thank you. i don't like gimmick bets especially, although i got the derby exacta (as exotic as i get), but put some money on midway to show after your posting and revisited the racing form and concluded that adding 6 seconds for the last 1/16th mile (that he had never run before)would at least put him even with the rest of the ilk. and it doesn't hurt to have MR's connections. thanks again for the tip-off!