By: Chuck Miller
The $20 Junior Challenge,

The $20 Junior Challenge – Race 5

Last week, our intrepid harness horse Pay Me To Knight (also known around the stable as “Junior”) came in second in his race at Saratoga Harness, only a whisker behind a speedster known as Yucatan Party Man, who won at 13-1 odds.

Well, this Sunday the two horses will have a rematch in the 10th race at the harness track. Yucatan Party Man will be Horse #3, while Junior will take the #4 spot. The handicappers gave Junior a 3-1 morning line, but none of the handicappers seem to think he’ll finish in the top four today.

I tell you, the disrespect this horse gets is just mind-numbing. 😀

Well … he gets respect from me. $20 on his nose to win the race. Let’s see how it plays out.

When the 10th race came around, Junior’s 3-1 morning line odds dropped down to even money. Of course, now I’m thinking, “Jeez, Chuck, if you put $20 on his nose in the morning, you’re affecting his odds in the afternoon.”

I’d say that now, but this isn’t 1967 with the odds fluctuating with tout sheets and pen and paper. We’re in the computer generated and produced year of 2024. Besides, I only put $20 on his nose. It’s not like I put $20,000 on his nose.

I gotta think positive. He almost won last week. Then I remind myself that “almost” only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and birth control. And at post time, Junior is set at 2-1 odds.

The race is off. And they go around the first turn in pole position, with Junior in 4th place, just two lengths behind Yucatan Party Man, with Bluffiner and DuckDodgenDive battling for the lead. But then the Yucatan Party Man ran out of party, and at the half Junior turns on his oatburners and marches up to the lead. He takes over at the final turn, and then just leaves the other seven horses staring at his tail.

Okay. Let’s wait … make sure the results are official.

And Junior finished with $6.30 on a $2 ticket … or in my case, $63.00 on a $20 ticket. And I’m now $10 to the positive on my bankroll. WHOOPEE!!

All right. Let’s see how Junior does next week.

This is good.