The Short Shot

The short shot travelled less than any other thing I've bet on at the race track. Perhaps less than two centimeters into my upper right arm. The bet was of course that the first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine would be effective in keeping Covid-19 at the door and prove to be the perfect setup for the second shot three weeks from yesterday.

Because yesterday I went to Aqueduct race track in South Ozone Park Queens, walked out with as much money as I walked in with—pretty much a rare day at the track—having bet no money but still coming out ahead. There aren't many days like that at the track ever.

It all started when my oldest daughter Nancy secured a reservation several weeks ago for me to get my first Covid shot at Aqueduct yesterday at 11:00 a.m. The long-awaited day dawned; the weather was clear, the track was fast and the turf was firm, and the traffic was light on the way to the races.

Once inside I took one look at the place and told the National Guardsman that I loved what they did with the place. They actually got people to go there. The parking lot was somewhat full, there were backsides in the chairs, and everyone was looking at the flat panel TVs or reading the literature that was handed out. The only thing missing was John Imbriale announcing the changes for the day. But it was early. Just wait, if you can.

There would be racing at Aqueduct yesterday, and today, but not Easter Sunday. The porous tarps were  removed from the two turf courses and the grass was Augusta Masters green. At 1:30 the first race was due to go off in front of no patrons other than those who were there connected to racing ownership, riding, training and broadcasting, and those connected to administering Covid-19 shots. It might have been the first time at the races that injections were being given out in the open.

The odd thing about being there was that I wasn't going to stay. I had no set of marked up past performances with me. No program. After waiting 15 minutes to make sure I had no immediate negative reaction to the vaccine, my daughter and I left at 11:15. I told her I'd be watching the racing from Aqueduct later on FS1 or FS2, joining Maggie Wolfendale, Richard Migliore, Andy Serling and Greg Wolfe do a better than decent job at presenting the day's card at Aqueduct, and whatever tracks are in on the simulcasting.

They are a good broadcasting quartet, and even Andy Serling is tolerable when he's showing off his deep memory and not giving you some ridiculous horse to play because the "price is right." Listen to Andy long enough and you realize that no horse has the right price and that whatever odds are on the horse he might like he doesn't like the odds.

Richard Migliore, a former jockey mostly at NYRA tracks, is a fountain of inside information about the game. He is a gem. Discussing the unveiling of the two turf courses yesterday, The Mig informed us that grass grows when the temperature is above 51°. All the homes with all the lawns I ever moved I never knew this.

Maggie gets a little excited over a horse's conformation, looks, weight, muscle mass, blinkers, bridle, hoof size that I can never translate what she's saying into actionable betting advice. I just listen. She's knowledgeable, but I'm in the wrong classroom.

Greg Wolfe ties them all together as the anchor and keeps the divergent personalities polite and not antagonistic toward each other. They are a happy family.

Once home, and absorbing all the opinions, did I make any bets? No. I liked Paris Lights in the featured Distaff, but the straight odds were low, and I didn't know enough to make an informed exacta bet. I let it go.

Paris Lights won a nicely run race from a small, but highly competitive field, but only paid $4.60 to win; 13-10 odds. The price wasn't right for my small wager.

But, a day at the races was successful. I lost no money, picked a winner, and got vaccinated at no cost to myself or my health plan.

I should always be so lucky.

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