Yet another "'Dream Exacta' come true"

Yet another "'Dream Exacta' come true"

The "Dream Exacta" refers to a practice many years ago where I would dream, or visualize, about a horse race at The Fairgrounds in New Orleans and bet whatever I saw, impressions, colors, names, jockeys.

That went pretty well for a while. Then, a panel of so-called "psychics" on the Geraldo show ruined it. They said anybody who tried to use "psychic" powers for greed would find them rendered useless.

They were correct.

What does this have to do with 1989 Loma Prieto earthquake around San Francisco?

One morning, I woke up and had a clear vision of a city in flames. That day I went around telling everybody a major earthquake would strike San Francisco.

The dream exacta was running wild again.

Nothing happened that day. Nothing at all. I was extremely confused and embarrassed, believing the powers had gone south.

As the world turns however, I quickly forgot the whole sad scene. Life moved along without further incident.

To supplement my meager, meager income as associate curator of the Tulane University Jazz Archive -- a long story --  and against my better judgment, I took an investigative job.

The guy talked me into tailing some guy in Houma who might be meeting a girlfriend, or so his wife surmised. I would have to miss my first TV World Series game EVER.

What the heck. I'd tape it. I watched the motel from my car for a couple of hours listening to the World Series pre-game on radio.

Then, fate intervened.

Earthquake.

I couldn't believe it. The game was cancelled, so I kept the streak alive. Eventually, I left Blue Bayou and headed east toward home. Clicked on the television set.

Flaming groovy pictures alright. Earthquake. The Loma Prieto kind. Pictures of the city in flames.

The very same pictures I had seen before. But when? I thought and considered, contemplated, went to a calendar and retraced my steps.

When? Exactly one year to the day from when I had the vision. Even at the same minute and hour I watched the flaming TV pictures.

Flash forward to Saturday, Aug. 23. I had another dream. I saw the No. 5 horse in green colors winning a race and running around the track, related details as well.

Vivid. Oh yeah. the Dream Exacta had returned for another score.

During the big Pacific Handicap day, guaranteed millions yada yada yada at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, I put together three Pick 4's; two $30 tickets, one based on the TVG analyst and a safety ticket.

The analyst singled a horse in the third leg I thought would be beaten by another horse, a mistake he always makes by the way. I added that horse but only had enough money to cover the top five in a wide open 12-horse get-out race concluding the Pick 4. 

The analyst ticket had them all, a move I would if I could. I had to leave off the No. 5 horse running at 30-1 odds and two others I wanted.

On with the show.

Three times, my horses devastated the fields at good prices. It set up for the 11th, and final, race on the Del Mar card. Payoffs were $600 to $9,000 for my picks.

That's why they run horse races.

One of the horses I wanted t cover and would have covered beat two of my horses by a length. The five finished fourth.

Sitting there all pissed off, I glared at the television feed as it switched to Los Alamitos where they were about to start the second race.

Big and covered in kelly shamrock green, the No. 5 horse pranced about the track. He ran a great race.

There it was again. Exactly as in my dream, the five won the race and ran around the track in triumph. They showed the picture a half dozen times. And then another five showed up for the next race and won, too.

Yet again the "Dream Exacta" had come in...But in a totally unexpected manner.

Great.