My father and grandfather and others in my family were all degenerate horse gamblers.
As were some of the regulars at a little bar my dad owned/booked bets from. That was of course after his illustrious betting coup/training career was halted.
I guess I was a big hit in the bar. They named a sandwhich after me - and I was all about giving horse and sports betting advice as long as the recipiant of my fine advice gave me a quarter to go play pac-man after I was finished.
In 1991 I cashed a bet on my first big longshot winner - I believe it came on the same card as when Dance Smartly won the second leg of her Canadian Triple Crown sweep. Through the magic of technology and BRIS Cd's I now know that the winner, Time To Gogo, finished her brilliant career with a 1-for-25 record.
Concern's win in the '94 Classic - when I had the exacta straight and called him winning a last-to-first pace meltdown - that was when I first thought I was a genius...and believed myself.
Perhaps that race played the biggest role in the obsession I got to take handicapping and betting as seriously as I do....or at least did.
|