How'd you make out KC? I only bet ponies during Triple Crown or if I'm at the track or off-track parlor.

elrod817 said:

How'd you make out KC? I only bet ponies during Triple Crown or if I'm at the track or off-track parlor.

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It's a long day for us elrod, up early 6'ish, and leave around 9, it's a 2 hour drive from Boston down there.
Something I noticed in the past few years, are the European horses do better than the American horses turf surface, and it has something to do with the 'give' of the turf and racing mostly on it, and when they had the event at a track with the artificial surfaces the give of that gave them an advantage over the harder dirt surface.
So, I started doing what I called 'my nitwit bets', $2 to Win on every long shot 12/15 to 1 or more. There are so many horses in these stakes races, and many that are good, just get good odds.
Last year I made over $300. on those bets alone with Court Vision once again showing up big for a stakes race. iirc went off around 80 to 1.
This year, along with playing daily doubles, a couple of pick 3's, and a few horses across the board W/P/S, I had one win leading to the 6th race on the card. and also Santa Anita went back to the dirt track, after having one of the artificial. Started winning with the 6th 8th 9th 10th 11th races. A Daily Double 8th/9th paid just under $90, and the other 4/5 bets averaged $25. long and short of it, I broke even. it's always a good time though, eat and smoke cigars, while handicapping.
I will be wait for the Kentucky Derby....the rest of my pals go almost every week. too often for me.

Nice KC! Breaking even and enjoying yourself is still a win in my book. Glad to hear you had a good time. I actually was at an event the other day that you would've enjoyed. Cigars International opened up a new spot in Hamburg, PA. Huge, huge store. Cigars galore, two levels with a bar on each floor, outside seating, an outside amphitheater for concerts in nice weather...just a really nice facility. Anyway they had their grand opening on Saturday and since they're keeping two of our beers on tap, I was there for the ceremony and treated like a king which was cool. Neatest thing about it was they had a dude from Nicaragua hand rolling cigars on the spot. It was an A.J. Fernandez blend and A.J. was actually there too. Great time, and after my dad, you were the second person I thought of when I was thinking of people who would really dig the store and the grand opening event in general.

elrod817 said:

Nice KC! Breaking even and enjoying yourself is still a win in my book. Glad to hear you had a good time. I actually was at an event the other day that you would've enjoyed. Cigars International opened up a new spot in Hamburg, PA. Huge, huge store. Cigars galore, two levels with a bar on each floor, outside seating, an outside amphitheater for concerts in nice weather...just a really nice facility. Anyway they had their grand opening on Saturday and since they're keeping two of our beers on tap, I was there for the ceremony and treated like a king which was cool. Neatest thing about it was they had a dude from Nicaragua hand rolling cigars on the spot. It was an A.J. Fernandez blend and A.J. was actually there too. Great time, and after my dad, you were the second person I thought of when I was thinking of people who would really dig the store and the grand opening event in general.

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Yes, that's how we look at it too. up 25/50 to down 25/50 is a break even day.
CI has a store in Bethlehem, Pa. so this is a new one closer to you in Lancaster? We ordered from CI for a many years up until 2/3 years back. Switched to Best Cigars as some of the ones we order would be given free shipping on entire order. Now this year a place down in Stuart, Florida Cigar Place has even lower prices on the cigars we order....

But what you did, that sure sounds like a great time, able to smoke and have beers,
and isn't that an art form being able to hand roll cigars. Yeah AJ Fernandez, I have smoked previously. Nicaraguan cigars are a favorite,

I hope your dad is well and with you. I miss those days having a beer and cigar with my dad, while he had his VO and ginger and cigs, all the while telling non stop jokes. Same with Uncle Jumbo, cigar in mouth puffing away, non stop talking baseball.

Yeah...the original CI is in Bethlehem I believe and also where corporate is too. The one in Hamburg might be a tad closer to Lancaster, but I was simply there to promote the brewery. I think the store in Bethlehem has beer from another PA brewery, however, if they had ours that would also be in my territory.

I think Cigar Place is the one my old man told me about...

Not much better than shooting the shit with your dad while enjoying a cocktail and a cigar is there? Pops is still with me, thankfully, however he does live about eight hours away so the time we do spend is much more limited than I'd prefer.