Blessing the Ponies

A Baptist preacher visited New York, and since he had never gone to see a horse race, he decided to attend one.

He entered and sat next to a priest and watched as the priest put his finger on the name of a horse on the racing form and blessed it. Lo and behold that horse wins the race! Again he watches as the priest puts his finger on a horse’s name and blesses it. Again that horse wins the race.

Now this Baptist preacher had never placed a bet or gambled in his life, but this was too much for him, so he gets up and as soon as he sees the priest place his finger and bless another horse. Going to the betting window, he places a $100 bet on that same horse.

Returning to his seat, he arrives in time to see the race begin and this horse take the lead, suddenly falling dead like a rock and throwing the jockey unto the track.

Stunned, he looks at the priest and asks him why the horse had died. He said, I watched you bless the names of the last two horses and they won, what happened this time?”

The priest asks him what his religion was, and he replies “Baptist.”

The priest says, “that explains it, obviously you couldn’t tell the difference between a blessing and last rites.”