why we love the game....

[Sightseek]

Originally Posted by Suffolk Shippers

My grandfather was an MP in WWII, which made him a crazy history buff as well. In studying early civilization wars, so many of them involved horses, from the turn of time through the Civil War and beyond. As he told me, over time he fell in love with the horse, whether it be a wild west stallion, pony, or a thoroughbred. I remember growing up looking at picture books of all kinds of horses. One memory I remember quite clear was Preakness weekend in 1988. My folks had left me and my sister with my grandparents, as they traveled to Maine for a weekend wedding. On that Saturday was the Preakness where Risen Star slipped by Winning Colors. I watched my first race with my grandfather, the penultimate horse lover, who never once placed a wager in his life. Gramps was "pulling" for the filly. The next day, as any Celtics or NBA classics fan will attest to, was the epic battle between Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird in the Hawks-Celtics series.

It was a great weekend. My grandfather was then, and always will be my hero. A decorated veteran who risked his life in the war the defines the world we live in, and a life long fire fighter who made a living risking his life to aide total strangers. Oh, and he's the reason I love horses and horse racing.

As for why I choose racing as my gambling choice, I look at it this way. Anyone can pull the lever of a slot machine, or get lucky on a scratch ticket. It doesn't take any skill or understanding of value. I'm lost in any casino until I find a race book. I don't know any cards games, save for go fish! and all those drinking games I perfected in college. What I like about racing is it takes skill. It takes having a value system and sticking to it. It's about me trying to outsmart you and take your money, but not as enemies. It's me trying to find the angle that you missed and turning it into a winning one. But, at the end of the day, we are just doing what we enjoy, win or lose.

Nice thread idea, hooves. I'm glad some people who might not be too heavy into the gambling aspect can have a chance to share their stories. Fact of the matter is, there is absolutely nothing wrong with starting off small, enjoying horses from books, or enjoying a race horse based on that animal's backstory (ie Evening Attire, Funny Cide or Nicanor, for example). For every person who enjoys racing for the animals and wagers sporadically, if it all, there is a person like me who enjoyed the game from a far growing up, and grew into enjoying the wagering aspect on a regular basis. All too often those people who are not necessarily on the wagering aspect are some what drowned out on here, and that's not right.

Looking forward to reading what everyone else has to say.

This is a really nice post, especially the part about your Grandfather.

[Danzig]

the horses got me involved. been horse crazy as long as i can remember. read every black stallion book who knows how many times...i laid my hands on just about anything horse related, so it was no surprise that i got into racing-i have a very competitive nature, so it just makes sense i guess. betting came much later, i never made it to a track til i was older, no one else in my old family had any interest at all. but now my husband likes to go on occasion, and all three of my kids have gone to the track several times. my youngest had his older sister making bets for him last summer since she was 'of age'. next thing i knew, he was taking care of it himself (he's 17 btw), feeding vouchers and pushing buttons. i told him if the folks at arlington threw him out he would have to sit on the curb and wait because we weren't leaving til the last race!

[Scurlogue Champ]

I've decided I don't like it anymore.

I quit.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

Originally Posted by Scurlogue Champ

I've decided I don't like it anymore.

I quit.

smart ass alert

[dagolfer33]

Originally Posted by Scurlogue Champ

I've decided I don't like it anymore.

I quit.

I agree, I am sick of it as well.........hmm......looks like an interesting allowance race tomorrow at Belmont.....got to go look at some pps, but yeah Im sick of it.

[Indian Charlie]

That ATM card I found was burning a hole in my pocket.

That and everyone at my school and at my temple played the ponies.

I got hooked when I bet an exacta of Quip Star to Cachuma (boxed) and it paid like $400, despite them having run 1-2 together in their previous start.

It seemed like such easy money at that point!

Then I got hooked into the sporting aspect of it.

[dagolfer33]

Ok, seriously. Like many others have posted, I grew up as a child and early teen attending Jefferson Downs, Fairgrounds and the Old Evangeline Downs. I knew nothing of betting, but I have always loved horses. When I became of age, I delved deeply into casino gambling. I would still attend live racing a couple of times a year, but never envisioned it would satiate my gambling needs compared to casino betting. But after many years of destructive and addictive casino trips and just getting married and trying to start a family I knew I had to change my lifestyle around but realized I still needed to be in some kind of action. I then turned to horseracing...learning the game, learning how to analyze the information and form opinions about how to bet and what to bet. The first putoff for me was the work involved to be successful. But once I saw the fruits of the effort being rewarded, I have never looked back. This game is perfect for me, my mind is a trap for trivial information. So in the 5 years that I have concentrated on this game, I have memorized trainers, jockeys, pedigree info, and have learned which other avenues are worth pursuing in order to find the knowledge necessary to survive in this game. My main weakness in this game is also my main strength: I have a real soft spot in my heart for the horses. So I really care about the horses and the people involved that put their lives on the line for this game we all love.

[PPerfectfan]

This is a cool thread, thanks for posting it. My mother trained QH's before I was born and I was raised on the backside of Delta Downs, EVE, The Fair Grounds, and every match track from Krotz Springs to several in Miss., that I cant tell you about.lol My strongest memory after all these years, is that my mother always put the horses first, before money or on our small scale, fame. I watched tons of times her tell an owner to come pick up a horse if he wouldnt allow a horse rest when it needed it. I have also been in the winners circle at the old EVE getting our picture taken after setting a track record and a man walk by and ask our owner if he was finally gonna get a man trainer....men! My first crush was Randy Romero! My mom and his dad matched horses all the time and I followed that poor boy around forever.I always just loved horses, 2k claimers to our stakes horses. And I always knew my mom would kick my ass if I didnt do my best by them no matter what. And I will always respect her for that.I started following TB's when a family friend went to work for Richard Mandella in 1982...yes 1982, and I have lived vicarously through her as she went around the world with Kotoshan,SandPit,Soul of the Matter, The Tin Man and my boy Pleasantly Perfect. She has had plenty of chances to move up to asst. trainer,but her love is the horses and thats what she does everyday. And thats why I pull for all of the Mandella horses.

[joeydb]

Hooves, decided to repost from a similar thread I made a while back:
http://www.derbytrail.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26184

My first time at the race track was as a young boy around 1979 or so. My dad, who still likes racing but is not a frequent bettor, decided to take our family to Atlantic City race course. We had a blast. I made -- er, "recommended" -- a few bets and a few of them hit. We watched from the grandstand, and I remember that was the first time I had ever been that close to see a bunch of real horses running as we lived outside of Philly in south Jersey where everything is really dense and suburban. They were also having a "free T-Shirt" day -- something that seems like a good marketing move even today.

Fast forward almost a decade when I was in freshman year of college, and I found a newstand that sold advance editions of the Daily Racing Form, with "Past Performances for Saturday". Thursday night if possible, Friday night if need be, I'd take over the kitchen table with calculators, pads of paper, and highlighters, trying to discern who had a chance the next day at Garden State Park or Philadelphia Park. Buddies of mine from the neighborhood would call or stop in, some would help out -- and then on Saturday we'd attack the track. Always fun -- sometimes profitable.

One thing my college buddies still talk about is when about six of us went to Philly Park and we all each hit a $600 trifecta. I gotta tell you, even cheap college beer goes down like Dom Perignon after a day like that.

[Ogygian]

I was 11 years old when my dad took me to Erie Downs, at least twice per week we head out there with my $8-$10 a bet nothing but $2 show every race. By the end of the meet I would still have my $8-$10 and a large jar full of change. On the big days we would head to the OTB in Ripley, New York. Looking back on that dump, I'm surprised I didn't get kidnapped, what a hole in the ground.
Then I was hooked on Thoroughbred Digest with Chris Lincoln...getting to know all the best horses at the time...Lady's Secret, Ogygian,Groovy, Turkoman, Manilla, Theatrical,..etc...
Then in 87 we made our first trip to Saratoga...bet $2 to show on Polish Navy that year and he came through for me. I just saw him a few weeks ago at Old Friends along with Ogygian. What great memories and they both only have one eye....
Then in 88 it was all Easy Goer, what a thrill to see him run in the Traver's!!
Fast forward to today, not much into the gambling side...walk into Presque Isle with a $100 on the big days and $40 bucks on others. More into the memorabilia side, saddle cloths, bobbles, photos, signed photos, tickets...etc.
I enjoy my job now, but I believe I missed my calling doing something in the horse racing industry.

[jmhartt]

Long time lurker on this and several other gambling related forums. Enjoy reading everyone's posts and thought I would share my story.

About 15 years ago on a family vacation to New Mexico, we stopped at Riudoso Downs for a day of quarter horse racing. I'll never forget the first horse I bet on, Tequilamockingbird, probably because I had just read the book To Kill A Mockingbird in middle school. The horse went off at 6 or 7-1 and I walked up to the window with my mom to make a $2 win bet. Of course, the horse wins, and the rest is history. I remember holding that $14-16 bucks in my hand and thinking I was on top of the world.

Flash forward to about 5 years ago, I had about an hour long break at my job every morning. An old retired truck driver would stop by every day during our break and bring his Dallas Morning News with him, so we could pick out our ponies at Lone Star Park for the day while we ate breakfast. Whoever picked the least correct from the day before had to buy breakfast the next day for the other 3 guys. After I bought breakfast for about a month straight, I started to get my hands on everything I could horse-related. Started going to the track with the old truck driver (Louisiana Downs) and fell in love with the sport. Actually got halfway decent at it and stopped buying breakfast for the other guys too. Sad to say the old truck driver whom I had befriended found out he had kidney cancer, went through chemo, beat the cancer and then died in a car wreck one day coming home from dialysis. Going to the track reminds me of him and all the good times we shared and kind of makes me feel like I'm carrying out his legacy, because I know he loved to be there.

I choose horse racing as my primary gambling choice because of the skill involved. I love a challenge, and it seems every race I handicap creates a new one.

Like I said, I thoroughly enjoy reading everyones opinions/posts and would like to thank you Steve for the excellent site you have to bring so many people together that enjoy the same thing.