BETTING THE SYSTEMS : Discipline Is Key to Sweet Lou’s Winnings

Sweet Lou is truly one of the great characters around a race track. Even if he wasn’t 6-foot-6, people would still recognize him because he always dresses the same no matter if it’s hot or cold or raining. He wears a huge cowboy hat, a tan raincoat, jeans, a plaid shirt and high-top basketball shoes. Around his neck is a red bandanna.

Sweet Lou was a star basketball player at a local college, but he never made it to the pros because of a knee that suddenly decided to go two ways after hitting the floor.

Instead, he went into music, produced some records and albums in the ‘40s and ‘50s that made the top-10 lists, and to this day he lives off the royalties. Although music is his big love, the tracks lure him like a bee to honey.

Because money is a problem, Sweet Lou devised a system when he started playing the horses, and he has never varied from it: He waits for a race that has four or fewer nags below 10-1 odds and bets the favorite.

This sort of betting hasn’t made Sweet Lou rich, but it has enabled him to last out many seasons. When others quit betting because of a lack of cash, Sweet Lou goes on year after year, usually ending up with a slim profit.

For example, from Dec. 26, 1989, to Jan. 27, 1990, at Santa Anita Park, Sweet Lou bet 63 races that qualified. His wagers amounted to $126 and his returns came to $129.40, for a $3.40 profit. Twenty-seven of his 63 horses finished first, winning at a 42% clip.

Sweet Lou loves to theorize with his friends. He believes that if the four or fewer horses below 10-1 odds in a race are potential winners, then the favorite logically should end up first a high percentage of the time.

What Sweet Lou has developed along with his theory, however, is discipline; there were 171 races he considered non-qualifiers. Some days at the track he doesn’t even make a bet. Other days he may bet as many as four races. Most of the time, two or three races qualify.

Sweet Lou will also tell his race track cronies that the system is the simplest to use. All one has to do is check the totalizator board before each race. If four or fewer are below 10-1, the race qualifies.

One of the better days for Sweet Lou was Dec. 30, 1989, beginning with the third race, which lined up as follows:

1. Miss Malibu: $15.40

2. Imperial Gem: 2.70

3. Shamoon: 3.80

4. False Tenet: 12.30

5. Lemhi Pleasure: 10.50

6. Dreaming Bel: 2.20

7. Bel Real: 4.50

Of the four horses at less than 10-1 odds, Dreaming Bel was the favorite in the 1-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Dreaming Bel started out fifth but took a 1 1/2-length lead at the quarter-pole. The filly led the rest of the way to win by 1 1/4 lengths, paying $6.40.

In the fifth race, an allowance event at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-olds and up, Quiet American was in the No. 1 post. At the race’s start, Quiet American was pulled back to fifth, then slowly began passing horses until the stretch, where the horse made a big move to forge in front by 1 1/2 lengths. Quiet American won by 6 1/2 lengths and paid $5.40 for every $2 win ticket.

Sweet Lou also won the sixth race when Secret Slew, a heavy favorite, finished first at 1 1/16 miles against maidens, paying $3 for the effort.

The eighth race was a loser for Sweet Lou, when Olympic Prospect, the system nag, finished second in a six-horse field.

For the day, however, Sweet Lou won three of four races. He bet $8 and cashed in $14.80 worth of winning tickets for a $6.80 profit.

Another profitable day was Jan. 24, 1990, when Sweet Lou again cashed in on three of four races. The fourth race, a six-furlong sprint of maiden fillies and mares for 4-year-olds and up, lined up with 11 horses in the field. With odds to $1, they were:

1. Sure Am Sweet: $66.90

2. Dancia: 25.20

3. Scampering: 3.40

4. Hi Sailer: 38.30

5. Swinging Juan: 3.40

6. Noble Bet: 6.40

7. Fast Bubble: 135.10

8. Good Habits: 74.70

9. Somebody Said: 18.20

10. Classie Debonair: 26.00

11. Moonriver and Me: 1.40

Moonriver and Me turned out to be the qualifying horse when Scampering, Swinging Juan and Noble Bet also ended up at less than 10-1 odds. The nag took the lead immediately from the outside post position and held it all the way to win by 2 3/4 lengths, paying $4.80.

Sexy Slew paid $7 after winning the fifth race, and Tarascon paid $3 in the eighth. The seventh race was a loser as long-shot Reve Dore won and paid $22.60, while the favorite, Flint, ran fifth.

Returns for the day amounted to $14.80, while flat betting was $8, for a $6.80 profit.

Since this type of system comes up with a low number of bets and a high percentage of winners, Sweet Lou advocates a money-management progression or a parlaying of win bets for those bettors who need to vary their wagering. In either case, however, discipline is the key because after a win in a money-management progression, the bettor must return to the original flat bet.

Parlays should not extend beyond two horses, Sweet Lou says. Two horses in a row sometimes win, but three victories in a row is a rarity.

Sometimes when Sweet Lou’s horse loses, he will turn to his friend disgustedly and say: “A losing horse is just like the music business. Sour notes seem to pop up at all the wrong times.”