Mule Man

by Ed Meyer

posted on August 29, 2009 in General Discussion | No Comments >>

I have watched many tracks over the years, and the bull-rings offer value for your money. If you cannot get your money’s worth, then you never will see a show like this.

If you follow tracks that are half-mile to 7/8ths oval, then you may enjoy the fair circuits.

Our friend “Pistol Pete Aiello” loves to bet the small circuits. He couldn’t wait until the Humboldt County fair opened.  Ferndale as it is known, offered many unique races, and of course his favorite, the mule races.  He would tell me stories of how this mule or that mule offered incredible value, and man was he seldom wrong. He rang up the cash register, and left me a late message after a night of wagering online at Ferndale. I can let you know it was in good humor, but he let us know he was the “Mule-King.”

Today, he had another circuit to watch and wager. It was the Timonium meet in Maryland, and he told me about a 1-1/16th mile race that would take the runners around four times. Talk about getting your money’s worth!

I have to say that the bull-rings never interested me very much. That was before Pistol Pete came onto the scene. He has shown me the value to be had, and the fun to go along with it. His rationale was that just like the big circuits, you can catch cheaper runners heading into a strong form cycle. This only comes from eating, sleeping, and watching the races. His wagers are mainly Pick-3’s, and you will see him using the runners in rolling doubles.

Pete has been a fan for a long time, for a young man. He started going to the track dressed in jockey silks with his family. He will bypass the marquee races and jump on the cheapies. He loves the value, and overall it has paid off well for him.

As a graduate of the University of Arizona, he found himself going to state fairs, and small town tracks known as the bush circuit. You will not see many people in the stands, and the pools for the most part can be small. But these are fans in the purest sense of the word. They wager, and root like hell for a mule, Arabian, or anything that runs. This is what the basis of the game is at any level.

So, be sure to catch the action before the fair season is over. He tells me stories of wanting to travel to Nevada to watch an all-mule meeting. This would be his little slice of heaven, and he would not be alone. Be it in the desert or the oval of a major track, the Mule Man will be there. That you can count on…..