play the ponies

Each weekend typically involved seeing a play, going to a couple of restaurants, hearing jazz one night, going to the Museum of Modern Art or the Whitney Museum of American Art and maybe even running out to Belmont Park on Sunday to play the ponies.

D’Amato settled into a regular routine of going to class from 8 a.m. until noon and then, with friends Raj Mutti, Cash Vessels and Justin Larsen, would head either to a bowling alley or the dog track to play the ponies.

The I.R.S. gave him an allowance of $200 a month, so he borrowed money to play the ponies.

Vermonters for Health Care Freedom claim, “Clearly the governor loves to have a good time and play the ponies, but he is gambling with every Vermonter’s future when he rolls the dice on Green Mountain Care.”

It appears he didn’t play the ponies, cheat on his wife, Dora, or sue anyone, and when he died in 1929, his obituary was curt.