Published: May 05, 2008 09:37 am            

All bets are on!

Off-track betting offers hometown Derby experience

By Sean Bailey | Staff Writer

Even after “the most exciting two minutes in sports” came to a close for 2008, Corbin Off-Track Betting was filled to near capacity with people either celebrating their big win, shaking their heads in defeat, or pouring over their bets, trying to calculate their winnings. The place was buzzing with noise and cheers.

But then a man stood up in the crowd gripping his cell-phone and announced to the crowd that, “Second-place winner, the filly, Eight Belles, was just euthanized at the track.”

Gasps were heard through out the building.

“That is a shame. If it’s true, it’s just horrible,” Larry Koler of Tennessee said.

Eight Belles was euthenized after breaking both her front ankles.

Koler has raised and owned horses all his life, totaling “50 or so through all those years.” He splits his time between raising horses in Kentucky and cows on his farm in Tennessee with his son. Horses are his passion, but the uncertainty of the horse business is something that he’s quick to point out.

Koler held up a paper with all the horses’ odds and said, “This paper will tell you everything, except there is one thing wrong with the horse racing business ... something, one thing, can happen and change everything.”

The uncertainty of the horse business has forced Koler to take on other jobs to make a living. He says that he respects his fellow “race trackers,” that is people who race horses, to a high degree.

“If you were going to go to war, if you had the choice of who you wanted to be with, because that person could bring you through it, it’d be a racetracker,” Koler said, “They are very, very unique people and very strong. They’d feed their horse before they’d feed themselves if they had to.”

Before the race, Koler put his money on Colonel John to win, and Eight Belles to take second. Koler was happy to win some money on Eight Belles, but her death was “very sad” to him.

Emma Trosper of London is a Kentucky Colonel and a descendant of one of Kentucky’s first settlers. She made her own Derby hat for the event and picked Colonel John based on his stats and past races.

Another Colonel John fan picking him to win the roses was Sonny Elswick.

Calling Elswick a mere fan of Colonel John may be a bit of an understatement.

“I was there when he was a little colt, you couldn’t do much with him, but I saw him when he was real little ... I’ve watched every race he’s had. I’m not a big gambler,” Elswick said, “but I put quite a bit of money on him because I’m sort of emotionally attached.”

After the race Elswick said he was a bit disappointed, but remains a Colonel John fan.

It seemed that Eight Belles had a strong female following, at least at Off-Track Betting in Corbin and with certain presidential candidates.

Tina Davis of Corbin said she and her female friends and family chose Eight Belles for “bias reasons” but she said she also sometimes picks winners by their numbers or names.

Pat Martin, also from Corbin, chose the filly, but with slightly political motivations.

“Well who else, but the filly. She’s the favorite with the ladies, especially the ladies that choose Hillary,” Martin said and she proudly displayed her Hillary Clinton for president button, “And if they had a horse named Obama, I’d be betting on Obama also.”

Corbin Middle Schooler Zach Sears is too young to bet on the race, but his part-time job at the Off-Track Betting office allowed him to enjoy the races in between watching traffic and helping customers park.

Sears says the Derby is by far the biggest day at Off-Track Betting.

“It’s been real busy since I got here at 10 a.m.,” Sears said.

Cars bearing license plates from all over the region filled the parking lot and surrounding streets at Off-Track Betting, .

Nick Goins of Corbin, who’s favorite was Pyro, said it’s exciting to bet at the Off-Track Betting office, but nothing beats the real thing.

“I was there (at the Derby) two years ago and it just sent goosebumps down your spine. It was great,” Goins said, “I’ve never been much of a horse person, but it’s really just a sight to see.”



Sean Bailey can be reached at sbailey@the

timestribune.com

        

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