Owner Won His Bet, but the Fans Lost

For a $2 bet, any horse racing fan can “own” any horse. For one race, a fan and an owner are on the same team. The two groups’ financial interests in the outcome of a race are very different, but a fan and an owner will typically cheer equally loud when “their” horse makes a big run on the far turn.

By wagering $120,000 on his colt, Urgent Request, in the Santa Anita Handicap, Stewart Aitken showed that he is not a team player, as he diminished his teammates’ payoff by two-thirds. Aitken’s reward? He earned a couple of extra bucks to add to his financial empire.

DAVID BARNIER

San Diego