It's the day of the race all the best are in place
The announcer urges take your seats the pistol's set to fire
A long winter has passed horses gather on the grass
Stand patient while the jockeys shrink and straighten their attire
The gunman gets the word
Nods and pulls the trigger
The little things all go right you get lucky tonight
And the crowd on their feet knows the smell of defeat
And the taste of victory is a coincident affair
They curse at their luck a collapsing aqueduct
There's a darker horse in every heat, a more deserving prayer
The last place makes a move
Takes the curve and runs the backstretch through
The little things all go right
You get lucky tonight
Cigar smoke, bourbon broke; the anecdote is real
Flashbulbs pop, the moment stops, everyone is still
Then furious, a sure thing doesn't get lucky
In the parking lot at the track all the grandstand lights go black
You can't control the animals, the animals control you