age cohort, different era of popular entertainment.
The black fellow who is something of a regular was having a very bad day, with much low cursing and muttering. It can be tough, especially if you lose a lot of money. Later, he and another fellow recognized each other from some past betting at the Dover hotel. They chatted about that. It seemed to help his mood. Here’s hoping he made back some of his losses.
A couple of older guys, still big shooters, still a bit competitive:
A - "How are you doing?"
B - "Up $200".
A – "That’s great".
B - "How about you?"
A - "I’m up $260".
Now, on to the harness-races at Woodbine-Mohawk:
In Race 1, I bet show on the 6 horse, attempting to make my beer-bet. But Lady Luck was having none of it; the horse got beat in the stretch, though it took a photo to prove it, taking fourth place.
In Race 2, I was all set to beer-bet the #4 horse, but was shut out. It won, and paid a pretty good price to win, at $11.80.
For Race 3, I made my beer bet, a show bet on an even-money favourite. It didn’t run a great race, but did manage to catch third, so my beer bet was out of the way. I also hedged on a long-shot 6, which deserved its long odds, finishing in seventh place, 12 lengths behind the winner.
I cautiously put show money on the #6 horse in the 4th Race. It did manage to catch third, but didn’t pay much. However, I did step up my bet, so that helped a bit.
In Race 5, I took a flyer on a long-shot #1, but it didn’t come in.
For Race 6, feeling slightly optimistic, I bet win on the #6 horse, which was the favourite, but was still at 2-1. However it came in third. Craig and I got the triacta, but it was all chalk, so it paid a ludicrously low price. Still, a moral victory, I suppose.
In Race 7, I got lucky and was shut out.
In Race 8, I bet the #6 and lost. It had a decent kick in the stretch, going from 8 lengths back to 3, but too little too late.
In the 9th Race, Craig and I were alive to the Win-3. We needed either of the 2 favourite to come in, so we figured that we would pick up something, even if the price wasn’t great. But they both choked, with a couple of high-paying longshots coming in for first and second.
At that point we decided to pack it in. On the way out I bet show on the #6 in the 10th, 11th and 12th. I figured that post was due. And they did all come in, a first, second and third. However, they all came in at low prices. Still, a moral victory, of sorts.
In summary, it wasn’t a great day, but not a total washout. At Santa Anita I lost my two bets, but wisely skipped on four others. At Woodbine, I actually won 5 of 10 bets, but they were all short prices, so it was an overall loss.
At the end of the day, I had made a note to myself (after 5 beers, track and home):
"The day was a lesson. A lesson that there are days when you can’t win, but you can show, you can cut your losses and survive. And that is worth knowing."
Granted, it is kind of hokey. But sometimes reality is hokey.
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Below are some promos for a few short books that a horseplayer might enjoy:
On the Road with Bronco Billy
Sit back and go on a ten day trucking trip in a big rig, through western North America, from Alberta to Texas, and back again. Explore the countryside, learn some trucking lingo, and observe the shifting cultural norms across this great continent.
Amazon U.S.: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon U.K.: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Germany: http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B00X2IRHSK
Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00X2IRHSK
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What follows is an account of a ten day journey through western North America during a working trip, delivering lumber from Edmonton Alberta to Dallas Texas, and returning with oilfield equipment. The writer had the opportunity to accompany a friend who is a professional truck driver, which he eagerly accepted. He works as a statistician for the University of Alberta, and is therefore is generally confined to desk, chair, and computer. The chance to see the world from the cab of a truck, and be immersed in the truck driving culture was intriguing. In early May 1997 they hit the road.
Some time has
passed since this journal was written and many things have changed
since the late 1990’s. That renders the journey as not just a
geographical one, but also a historical account, which I think only
increases its interest.
We were fortunate to have an
eventful trip - a mechanical breakdown, a near miss from a tornado,
and a large-scale flood were among these events. But even without
these turns of fate, the drama of the landscape, the close-up view of
the trucking lifestyle, and the opportunity to observe the cultural
habits of a wide swath of western North America would have been
sufficient to fill up an interesting journal.
The
travelogue is about 20,000 words, about 60 to 90 minutes of reading,
at typical reading speeds.
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And here’s an account of some road trips in south-western Alberta:
A Selection of Back-Road Trips Around
Southwest Alberta
There are two main aspects to a road trip: the journey and the destination. Sometimes the trip is all about the journey, sometimes it’s all about the destination. Usually it is a little of both.
This collection of back-roads journeys feature a little bit of both of these aspects. Some accounts are more about the ‘journey’, such as a road trip on scenic Highway 22. Others are more about the ‘destination’, such as the show-jumping at Spruce Meadows. I hope you will enjoy reading some of these accounts and maybe give them a spin for yourself.
Southwest 1 – A Road Trip on Scenic Highway 22
Southwest 2 – The Equestrian Competitions at Spruce Meadows (Calgary)
Southwest 3 – The Bar U Ranch, south of Long View
Southwest 4 – Kananaskis Country
Southwest 5 – Blackfoot Crossing
Southwest 6 – Back-roads, from the Prairies to the Foothills: Brazeau Dam Trip
Southwest 7 – A Back-roads Trip to Hinton and the Forestry Trunk Roads
The reader may wonder “what about the Ice-fields Parkway?” or “where is a visit to Banff?” I would answer, that these famous destinations are covered very nicely by other books. This account is meant to focus on some less travelled areas, thus the “back-roads” descriptor.
I should note that the other three quadrants of Alberta also have a lot of interesting back-roads journeys, but those are material for some other books which will be published in due time.
Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon U.K: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DCMJP47G
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DCMJP47G
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A Dark Horse
In “A Dark Horse”, a gambler’s desire to hit a big win seems to lead him to make a Faustian bargain with a supernatural evil. Or is it all just a string of unnaturally good luck?
The story is just $0.99 U.S. (equivalent in other currencies) and about 8000 words. It is also available on Kindle Unlimited and is occasionally on free promotion.
U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MDMY2BR
Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01M9BS3Y5
Here’s an interesting review from Goodreads
(BTW, the writer has never met the reviewer and was not even aware of the review until very recently – You can look up the review on Goodreads, if you like)
A Dark Horse
Every gambler is
bound to run out of luck eventually, right?
By far my
favourite type of horror is psychological horror. I was quite pleased
with how Mr. Olausen frightened his audience without spilling a
single drop of blood or so much as hinting at anything gory. He knew
exactly what hints to drop for us that made us deliciously dread the
next scene simply by throwing out hints about who or what the dark
horse might actually represent. This is the kind of stuff I love
getting scared by, especially as Halloween approaches.
It
would have been helpful to have more character development in this
short story. While I certainly wouldn’t expect to see as much time
spent on this as I would for a full-length novel, I did have trouble
connecting to the main characters due to how little I knew about them
and how much their personalities seemed to remain the same no matter
what happened to them. If not for this issue, I would have felt
comfortable choosing a much higher rating as the plot itself was well
done.
I must admit to not knowing much about gambling at
all, so I appreciated the brief explanations the narrator shared
about how placing bets works and why some people have so much trouble
walking away from a bet. While I will leave it up to experts on these
topics to say how accurate everything was, I did enjoy learning more
about the main character’s addiction and what he hoped to gain from
betting on just one more game or race. It gave me a stronger sense of
empathy for folks in his position.
A Dark Horse – A
Gothic Tale was a deliciously chilling story for the Halloween season
and beyond.
