A few thoughts to wrap up this summer venture:
First off, I'd like to thank everyone once again for the kind words and well wishes along the way. Steve has done a great job to nurture Derby Trail from a small e-mail group to the premier horse racing message board on the web and I think he would agree the biggest key to DT's success is the overwhelming positivity of its posters. This is true particularly in the Selections forum, where we all have different opinions, but are united in chasing the same goal of beating the game we love over time and as such, are always happy to see the other "play along" regulars do well. That mutual respect between the board's horseplayers is why I feel comfortable making my thoughts public, win, lose or draw.
When I started this thread, I knew I would be taking on more freelance work at my current job, but it turned into a full-time position and truthfully, it couldn't have come at a better time, as the end of Belmont and beginning of Saratoga stung financially. Even though I'm obviously happy with how things turned out, I do regret that I wasn't able to devote the time to this thread I'd originally planned. It would've been nice to make a profit this meet (which I would've done handily had it not been for Currency Union and Sakonnet Point both getting nipped on 7/26; still smarts), but I'm glad I was able to battle back from major holes several times and prevent the meet from being the total disaster it could've been.
Further allowing me to shake it off is that I'm still having a good year and the first six months of 2013 were easily the most successful I've had as a horseplayer. About a year ago, I had a realization that there was nowhere I felt more at home than handicapping a racecard. It was something I saw I never tired of, even when I was going lousy and I told Steve as much last summer. So I began to treat this game with the respect it deserves and re-dedicated myself to finding success at the races.
There's still plenty of time left in the year and things could easily go south, but regardless, my confidence as a player has grown immeasurably and permanently now that I know I put the work in to succeed. And part of that work is incorporating the insights of people like Steve and Andy, other guys who live and breathe this game and help everyday to develop the skills of horseplayers willing to learn.
As much of a letdown as it is when Saratoga ends, the upcoming fall months are really the meat and potatoes of the racing season, in which divisions are decided and the stars are out in full force across the country in preparation for the Breeders' Cup. So even though I don't have the time to keep up a daily thread anymore, I'll be starting plenty of dialogues throughout the fall about all the action and I look forward to hearing from everyone.
Thanks again for reading!
Joe
Amount Invested: $4,000
Amount Returned: $3,599.07
Net: -$400.93
$2 ROI: $1.80
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