Horse Racing's Appeal--Unpredictable Upsets and Strategic Talent Management

Key Quotes

"english uh his uh uh british racing history happened this morning at exeter race course the highest priced winner in the history of british racing 300 to one uh in a in a hurdle race on a on a day when you couldn't really even see the racetrack because the rain was so bad the ground was so heavy but this horse uh whose name was a blowers uh he uh he'd only raced once in his life and he and he was pulled up and he turned the trick today at the tune of 300 to one"

This quote highlights an extraordinary event in British racing history: a 300-to-one horse winning a race under challenging conditions. The presenter, Bob Nastonovich, emphasizes the rarity and surprise of such an outcome, noting the horse's previous poor performance and the difficult visibility due to heavy rain.

"i would guess this was probably mid 90s and it was the last race of the day it was a two year old maiden claimer uh there's 12 in there and uh i was standing down by the shoot where they go onto the uh racetrack at churchill downs and and dean koots who never said a word to me in his life and i'm standing there looking at the looking at the horses and he looks over at me and winks and says watch this kid and i was like okay well i've never seen that before i've never seen that before but i'm going to go bet myself two to win and show you know and uh so i ran to the windows and and got the two to win and show came back out to the to the racetrack looked at the board and the horse was 99 to one"

Bob Nastonovich recounts a personal anecdote about a jockey, Dean Kootz, giving him a tip before a race. The jockey's unusual wink and instruction to "watch this kid" led Nastonovich to bet on a horse that was 99-to-one, illustrating a moment of unexpected insider information leading to a potentially significant payout.

"i mean you could see them you know running on turf and you know running through huge puddles and stuff like that but uh my the the greatest moment for me as a better in terms of mutual payoff was uh the late great minnesota and dean koots that that's a name you must know right dean koots the jockey yes yep we do have a dean koots memorial we have in the past and we do know that name well up here go on yeah he was a great guy and uh he rode a lot for pete vestal and uh i would guess this was probably mid 90s and it was the last race of the day it was a two year old maiden claimer uh there's 12 in there and uh i was standing down by the shoot where they go onto the uh racetrack at churchill downs and and dean koots who never said a word to me in his life and i'm standing there looking at the looking at the horses and he looks over at me and winks and says watch this kid"

Bob Nastonovich shares another anecdote, this time focusing on a memorable betting experience tied to jockey Dean Kootz. He describes Kootz's cryptic advice before a race, which prompted Nastonovich to place a bet on a horse that ultimately paid a significant mutual payoff, highlighting the thrill of unexpected wins in racing.

"i mean you know the favorites just go one two a little bit of a formful start to the day but i don't know if we'll see that trend continue you know we talked about it last week this time of year some strange things can happen and some big prices did come in uh pretty much right after that was brought up"

Angela Herman comments on the early race results, noting that favorites went one and two, suggesting a predictable start to the day. However, she expresses uncertainty about this trend continuing, alluding to the possibility of "strange things" and "big prices" appearing later, as discussed in previous shows.

"i mean you know the favorites just go one two a little bit of a formful start to the day but i don't know if we'll see that trend continue you know we talked about it last week this time of year some strange things can happen and some big prices did come in uh pretty much right after that was brought up it's funny you should mention that because english uh his uh uh british racing history happened this morning at exeter race course the highest priced winner in the history of british racing 300 to one"

Angela Herman observes that the day started with favorites winning, but questions if this pattern will hold. She then connects this to a previous discussion about unusual occurrences at this time of year, immediately followed by the mention of a 300-to-one winner in British racing, illustrating her point about unexpected outcomes.

"i mean you know the favorites just go one two a little bit of a formful start to the day but i don't know if we'll see that trend continue you know we talked about it last week this time of year some strange things can happen and some big prices did come in uh pretty much right after that was brought up it's funny you should mention that because english uh his uh uh british racing history happened this morning at exeter race course the highest priced winner in the history of british racing 300 to one uh in a in a hurdle race on a on a day when you couldn't really even see the racetrack because the rain was so bad the ground was so heavy but this horse uh whose name was a blowers uh he uh he'd only raced once in his life and he and he was pulled up and he turned the trick today at the tune of 300 to one"

Angela Herman notes that the day's racing began with favorites winning, but she anticipates this trend might not continue, referencing a prior discussion about the unpredictability of this season. She then immediately pivots to the remarkable 300-to-one winner in British racing, emphasizing how quickly unexpected events can occur, even in challenging conditions.