October 13 (Friday), 1972.
my grandfather loved going to the local track, especially when the Fair Circuit would come around. the usual bunch of nags and jockeys looking to catch a break or finish their career. anyway, my brother was born that morning and parents named him Kent. grandfather calls the hospital to get the good news, and then heads off to the races.
he gets to the track, picks up the DRF, and lo and behold in the 5th there's a horse named Duke of Kent. well, he marches proudly to the window and puts $50 down for the Win ticket. 5th race rolls around, and away they go. Duke of Kent rounds the first turn, stumbles, falls, and breaks his leg. they put him down on the track, and haul him away.
on a brighter note: a couple of years ago i went to Golden Gate Fields for Dollar Day (Sundays with $1 parking, admission, hot dogs, beers, etc.) during football season. went to the lounge/bar to catch up on some fantasy stats, and lost track of time. can't remember what race it was, later in the day though, and heard "Two minutes to post" over the PA system. i ran to the nearest machine, and without even looking at the odds or anything else, punched some buttons for a $1 Trifectca. on the way to watch the race, i stopped at the $1 hot dog vendor, grabbed a dog and put it in my jacket pocket. race finishes and i look at my ticket: $300 winner. bet three more races and hit 2/3 for another $50 bucks, with the hot dog in my pocket the whole time. figured it was lucky. ate it in the car on the way home. it was delicious.