9th Race Is Nectar of Odds to Hummingbird

On April 25 at Hollywood Park, as Monte Parnes moved from fourth place at the start of the stretch to first near the finish line, the “Hummingbird” yelled and screamed and waved his extended arms up and down quickly at his sides, urging his horse to the front. And when the nag took a one-length lead to win going away, there was no holding back the Hummingbird as he continued to jump up and down and wave his arms.

“The Hummingbird” is a small man, almost completely bald, with a sharply defined face and nose who darts around the grandstand among his friends only during the last race of the day, which is the only one he bets.

When he stops to talk, he seems to generate a lot of hand and arm activity and excess energy, which gives the appearance of a hummingbird with its wing movements. Thus, the nickname, which he seems to like and which people sometimes shorten to “Bird.”

This bird-like impression is sometimes emphasized just before the race starts when “The Hummingbird” will cut short a conversation and run down to the track railing, where he will have a good time shouting at the top of his lungs at his horse and jockey, urging them both forward to the finish.

So far during the present Hollywood Park season, the Hummingbird is winning, betting a long-shot system he devised strictly for the ninth race. He bets on every horse that is 10 to 1 or higher.

The reason “The Hummingbird” bets only the ninth race is due to his job as a hanger of drapes, a business that is owned by his brother. Since he starts early in the morning, his eight-hour shift lasts through the afternoon, leaving him time only to get to the track for the ninth race.

In any case, Monte Parnes, defeating 4-year-olds and up in a 1-1/16-mile turf route, paid $22.60 to win. Since the Hummingbird bet $6 on the race, he showed a profit of $16.60 on his $2 wager.

The next day, April 26, Bold Batter Up started out from the No. 9 post position in a 12-horse field. Competing against 4-year-olds and up, the nag jumped out to third but immediately dropped back to seventh, where he settled in until the three-quarter pole.

By the stretch, Bold Batter Up moved up to fifth. The horse flew through the stretch, passed four other nags, and took over the lead.

When Bold Batter Up hit the finish line, he was a half-length in front and paid backers $84.80. After subtracting the $10 that he bet on five horses, the Hummingbird was ahead $74.80.

Although his friends think he’s slightly loony, the Hummingbird continues to win. So far this season at Hollywood Park, after 45 days, he has bet $280, collected $466, and is showing a $186 profit. He has won 13 times out of 43 races at a 30.2% clip. Two of the 45 days came up with non-qualifying races, in which there weren’t any horses 10-1 or higher.

The Hummingbird warns, however, that his system takes patience. Twice he has had losing streaks of eight races in a row. Yet, the Hummingbird believes firmly that the long run is what counts. When the nags win at big odds, they can easily make up for the losing days.

Another big betting coup was on June 2 when Current Abbey raced against 4-year-olds and up in a 1-1/16-mile race for fillies and mares. The horse broke from the No. 5 post position and tucked into fourth by the quarter-pole. Entering the stretch, Current Abbey moved up to second and then went after the leader. About 15 yards before the finish, Current Abbey pulled ahead and ended up three-quarters of a length in front.

Current Abbey paid a $58.80 mutuel, which resulted in a profit of $52.80 after $6 in bets were deducted.

What the Hummingbird likes about his system is that it is strictly automatic and takes no brains whatsoever. All he does is check the totalizator board before the start of the race, writes down the numbers of the horses 10-1 or higher and then flies off to the betting windows, where he wagers $2 to win on each.

For example, take the ninth race, a 1-mile route for 4-year-olds and up, on June 21. The lineup by post position and odds to $1 were:

1--Sparshott, $5.80

2--Chief Kennedy, 72.20

3--Keepmeinstitches, 14.30

4--Lucky Street, 4.20

5--Joropo, 10.20

6--Gentleman’s Honor, 37.30

7--Sky High, 3.80

8--Prince of Ack, 39.90

9--Time for Shamans, 5.60

10--The Boy Chief, 19.00

11--Le Roc, 120.50

12--Mc Gruff, 3.60

Since Chief Kennedy, Keepmeinstitches, Joropo, Gentleman’s Honor, Prince of Ack, The Boy Chief and Le Roc were all 10-1 or higher, the Hummingbird bet $2 on each for a total of $14.

The Boy Chief, from the No. 10 post position, settled into third by the half-mile pole, moved up to second at the three-quarter mark and entered the stretch in the lead by four lengths. At the finish, the horse won by seven lengths.

The Boy Chief paid $40 and the Hummingbird, after deducting the $14 bet, ended up winning $26.

Although the Hummingbird’s friends turn up their noses at any system, he believes that horses winning and paying such mutuels as $37.40, $24.20, $29.80, $25.40, $23.20, $31.20 and $38.60 can’t be all bad.

In fact, the Hummingbird says, it proves that despite the Racing Form and other similar publications, people can’t help but go home losers, particularly since the favorites only win, at best, 33% of the time.

The totalizator board, however, never loses, the Hummingbird adds. It shows a winner every race. One only has to find it!

And when his cronies tear up their losing tickets and lash out at their wives and kids after one of their horses runs out of the money, Bird just pockets his winnings and leaves the track . . . humming!