(Matt - Bumped to the front.)

Back in the mid 80’s, when I was just a young buck, I often played the ponies at my home track at Northlands Park in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. This was back in the day before casinos and slots when horse racing was the only game in town.

Back then, the new wager was the Pick 4 and pools usually climbed upwards of $80,000 – which was a considerable amount for a 5/8 mile track and in an era before simulcasting.

In the 25 years since then, I’ve forgotten many a wager and many wins and losses – but never the horse that caused me more grief and heartbreak than any other horse before or since.

“Roses For Classy” was a good allowance/minor stakes horse that usually raced in the feature race during the summertime.

Now, keep in mind that I was only 18 or 19 at the time, so any win was huge – and the chance to cash some large Pick 4 wagers meant a lot. Nights out, maybe something for the car, rent?

Roses For Classy would have none of it.

It started when I left out Classy in the last leg of the Pick 4 and backed a couple of other decent contenders. When three decent priced horses won the first three legs – I was looking at a score of 2 or 3 grand. Huge. Classy won – I lost.

A few weeks later (Horses ran more often back then) – I was determined not to let Classy beat me again and promptly included her on my ticket. Alive again to last race, Classy lost and I lost too.

Next time, again alive to the last leg, I left Roses For Classy off the ticket and watched her fly home, keying a 2 grand Pick 4 and leaving me out once again.

Naturally – Classy wasn’t done. For the fourth time in one summer, I was alive in the Pick 4 and had her on the ticket. Again she lost. So did I.

Four Pick 4’s. Four Losses. All done in by one horse. To this day when I get beat in a race I still occasionally mutter to myself “Roses For Classy” . Twenty Five years later. Horse players never forget.

Do any of you guys have a horse nemesis?