Cotton Candy

Ah… Kenny Rogers. The silver-bearded sage of chance, bourbon-smooth voice and all. “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em…” That lyric, my friends, is more than a country melody—it’s a philosophy, a blueprint for survival in a game built on fractions and fate. Had he been a horseplayer, I dare say Kenny would've been a dangerous one—quiet, calculating, never blinking as the rest of the room shoved their chips into the middle. And when it came to her, the so-called queen of the Oaks, Thorpedo Anna, he would've called their bluff with the calm certainty of a man who’s seen things.

Because 99% of players had already handed her the crown. Coronated her before a single hoof hit the dirt this afternoon. But not us. No… we saw something else. We saw Raging Sea. $10.08 on the mutuel payoff. A wave in waiting. And when it hit, it didn’t just wash over the field—it swept the table clean.

Let’s talk numbers, shall we? Our Oaks card delivered five top-choice winners out of thirteen races—a cool 38%. Just a whisper off the 39% win percentage for the meet. That, my friends, isn’t luck. That’s consistency. That’s awareness. That’s work.

Because here’s the thing—I’m not interested in five-year trends or the echoes of horses past. I want the now. Last week. Yesterday. This morning’s breeze under the Twin Spires. Today is the window to tomorrow. And yesterday? That’s not dead history—it’s a portal, if you know how to look.

And none of this—none of it—happens without the team. Amy, John, Brian, Mike, Travis… a unit. Tireless. Dedicated. Over 1,000 works processed this week alone. It’s not glamorous. It’s not romantic. But it’s real. And behind them—Gioanna, Alessandra, Adam—moving mountains to keep the information current, relevant, alive. Brisnet and Equibase? They’ve played their parts. Like the string section in a well-tuned orchestra.

Kentucky Derby card At Churchill Downs

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These are the days I love. When the clients do well, we do well, and the entire machine hums like a vintage Rolls Royce. That’s a trend I can get behind.

Now, is the game always smooth? Please. This isn’t a gondola ride through Venice. It’s the Matterhorn at Disneyland. On fire. With no seatbelt. Some days it’s Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Others, you’re just spinning in the tea cups, dizzy and broke. But when you’re right—when the work, the grind, the gut all come together? It’s like finding the cotton candy man standing right outside the winner’s circle.

And to that I say: Yes, please.