After 30 years, the statute of limitations has passed and this story is worth telling.
The owners of Wild Again were Paul Allen and Larry Crovo. About a month before the first BC Classic, they sent WA to Sacramento for an "easy" race and he finished 3rd. The instructions were to finish out of the money, but the jock said WA really wanted to go. Allen and Crovo sup;plemented WA for $360k, a ridiculous sum for a 30-1 shot in the first BC Classic. Allen and Crovo were lifelong friends and cronies(race fixers?) and opted to go to vegas rather than the track. they settled in at Caesar's on Thursday. They liked gambling, booze, and women, in that order. The more they drank the more they bet...and these guys could drink!
Crovo convinced Allen that Gate Dancer was a hanger and couldn't pass horses.Allen never liked Van Berg and thought he was only a fraction of his father.
Allen and Crovo both agreed the Slew horse had no heart and would be overbet due to his father's reputation.
With 30 minutes to post, Crovo told Allen they had bet enough to win and now it was time to sit back and relax.Allen reminded Crovo that the supplemental fee was $360,000 and the race at Sacramento had set things up for a long price. Crovo went quiet and Allen went and did what he did best.....he went to the window with his last attache case of cash. Allen said he had no problem blowing every last nickel and reminded Crovo that they only live once.
When it came time for the gut wrenching photo, Allen and Crovo went to the men's room to await the result. Crovo placed the plastic wastebasket between the door and the wall, leaving about 10 inches so they could hear the biggest result of their lives. They said it seemed like the photo result took years. Cesars made arrangements to pay, with Allen and Crovo stating that with the supplemental fee being $360,000 they had to bet that much as well-all to WIN!