Un-Book(i)ed

I’m no longer Mistress of the Ponies, Queen of the Pick Sixes, or Proprietress of the Superfectas. I’ve had to let Giovanni and Paulo go to break knees for others, and I’ve erased all the names in my book (good news for all y’all who didn’t think to the bet on someone other than the filly in the Belmont Stakes).

In other words, my reign as a Bookie is over, and my time in homework land has begun. Also, it means I have no excuse to clean my house.

Darn.

I had a dream last night that one of the regulars called, a very sweet older man who bets with a partner, and I was reading off his regular requests: morning line odds, weights of the jockeys and the distance of the race in furlongs. In the middle of reading the list, I realized that the track had something like twenty horses running, something unusual for an American track—but not for a British or Japanese race—and I almost commented that this didn’t seem like his sort of race. Instead I just converted furlongs to miles* for him and sent him on his way, turning to my cubicle mate after I hung up to crack a joke about one of the horse’s names.

I woke up to the realization that I’d absorbed way more horse racing knowledge than I’d previously thought, and I was going to miss most of those guys and gals.

In honor of my former profession, it seems only right to compile a list of books that revolve gambling of some sort. Off the top of my head I can think of two nonfiction titles—Positively Fifth Street and Bringing Down the House—and one fiction title—Get Shorty had gambling elements didn’t it?—but none of them revolve around horse racing.

Luckily I know some readers.

So know any books with gambling as a theme or element (horse racing as either wins you double points)? If so put them in the comments below.**

*Eight furlongs equal a mile.

**Or comment other sundry gambling related entertainment (movies! Songs!). Just build a list people. I’d hate to have to rehire Giovanni and Paulo to force compliance. Although they could probably use the work.