Pritzker wins $1.4 million playing blackjack...

[JohnTChance]

News that billionaire Illinois Governor JB Pritzker won $1.4 million playing blackjack in Las Vegas caught my eye over the weekend. My first reaction was to shake my head and say “God Bless America!” Did he write a book and just snag a rich deal with a powerful publisher? Was this a political kickback, somehow, behind the scenes? Nope. His campaign quickly announced that he’s donating his winnings to charity. Apparently, Pritzker is pro-gambling both legislatively and recreationally. Still, a pro-casino governor literally beating the house is a chuckle.

And where was he when Arlington Park racetrack died? To racetrack fans and Arlington Heights civic boosters, Pritzker was an uninvolved governor who did nothing to stop the shuttering of Illinois’ most iconic racetrack. He stood against bailouts and stadium subsidies. Fiscally prudent, but cold.

A quick digression: Pritzker’s big win reminds me of something that happened years ago when I was sitting in a box at Monmouth Park with a group of trainers and owners. It was Haskell Day and the track was holding a big raffle with a hefty cash prize. Everyone had a ticket and was eager to see who’d win.

Before the seventh race, the track announcer came on and said, “Congratulations to… Frank Generazio! YOU’VE WON $$$$$!”

The entire box erupted in laughter â€" people practically fell out of their seats. Why? Because Frank Generazio, as the saying goes, “had more money than God.” Of all the people at Monmouth Park that day, he was probably the last one who needed the ten grandâ€"or whatever the prize was.

[You may remember Frank Generazio as the successful New England businessman who moved to New Jersey and became a respected owner, trainer, and breeder of fast turf sprinters like CONCORDE BOUND, PURE SENSATION, and others.]