Page 57 - The Jazzsipper Novel

56

THE JAZZ SIPPER

the day, Uncle Frank and his track buddies was arguing back and forth about
the their picks, bets and anything to do with horse racing. All the while drinking
their ice cold Dixie beer out of plastic cups. A cup of beer cost a buck a piece
at the track. For them the track was more than just a place to bet on the horses
it was a place where people like Uncle Frank and his friends would come to
enjoy themselves. Vance smiled to himself thinking it was nice seeing Uncle
Frank in his element, he was like a kid in the candy store at the track.

Vance had already placed his one and only bet. Usually he would try to bet
two or three dollars in every race, but today Vance decided he was putting it
all in. Vance had placed a hundred dollars on Bumpin on Sunset to win. With
the horse being a long shot at 75-1, if he won he would pick up about Seventy
five hundred dollars. He was waiting on the seventh race. Uncle Frank walked
back to where Vance was sitting in the stands and asked him to lend him
twenty-five dollars until they got home. Vance thought to himself that Uncle
Frank was taking a beating and it was only the third race of the day.

At the beginning of the seventh race, Vance had walked up to the railings
of the track to get a closer look at the race, he knew that Bumpin on Sunset
wearing the number nine blue vest, and was not going to let him down. The
horse was running in the first slot off the rail. At the start of the race, Bumpin
on Sunset took off leading in first place. Vance felt like he was caught in up in
a blur as soon as it began it was over and Vance heard the announcer calling
out and the winner Belly Up for the win, Fast Tex for place and Bumpin on
Sunset for show. Vance was so distraught that he didn’t even hear the payouts
or see Uncle Frank laughing hysterical. Vance was thinking how stupid he had
been, to bet most of his money on one horse, in one race and locking himself