Here's the story: 1986 was the year I sold my interest in a Las Vegas radio station, KKLZ-fm. I had launched and operated for a few years; it had been a fun experience but a chance to return to San Diego and the relative ease of hosting a radio show with NO management responsibilities was just what the dilettante in me craved. Las Vegas housing was slumping and my daughters were in the middle of a school year so the decision was made that I would "commute" to San Diego until we could sell the house and the kids had finished school. Every Friday after wrapping up my show on KCBQ-fm I would hurry to the airport and jet back to Slotsville for the weekend. Airfares were relatively cheap in those days and the plan was working well.
At that time KCBQ employed a newsman, Jim Buckalew, who was a fulltime professor of journalism at San Diego State University. In those days radio stations had actual news departments with real live employees and Jim was one of the best in the biz, a real pro. Jim was also a major horse player who, as I recall, also taught a course in handicapping the ponies for a while at State. (Probably a more solid major today than journalism.) He was a regular at Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar and was known for his skill at picking winners. That year, 1986, Jim's enthusiasm for the "sport of kings" had extended to becoming a part owner of a racehorse named "Reason to Study", a moniker chosen for obvious reasons.
As Derby weekend approached, Jim came to me one afternoon and mentioned that his horse was to have his maiden race at Santa Anita on the day of the Derby. He was naturally excited and a little nervous as a first time owner and longtime handicapper. The horse looked to be going off at somewhere in the 20 to 1 price range, not terrific odds on any track. Nonetheless, Jim was proud and excited. On Friday he jammed a $100 bill into my hand and said, "I know you'll be going by a sports book in Vegas, could you please put this on my horse to "win"? I told him I'd be glad to and pocketed his $100.
Saturday morning I woke to a day of household chores like mowing the lawn and other "honey do" items and hurried to finish them so that I could get to a race and sports book before post time for Santa Anita. It was important to get Jim's bet down on time. When I finished mowing we headed for the Strip and began looking for parking at one of the major casinos. Derby weekend traffic hadn't figured into my timing equation and it was getting dangerously close to the wire as I circled the parking lot at Caesar's Palace. I looked at my wife and said something like, "You know, Jim's horse is a 20/1 shot he's never going to win. I'll just keep the $100 and give it back to Jim on Monday and he'll thank me for saving his money." Wisely, my wife said: "NO!" I drove a few blocks south and found a spot at The Marina, a major Las Vegas grind that has long since been blown to hell for the construction of the MGM Grand.
Naturally, "Reason to Study" won his maiden race and paid Mr. Buckalew more than $2000. Every year at this time I recall how close I came to not getting that bet in and how much it would have cost me if I hadn't. (I realize now that it's not nagging if she's right.)
I hear that Jim Buckalew lives in L.A. these days. I wonder who he likes in the Derby?
My pick? Gotta go with "I'll Have Another"--the name appeals to me on many levels and the price, roughly 12/1 as I write this, tantalizes my love of longshots and the day that "Reason to Study"came in at 20/1 in a maiden race at Santa Anita.
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| "I'll Have Another" gets ready for the Kentucky Derby |
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