A punter has chosen an unusual way to show off his tip during a day at the races.
Charles Town track in West Virginia has a casino, hotel and thoroughbred racecourse at its location 60 miles from Washington DC.
At this time of year the temperatures regularly dip below freezing and last Thursday it was snowing and the thermometer read -1.6C.
As a result not many braved the outdoors to watch the nine race card scheduled at the venue.
There was one exception when, following the first race which was won by the #2 horse a man ran onto the racecourse with only the bare necessities.
The bespectacled punter had stripped off to just a pair of white socks and sneakers and he was waving a sign.
The sign read, “Streaker #2 – bet to show again.” A show bet is one placed on a specific horse to finish first, second or third.
The man seemed to be enjoying himself as he danced in front of the stands and then jogged up the track behind a tractor which was harrowing the course.
Charles Town posted a clip of the track intrusion on its social media with the comment, “This is not the winning streak we handicapped on the #RaceCharlesTown card tonight.”
Charlie McIntosh, racing secretary at the West Virginia track, later told HorseRacingNation, “I’ve been in the business for quite some time, more than I’d like to say. This is the first time I’ve had that happen at a track where I’ve been employed.
“We look up, we’ve got this guy standing in the track with nothing but his sneakers on and a sign. Whatever that message is, what he was trying to convey, I’m not quite sure.”
McIntosh said neither security nor local police had managed to apprehend the streaker.
“By the time we got security down there, he was running across the apron and escaped over the perimeter fence there and jerked on some clothes and got in his car and left,” he added.
“We had a description of the vehicle, we gave it to the police department. We’ve not heard anything at this point.
“Very few people were out on the apron, so he didn’t quite get the exposure he thought. It was kind of a first for me, a first for the track.
Horse #2, perhaps appropriately named Whale Of A Time, finished last in race two.
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