PRINEVILLE —

Emerging from pickup trucks, SUVs and convertibles, thousands of horse racing fans pile into the Crook County Fairgrounds on a warm Wednesday evening for the Crooked River Roundup pari-mutuel races. Chatter starts to build in the covered grandstands — a sea of denim jeans, leather boots and cowboy hats — as horses and jockeys make their way to the starting gate.

The anticipation is elevated by the stakes. Many of the attendees have money on the line. Nothing big, but enough to keep their attention fixed on the horses’ every move.

Just as the first race of the event is about to start, short-term financial disaster strikes. A horse named My Secsea Senorita, one of the favorites to win, gets loose near the starting gate and makes a break for it down the track. Fans let out a collective groan that turns quickly to laughter as riders chase down the horse and remove it from the competition.

Sometimes, even losing money on a bet can be entertaining.

The payout can be better at an event like this, though, according to race director Dean Noyes, who serves on the Prineville City Council and has worked with the Crooked River Roundup for more than a decade. The house, he says, does not have an edge like it does at Las Vegas sports books.

“With the pari-mutuel bet, everybody pays into one pool,” Noyes explains. “The odds are determined by the number of people and how they’re betting, and the payouts are based on the pool of money that’s left in there.”

Noyes notes that betting conditions are set up based on the purses for each race. Those conditions — and the odds provided to bettors — are also dependent on the races that ended on Sunday at Grants Pass Downs in Southern Oregon. Because many of the horses at this event also raced in Grants Pass, the results and timing of those races have a direct impact on Prineville.

Fans of the Crooked River event are rarely tuned in to this information, adding to the uncertainty and excitement of placing a bet. Longtime attendees know to expect the unexpected with these horses.

That is why many experienced bettors try to maintain a consistent strategy. Jack Hamilton, a lifelong Prineville resident, has been coming to the races since the 1970s. He has developed a routine over the decades for evaluating horses in person and on paper. It is often the eye test that gives him the most insight.

“I get a look at all the horses when they come in the stables,” Hamilton says. “I’m looking to see how spirited they are. If one’s acting up real bad, then it’s probably safe not to bet on it because he’s going to have trouble coming out of the gate.”

For newcomers like Vickie Raaf, who moved to Prineville from Alaska in March, the materials provided by the event — a race program listing all the horses in each race, with post times and information such as jockeys and owners — serve as a guide for betting decisions. Opening night on Wednesday is her first time attending and betting on a horse race.

“I went with the name they gave us in the little cheat sheet,” Raaf says of her betting selection. “This event is awesome. I didn’t even know they had races here until my friend invited me to come along.”

Hamilton will often bet on the favorites as well, but he advises against “always betting on the rail (the horse with the rail, or inside, post position).” He says bettors can sometimes put too much faith in horses with the best odds, and that can be their downfall.

The chaotic, unpredictable nature of horse racing — especially at this level — adds to the fun of wagering money on the contest. Noyes keeps coming back to direct the event every year because of what he calls a “shared and embraced emotion” that exists in this kind of sporting event.

“When you’re standing there with thousands of other people cheering, it’s a real rush,” he says. “It’s like being at a live music concert. When you’re there, you’re not there just to listen to music, you’re there to share an experience with other people. I think that’s what we have here.”

Pressing a pinch of chewing tobacco into his lower lip, Hamilton cracks a half-smile and sums up his favorite part of the races:

“Winning,” he says.

—Reporter: 541-383-0307. rclarke@bendbulletin.com