DRF Feature about Pittsburgh Phil

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by fpsoxfan

Here's a piece I found, including some of his Saratoga experiences.

“Sphinx-like he would watch his favorites come down the stretch. If he won there would be as little trace of animation on his stoic face as there would be signs of disappointment if he lost. No one could read his mind, his hopes or his fears.

That is the mystique - the reality (at least from the most respected sources of the day) was that he behaved like Phil Hellmuth when he lost and was a complainer when he didn't like a weight assignment on a horse he owned.

The disadvantages of the times for bettors: Very few horses, few races that would pass as good betting races today - though the handicaps were severe to make them better betting races. And no exotic wagering - which meant you had to bet A LOT of money to make a name for yourself.

Other than that - things favored the bettor so much it's comical.

In those days, some of the most famous bettors made incredible sums of money, were treated like Paris Hilton by the press, the public was fascinated with them, and some dated well known actresses and singers.

Imagine today, some guy coming out of the city of Pittsburgh with his prior background in the intellectually heavy cock-fight game ... and he's worth $80 million by the time he's 43 years-old.

The way the books were described in the Mid-West and Far-West for a short stretch in a few old columns - it would be almost impossible to not make money so long as you had basic math skills. The newbies getting into bookmaking would sometimes open horses at fat odds that would go off favorites or as short priced contenders come post time.