"$50.00 on Scorpio!"

So, Grandpa called me from Rancheros this afternoon.

"Mark, I've got a friend that has a horse racing in the Kentucky Derby Saturday. Is there someplace close by where you can place a bet for me?"

"Yeah, I think so," I responded. "I think I can bet it at Viejas or Sycuan."

"Okay, well if it's not an inconvenience, could you bet $50.00 for me on Scorpio to show?"

"$50.00 on Scorpio to show," I verified.

"Yep," said Grandpa. "He was listed at 30-1 this morning."

"Okay, sure. No problem." Then I asked him how his trip up there had been ("No problems," he said) and told him to have fun, and we exchanged goodbyes.

Then at the last minute, I thought, Wait. I better verify this.

"Dad, Dad, wait! Are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here."

"Hold on one second. I want to double check this, especially while I've got you on the phone." Who knows how hard it would be to get a hold of him later?

So I went to the Kentucky Derby website, and started scanning the list of contenders. Scorpio... Scorpio... Scorpio...

"Dad, I don't see a Scorpio listed anywhere. You said he was 30-1?"

"Yeah, 30-1."

I started reading off the 30-1 shots.

"Zanjero? No."

"Storm in May? No."

"Liquidity? No."

"Teuflesberg? No."

"Stormello?"

"That's it!" he cried. "Stormello! $50.00 on Stormello!"

We both laughed. "Scorpio?!" I'm glad I double checked.