Riding High Page #12

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I'd ask you in, only the door

seems to be stuck.

- What happened?

- Well, along about the third round,

I found out the guy I was messing with

was wearing a badge, so here I am.

It isn't bad, though.

It keeps me out of the pool hall.

What's the idea,

scratching that horse of yours?

It's a long, dull story.

Something about a feed bill.

You've got me in a mess. I've got a lot

of dough bet on that horse of yours.

- You have?

- Sure.

- Did you see him work?

- Oh, sure, sure.

You know, I had that horse

go a mile in...

Why don't you tell a guy when you're in

a jam? How much are you in hock for?

- Oh, about 200, I guess.

- Why, that's chicken feed.

Never keep a secret

like that from a pal.

- Here.

- What's this?

Go ahead, you want the horse

back in the race, don't you?

- Well, yeah.

- Well, so do I.

You're not the old man

with the whiskers, are you?

Never mind, I'm just grateful.

I'll pay you back soon as I can.

Forget it. I'll get paid back plenty

when that horse breezes in.

- He'll breeze in. Don't worry about that.

- You got a jockey?

Well, I was talking to this little boy,

Eddie Jacobs.

He's an apprentice.

How about Ted Williams?

Ted Williams? Can you get him?

Can I get him? He'll do

anything for me. We're like that.

With Williams aboard, it's just bring

a buck and a truck, and we're home.

Go on down to the captain.

Pay his fine. Get him out of here.

Put up a bond, whatever they want,

but get him out fast.

- OK, boss.

- Now, you're all clear.

I don't know how to thank you.

If you were free, I'd marry you.

Don't you worry,

I'll make plenty on that race.

I'll have Williams come up

and see you right away. So long, Dan.

- Oh, say, Eddie.

- Yeah?

Where will we go on

our honeymoon? Hey, guard.

Hey, princess, Whitey.

Teddy Williams, the rider.

- Oh, hello.

- How do you do, Mr. Williams?

- How do you do?

- Bill, this is D-day for you.

- How do you do?

- Bill, this is D-day for you.

And here's the boy that's gonna

ride you to glory. Ted Williams, Bill.

- He looks sharp.

- He's fit and ready to run.

I blew him out of the gate this morning.

Three-eighths of a mile in 35 flat.

- Thirty-five?

- Crying to run all the way.

How is he in the gate?

I hear he threw his last jock.

Oh, he's OK now.

That was only his first out, kid.

- Has he got a hard mouth?

- Cast iron. Don't try to hold him.

He doesn't like to be held.

You just hang on, Mr. Williams.

Old Bill will do the rest.

I guess I'm just going along

for the ride.

And ten percent of the purse. Well,

you better get over to the jocks' room.

Be prepared to have

your picture taken, son,

because you're gonna be

in the winner's circle.

Whitey, looks like the old man

with the whiskers

- has really got his arms around us?

- Yes, sir.

Bill, I've got a little bit

of a shock for you.

Havert got the truck to take

you to the race track today.

Old Bill, he'll walk just like

the rest of us poor people.

I guess so.

Take your places

Off to the races

We don't give a rap

And we're off to the handicap

Yeah, this joint's full of smoke.

Don't nobody ever inale?

Doc, will you move over

with that pipe, Hempstead?

You're killing me with that pipe.

What are you smoking, overhalls?

The Camptown ladies sing this song

A doo-dah, a doo-dah

The Camptown race track

Nine miles long

Oh, doo-dah day

I came down there

With my hat caved in

- Doo-dah, a doo-dah

- A doo-dah, doo-dah

Go back home

With a pocket full of tin

Oh, doo-dah day

- Gwine to run all night

- Gwine to run all night

- Gwine to run all day

- Gwine to run all day

I'll bet my money

On the bobtailed nag

Somebody bet on the bay

The long-tailed filly

And the big, black horse

- A doo-dah, a doo-dah

- A doo-dah, a doo-dah

- A doo-dah, a doo-dah

- A doo-dah, a doo-dah

They both cut across

Oh, doo-dah day

The blind horse sticking

In the big mud hole

- A doo-dah, a doo-dah, a doo-dah

- A doo-dah, a doo-dah, a doo-dah

You can't touch the bottom

With a 10-foot pole

Oh, doo-dah day

- Gwine to run all night

- Gonna keep them running

- Gwine to run all day

- Gwine to run all day

Bet your money

On the bobtailed nag

Somebody bet on the bay

Watch old Bill in the first furlong

- Doo-dah, doo-dah

- Doo-dah, doo-dah

Bet him to win

And you can't go wrong

- Amen.

- Oh, doo-dah day

I'll bet my money

With dancing Dan

- Doo-dah, doo-dah

- Doo-dah, doo-dah

We'll win enough money

To pay the feed man

- He's paid

- No change?

- All gone

- OK

- Gwine to run all night

- Gwine to run

- Gwine to run all day

- All night, all day

I'll bet on the bobtailed nag

Oh, doo-dah day

- Oh, doo-dah day

- Oh, doo-dah day

That mob down there's gone crazy.

You know what Broadway Bill

is at the track? 6-to-1.

- What are you worrying about?

- Now, listen, Eddie,

there's a lot of dough going down on

that horse. Where's it coming from?

A plug like Broadway Bill doesn't get

a play like that unless something's up.

Somebody knows something,

I tell you.

Maybe it's the Greek.

Maybe he's trying to pull a fast one.

- You're screwy. The Greek's in with us.

- Then where is it coming from?

Use your brain, maybe you'd find out.

Did you ever try to figure it out?

Every bet that's being placed on

Broadway Bill is a 2-buck bet.

Two bucks. Does that sound like

wise money to you?

It starts out 50-to-1,

meat for the sucker.

Every barber, bootblack and

chambermaid scrambles to get aboard.

The rumor gets started,

the first thing you know,

all the poor b*obs are trying

to hock their undershirts.

I've seen it happen a million times.

It's sucker money, that's what it is.

Sucker money.

Well, I still don't like it.

Maybe you'd be happier if you knew that

Ted Williams was riding Broadway Bill.

- He is?

- Yeah, Williams on Broadway Bill,

and Roberts on Gallant Lady.

Now are you happy?

- Sun Up is 20-to-1 in Chicago.

- What did I tell you?

- How much will they handle?

- How much will you handle?

- Fifteen thousand?

- OK.

- New York, 20-to-1.

- How much can they handle?

How much can you handle?

About 20.

OK. Chicago, 15 grand.

New York, 20 grand.

You want the race run honestly,

don't you?

Naturally, but I don't like

this implication that my jockey...

Listen, Mr. Whitehall,

we spend a fortune every year

maintaining our Protective Bureau.

Why? To try to keep racing honest.

If we can't have it that way,

we'll close the track up.

Yes, I know, but what makes you think

that my boy is involved?

I had Howard trailed,

and I had his men trailed.

I was determined to find out

just what he had up his sleeve,

and I found out, Mr. Whitehall.

Your jockey, Roberts.

Well, that's the works.

How much have we got down?

A hundred and one thousand,

average 12-to-1.

Over a million bucks.

It's the one we've been waiting for.

Hey, boss, did you hear

what happened?

Joey Roberts has been suspended.

He ain't gonna ride Gallant Lady.

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