The Race Track

Mitch,  a hard-shell Southern Baptist,  loved to sneak away to the race track.  One day he was there betting on the ponies and nearly losing his shirt,  when he noticed this priest who stepped out onto the track and blessed the forehead of one of the horses lining up for the 4th race.

Lo and behold,  this horse - a very long shot - won the race.  Mitch was most interested to see what the priest did the next race.  Sure enough,  he watched the priest step out onto the track as the 5th-race horses lined up,  and placed this blessing on the forehead of one of the horses.

Mitch bet on it,  and it won!   Mitch was elated!  As the day went on,  the priest continued blessing one of the horses,  it would always come in first.

Mitch began to pull in some serious money,  and by the last race,  he knew his wildest dreams were going to come true.  He made a quick trip to the bank,  withdrew big money and awaited the priest's blessing that would tell him which horse to bet on.

True to his pattern, the priest stepped out onto the track before the last race and blessed the forehead,  eyes,  ears and hooves of one of the horses.  Mitchell bet every cent he had,  and watched in horror as the horse came in dead last.  Mitchell was dumbfounded.  He made his way to the track,   and when he found the priest,  he demanded an explanation!

"What happened,  Father? All day you blessed horses and they always won. The last race,  you blessed a horse and he lost.  Now I've lost my life's savings,  thanks to you!!"

The priest nodded wisely and said, "That's the problem with you Protestants,  you can't tell the difference between a simple blessing and the Last Rites".

Dennis Robb