Round Down

A little bit of news filtered around the sport yesterday regarding ADW wagering and "the button". Amwest is giving horseplayers the option to donate whatever amount they want from their accounts to Thoroughbred horse retirement.

Good idea.  But I would like a choice too. The choice to round down.

I hate seeing $349.39 in my account. It makes me long for the old days where if I bet $40 to win on a $6 winner, I got $120. Not $120.11, but $120; six crisp twenty-spots.

Now with ten cent superfecta's, twin super-quadrefecta's or whatever they were called (I forgot, that Stronach idea didn't pass muster) we get those "micropayoffs". I can't stand them.

I would like Twinspires, HPI or the Expressbet people - and whomever else - to allow me to "round down". Any time my account has 49 or less as the last two significant digits - after any time I cash a ticket - take those pennies away. Stuff them in a little Al-Gorian lock box. Put them in the top shelf where they keep the peanut butter. I don't really care. Just get those nasty digits out of my account and make it "00".

Then, at the end of the month, or year, or whatever works, make a donation from me, to a horse retirement farm. Don't tell me how much is in there - I don't want to know -  just get rid of it and buy a retired horse a carrot, one of those balls they like to play with, or a new pair of shiny shoes.

"Ditch the digits". Buy a horse a pair of shoes. I like it.