Race Track Diary, Entry Number Forty-
six – Century Mile and Billy Budd’s
(Sep 20, 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.
======================================================================
46 – “The Library” (Continental Inn) (Sep 20, 2026)
There was a rather long break in the action, due to unexpected developments, namely an accident that someone close to me experienced (my wife, actually). That necessitated much worry and many hospital visits. It was also a reminder of what really matters in life. Activities like horse-racing or golf are great, but they pale in significance when someone close to you is in jeopardy, whether by accident or some other medical misfortune.
However that person was now recovering nicely, so my brother and I decided to make a brief foray to an off-track betting room during one sunny afternoon. I decided that there was no point moping about the house forever. The accident victim concurred and encouraged me to ‘just go ahead and bet on your horsies’.
This is a place in the west end that Craig jokingly refers to as “the library”, as it is a venue where older gentlemen quietly contemplate the horse-races.
While there, we met up with Teddy, an old friend of Craig’s, who is an extremely enthusiastic horse player. He was not quite so quiet as the other gents in the pub.
For much of the time we were there, his horses were not playing nice, which had him in some audible distress. However, at the end of the day, he hit on a big win ticket, backed up by a big place ticket and an exactor, so that improved his mood considerably. That was good to see.
We were only visiting for a short time and the harness races at Woodbine/Mohawk didn’t start until late in the afternoon, so I advance bet those races. That involves punching one’s picks into the betting machines far before the races begin, then going home to do other things.
Teddy asked if I would watch the races at home, on the internet. I said “no, I will check the results tomorrow.” He was surprised by my equanimity in such matters. But I replied that I see this as more of an intellectual challenge and an opportunity to put my data science skills to use, than as gambling per se. He accepted that, though with some amazement, I suspect.
I should note that I bet the top-ranked horse from my ROI model. This is a model that is optimized for return on investment (ROI) rather than straight win percentage. Advance betting meant that I couldn’t adjust my betting as the odds on each horse changed before the race. It also meant straight win bets on this occasion.
Anyway, here are my results for the races at Woodbine/Mohawk.
In the First race, I bet the #2 horse, which went off at better than 20-1 odds. It finished in 5th place, which is not too surprising given those odds. As I mentioned above, the system is optimized for ROI, so betting on the occasional long-odds horse is part of the system.
In the Second race, I bet the #8 horse, which came in second by a length. It went off at 19 to 1 odds, and paid $12.50 on each $2 bet to place. So that was pretty close.
In the Third, I bet the #6 horse, at 41 to 1. It finished in 6th place, well back by over 10 lengths.
In the Fourth race, I bet the #4 horse. It came in fourth, four lengths off the winner. That was a 40 to 1 shot.
In the Fifth race, I finally got a winner, though its odds were only a bit over even money. It paid $4.30 to win on each $2 bet. Depending on the competition in the race, this ROI system will sometimes pick a relatively low-odds horse. And, of course, at the time that the data is entered it is impossible to know what the final odds on any given horse will be.
In the Sixth race, I got another winner (#1 horse), which paid $7.60 on each $2 bet. It won quite handily, by 2 lengths, running in the front for the last half of the race. Interestingly, it ran out of the one-hole, a post I prefer to avoid. Sometimes playing a system diligently gets you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. In this case it was a good thing.
In Race 7, I bet the #4 horse, which went off at 28 to 1, and placed fourth.
In the Eighth, I bet #4 again, which came in second, a couple of ticks back from the winner. The horse went off at over 100 to 1, so talk about agonizingly close. For place, it paid $57.40.
In Race 9, I bet the #1 horse. It went off at 12 to 1 and came in fourth.
In the Tenth, I bet the #5 horse. Though its odds were only 9 to 2, it did nothing, finishing next to last, 10 lengths behind the winner.
Finally, in the 11th Race I got another winner, this one paying $11.50 to win. It had a very good stretch run, nipping the lead horse at the wire, by a head. So, I guess I was saved by the cavalry.
In summary, it was a fair day, with my horses doing a bit better than breaking even, winning 3 out of 11 bets, at pretty good odds. . In percentage terms, it was a 6.4% return on investment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Zoo Hypothesis
We
present a story giving a possible scenario for the so-called Zoo
Hypothesis, an explanation known in Star Trek lore as the Prime
Directive. It’s an explanation sometimes given to account for a
mystery in the Search for Intelligent Life, known as The Great
Silence, or Fermi’s Paradox.
Basically, Enrico Fermi argued (quite convincingly, to many observers), that there had been ample time for an alien intelligence to colonize the galaxy since its formation, so where are they? The Zoo Hypotheses says that they are out there, but have cordoned off the Earth from contact, until we are sufficiently evolved or culturally advanced to handle the impact of alien contact.
This story takes a humorous tongue in cheek approach to that explanation. It also features dogs and sly references to Star Trek. Talk about man’s Best Friend.
It is only 99 cents U.S., equivalent price in other currencies. It is also available on Kindle Unlimited and is sometimes on a free promotion.
Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon U.K.: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B076RR1PGD
Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B076RR1PGD
A Selection of Back-Road Trips Around
Southeast 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 Drumheller, via the Backroads of Central Alberta. Others are more about the ‘destination’, such as the Viking Ribstones. The collection even includes a train trip, on the historic Alberta Prairie Railroad, which strictly speaking isn't a back-road trip but rather a back rail-road trip. I hope you will enjoy reading some of these accounts and maybe give them a spin for yourself.
Southeast 1 – Stettler Train Trip – Living History on the Alberta Prairie Railway
Southeast 2 – Viking Rib Stones – Indigenous Heritage and Tradition
Southeast 3 – Drumheller, via the Backroads of Central Alberta
Southeast 4 – Cypress Hills – An Island on the Prairie that Escaped the Ice Age
Southeast 5 – On the Road with Bronco Billy, A Trucking Journal – Southern Alberta Section
Southeast 6 – A Back-road Trip to Bittern Lake and Lake Miquelon Provincial Park
Southeast 7 – A Back-roads Trip to Rochon Sands, Buffalo Lake Provincial Park
The reader may wonder “what about the Tyrell Dinosaur Fossil Museum?” or “where is a visit to the Calgary Stampede?” 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 Southwest and Northern Alberta also have a lot of interesting back-roads journeys, but that is material for some other books. The southwest collection is available now on Amazon, the northern excursions will be published in due course.
Just $1.99 on Amazon, or free if you have Kindle Unlimited. It is also periodically on free promotion.
Amazon U.S.: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon U.K: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Germany: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon France: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Spain: https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Italy: https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Netherlands: https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Brazil: https://www.amazon.com.br/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Mexico: https://www.amazon.com.mx/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon India: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
Amazon Australia: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DCWCCTKC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment