Now you folks have got me thinking about him.
Most of the people that knew him never knew he had a wicked sense of humor. He could carve you up and be so sincere about it you would think he was paying you a compliment. Then he would be laughing his ass off.
On one of our Vegas trips they were running the Belmont while we were there. I was all fired up because I was sure, SURE the horse that was running, California something, was going to win and win the triple crown. Blood asked me how sure and I showed him my ticket $1,000 to win. He said you have lost your mind to bet that much on a race. I told him I was sure. He said how sure? I said I'll be right back and then I showed him my second $1,000 win ticket I just bought. He just shook his head and laughed. He told Tracy to go bet $20 to win on my horse.
We were at Harrahs sportsbook because every time I made a bet and watched the game or race I always won. In the old days, 20 years ago, the sportsbook was on the second floor and was hidden away. Like a private gentlemens club. Big chairs and private tv's. Man I loved it there. So I told him we needed to watch there because I never lose.
The race starts and my horse comes out in great shape. He's laying 3rd and he runs the entire race but runs flat. Here is one of the best horses I have ever seen and he runs flat in the biggest race of his life. He finished 4th I think. And that's when it started.
Blood and Tracy didn't say a word. I figured that was nice of them since I had just taken a big bath. Then we went to dinner and when the waiter comes and asked Blood what he wanted he said "Do you have anything that cost $2,000?" I didn't even look up from my menu because I knew it had started.
At the bar later, "Do you have any drinks that cost $2,000? My friend here won't drink anything that costs less than that."
At another bar he ordered his standard Makers Mark and the bartender said "Ah you have ordered the #1 bourbon we have." To which Blood replied " Oh I don't want #1 do you have anything that runs say 4th?"
It went on like that for two more days. He was merciless. Tracy even tried to make him stop and he would for an hour or two then he would go in for the kill again. His best one was out of the blue after everyone was silent he says "if you stink so bad at picking horses why do they call you wiretowire? Doesn't that mean you should be winning from start to finish?"
People always think of him as jolly santa always with a kind word and he was all of that. But he was also brutal when he harassed you even if it was one of my fondest memories of him. But as I said most people didn't realize he was having them for lunch.
P.S. You know that horse got his heel clipped coming right out of the gate and still ran 1 1/2 miles in unimaginable pain. Tough sonuvabitch still finished 4th. But if that hadn't happened and he would have won like he should have I wouldn't have this story or these memories about Blood. GL
