If the track announcer's warning about "placing your wagers early to avoid being shut out" doesn't resonate with you then you've never been the next to last person in line to place a bet. On a horse who did win.

The guy in front of you is the one who appears to be trying to find a new prime number with the teller. Math students would tell you that can take years. And it seems you've been in line that long.

You glance to your left and then your right to see that every person who once stood behind you has successfully played the event. They made the right move on their line switch. You stayed put having invested so much time in a line that now seems to have been painted. But you don't get to make your investment in the race.

The man in front never does find his new prime number. But he walks away with tickets punched. You dive toward the window, call out your bets as quickly as possible, throw money in the direction of the teller. But it's too late. The horses are gone, the machines are locked. You're angry with the joker who kept you out of the game but you have a better place to invest your emotions. Suddenly you change loyalties in the race . Now you want your horse to lose. There'd be some amount of pride if your animal did come in but the costs associated with it are too hard to bear.

Your horse wins, he's your only winner on the card. The guy who caused you to miss the race is seen filling out federal income tax forms on his trifecta.

You resolve to use automatic tellers. But those lines have delays caused by people who appear to be downloading New York City phone books. You miss the human interaction anyway. You go back to the lines with tellers. This time you listen to the warning about placing wagers early. Except for those times you arrive late, hoping you were as skillful in your choice of lines as you were in your selection of horses.

Of course this doesn't speak at all to the advice about checking tickets carefully at the window.

Editor's note: In his next column, Kenny recalls an incorrectly punched ticket and a hunch that was just as far off base.