The Sure Thing

Originally Aired: November 11, 1954 In Suspense #571, "The Sure Thing," Phil Brannon is an independent bookie who has built his success on a sharp understanding of horses and calculated risks. When Marty, a syndicate representative, offers Phil a place in their organization, Phil refuses, confident he can eventually buy his way in on his own terms with their money. Phil has been making steady wins against the syndicate while supporting his girlfriend Eileen, who grows impatient waiting for him to earn enough to divorce his wife Barbara and start fresh. Phil's ambitions take a dramatic turn when a mysterious stable boy tips him off about a fixed race. After verifying that the favorite will be scratched, Phil sees his opportunity for the big score he's been waiting for. He places a staggering quarter million dollars on Happy Wanderer, betting money that isn't his. As Phil frantically pushes through the crowd at the track with Eileen, desperate to witness the finish of the eighth race, his carefully constructed plans hang in the balance. The sure thing he's been chasing may prove far less certain than he believed.