Not just a day-at-the-races

Think'n outta da box 

In 1985, I joined Maclean's Magazine as an advertising salesman. Maclean's is Canada's National Newsmagazine that started publishing in 1905 ... 18 years before Time Magazine published for the first time.

I was the second member of our family to work for Maclean's. My father, who was born in 1897, sold subscriptions door-to-door as a teenager.

When the magazine celebrated its 85th year, our publisher was looking for a unique way to celebrate. Something different, not the typical celebratory luncheon or dinner.

It was around that time that the new corporate catchphrase "think outside the box" came into being and I was all-for-that.

I suggested we take the staff of the advertising, marketing, and promotion departments to the race track for lunch.  The magazine would also provide each person with $20  -- enough to make a $2. bet on 10 races and, hopefully, pick a winner. FUN!

Toronto's famous thoroughbred track, Woodbine, was willing to name the 5th Race the Maclean's Magazine Stakes in honour of the book's birthday. They'd provide a custom made horse blanket emblazoned with the Maclean's logo which would be presented to the winning jockey (and his mount) and all of the Maclean's staff would be invited to the winner's circle to have a group photo. Wait! What?

I need to back up the story a bit. I have a Woodbine race track history. I was eleven or twelve in the late 1950s and worked on the parking lot at the track along with 3 of my friends. Our wages for the day was $4.

Each Saturday & Sunday racing day, I'd convince each of my buddies to kick-in 50 cents and we made a bet on the Daily Double ... 2 years of working that parking lot, we never cashed a ticket.

When I got married, we bought a house next door to a Woodbine employee. We not only became close friends, he introduced me to some owners and trainers and lots of jockeys. When I asked if he could organize a thoroughbred for me to ride around the track at Woodbine he even did that (see it here: "They're at the Post" ... with me in the saddle ... come along for the ride?).

I got to know so many jockeys, they invited me to join them for their weekly shinny hockey games during the winter off-season. What a treat. Since most jocks are about five feet tall, I was the biggest player on the ice for every game -- the next biggest wasn't even close. If I scored in a game, they'd chant, "Mikey - Mikey - Mikey" and, after hockey, they peppered me with questions about my job -- everyone knew I worked at Maclean's (can you see where this is going)?

I enjoy betting and the action. When racing started in the spring each year, I'd arrive early and enter through the jock's training room so I could say hello to everyone (and see if I could uncover insider info on who's hot or the name of a horse or jock who was ready to break-out).

ed. note: I never learned my lesson when talking to jockeys about winning. They all think they are going to win -- it's in their DNA. I should have been asking them, "who do you think will lose"? Then bet accordingly. All those years, spending all that time with jockeys, getting all their "tips", I never got one winner.

I like to bet. I'm not a bet-the-house-on-the-ponies crazy but occasionally, very occasionally, I would leave work at Maclean's just a little early so I could make it to the track in time to bet a sure-thing in the 11th race.

Which brings me back to Maclean's Day at-the-track.

I panicked. The Macleans' Stakes Race was next on the card. Win or lose the entire Maclean's staff was expected to make their way down to the track from the dining room to present our Maclean's horse blanket. I couldn't go. All the jockeys and valets would expect to see me - it was the Maclean's race. If I don't join my workmates, the track guys will want to know, "where's Mikey". If they start their hockey chant, I'm dead. How will I ever explain my racetrack connection? The Maclean's folks might wonder if I have a second job at the track.

As our group of 25 made their way to track level following the Maclean's Stakes, I broke away from them and snuck back to the dining room hoping nobody saw me.

After the horse blanket presentation, my colleagues returned to their restaurant seats and asked, "Where were you?? While we posed for the picture, a group of guys at the back started chanting "Mikey - Mikey - Mikey"!

Anyway, no harm done. 

On the way back to the restaurant, I put $20. to Win on a hunch. It was Grey Cup Week in Toronto -- the lead-up to the Canadian Football League championship game, The Grey Cup.

My longshot "Lord Grey" won the Maclean's Magazine Stakes by 4 lengths and paid me $607.

Track people call that "think'n outta da box".