X&nLm

            Investigative reporting offers many challenges, and I knew I faced one when I decided to seek out the person who used to create the code letters on pari-mutuel tickets.

            Surely you remember the good old days before computers put numbers on our pari-mutuel tickets.  Someone had to create a four or five digit code to identify the tickets and foil the counterfeiters.

            Now you have to admit this is a formidable task.  I mean, considering all the tracks in the country, do you give Saratoga’s fifth race an X2cLy code, or does Hollywood Park’s ninth get the RPm5w?

            As you can imagine, these are difficult decisions, or at least they used to be before the computers took over.

            Still, the question was, who created these codes for all the races at all the tracks?  It was only through diligent research and many inquiries that I was finally able to locate him at the Daisy Hill Funny Farm for Computer Displaced Persons.

            I entered his small padded cell with some trepidation, but he made me immediately welcome.

“QweRT,” he said, holding out his hand.

“I hate to bother you,” I replied, “but I thought some of my readers might be interested in how you feel about being computerized out of a job, and what you’re doing these days.”

“I’m glad you’re interested,” he replied.  “What I’m doing now is YUIoP.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m sorry, it’s a carryover from the old days.  My mind was always occupied in thinking up new code combinations for the tote tickets.  And when you consider hundreds of races every day, well, it was a challenge.  I still wake up at night thinking of new variations.”

            “I see.  Did you find this difficult?”

            MNOpQ.  Excuse me, I meant to say, not really.  That is, with 26 letters in the alphabet, nine one digit numerals and all those funny little symbols like baby shoes and dice, I had a lot of variables to work with.  The trick was to make sure I didn’t supplicate anything.  Would have been pretty embarrassing if a person cashed an Aqueduct ticket at Arlington Park.”

“What were your greatest challenges in this job?”

“Df8&R.  That is, as I said, the variable aspects.  In fact, one track censored me on 3&6eX.  Seemed to think I was touting an Exacta.”

“And were you?”

“!#aSE, of course not.  Funny thing was they changed it to 17Ddb, which came in as the Daily Double.”

“Since creativity was obviously a big part of your work, what do you consider your greatest moments?”

“H2OrT.  I think my best moment was the day Seattle Slew ran in the Swaps Stakes.  Coded the tickets as SLEW3 in honor of his Triple Crown.  Kind of ironic when you consider that was the day three horses slew the Slew.”

“What were some other highlights?”

“Well, I really did enjoy the Triple Crown, especially the Kentucky Derby.  Managed to sneak in the names of every executive at Churchill Downs.  I thought STONE was pretty, but artistically I still believe MORTON was my best.  It was hard to get six positions in those days.”

“Did you have any other favorites?”

“K2y&C.  Like I said, word games were a lot of fun.  I managed to get LOSER past a mutuels manager one day, but I guess my favorite was LaSIx at a New York track.  I don’t think they ever quite caught on to that one.”

“Have there been any disappointments in your career?”

“R4$a+.  I suppose my biggest hurt was when I walked through the stands after the races and saw all the discarded totes.  I mean, that was my artistic effort lying on the floor.  If you were Picasso would you like to see one of your prints lying in a puddle of chili?  Of course not.  Yet, just because a ticket had no monetary value, people would cast them aside.  I still recall with sadness a day at Golden Gate Fields when even a common stooper disdained GnUiS and threw it in a half empty beer container.  I tried to save it, but…”

“Please,” I tried to reassure him, “don’t cry.  I’m sure there are a lot of fans who remember the good old days.  Tell me, did you really try and get TABLE on an Arlington Park ticket?”

“YfdSM.  Actually I wanted it to be MaRgE, TABLE was my second choice.  But it ended up as #*laP.  Seemed pretty meaningless to me, but I had no choice.”

“Any other career highlights?”

“DGbRx.  There was the day I got horse on a tote at a Midwestern track.  A lot of people probably didn’t notice, but it got me an Etaoin Shrdlu Award.”

“I suppose the computerization of totes not only cost you a job, but must make you somewhat sad.”

“KJs2L.  It was an inevitable change.  5639-642-9899 might not be very aesthetic, but I suppose it serves a purpose.  Still,” he added sadly, “I miss the good old days.  Imagine,” he brightened, “what I could do with the Breeders’ Cup.  There would be totes with codes like FrAnS and LucKY, along and LASHy.  Now there’s a challenge!”

“It’s a nice sentimental idea, but I’m afraid the computers have indeed taken over.”

“WQ3+7.  I’m resigned to that, but after all, some of our greatest artists have died unappreciated.  I have a feeling that ages from now, when I’m gone, people will sing the praises of JoHnH and rivaR.  Artistry, after all, is for the ages.”

            “So I can tell my readers that you consider what you did an art form?”

            “If you don’t, then you can go 896-0983-5527 yourself!”