[Thunder Gulch]

The joy of handicapping is the intellectual challenge picking winners for me. Though I follow racing consistently, I don't play more than 15 days a year, so the money is somewhat secondary, though I like winning as much as the next guy. I do expect to win, but being brutally realistic, the days I go are often the toughest cards of the year and breaking even is a challenge. I'm confident in my handicapping and feel like I am as good as any intermediate player on most days. However, I have a family and a nice career, so having the time to watch races and put the work that it takes into winning daily isn't feasible. Build a pile of money, retire at 50, and then see what I can do with racing down the road...on the other hand, I play sports betting to win money. Don't confuse that with being a handicapper. Much like racing, I know I can't put in 60 hours a week on that, but I am not ashamed to admit that I purchase selections from pros that I have been with for 10 years. Before some of you rush to condemn me, consider that I am a winning gambler while 99.9% of the guys who are too proud to pay for information are losing on their own picks..