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  #21  
Old 11-13-2007, 08:10 AM
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TheSpyder TheSpyder is offline
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Earliest memory was Randall Park in Cleveland as an eight year old with my mom. She loved the races...and the rest is history.

Later growing up from 14 on would go to the Big T (Thistledowns) through high school. If you've been there you know you can only go up from there and next track was Churchil for the Derby.

Being in sales traveled the US taking in most tracks.

Why do I do this? The challenge, excitement, horses, the people. Yea, gambling is a big part of it but becoming less, especially thanks to Steve, in the enjoyment of learning more about the sport...and having your own (albeit small part) of a horse.

Bottomline it's one of the few things in life where you get back more than you put in.

Spyder
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  #22  
Old 11-13-2007, 08:38 AM
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Growing up in the Albany area, some of my earliest memories are times spent at Saratoga. At some point, I got a program and $2 per race budget. Still remember the first DD I hit. Think both horses had "Irish" in the name...

Had some seriously unexplainable success in Jr. High / Highschool playing Yonkers and NY Circuit Flats when I barely knew my ass from my elbow. Like many, this "beginners luck" or whatever it was really raised my interest level.

Went to college, met a girl whose Dad was a harness owner. Married her of course and that is what really got me interested in the ownership stuff. Figured it was years off till DT Stables rolled around....

Currently engrossed with puzzle described well above. Learning to study more and play less..

As a bean counter, finance guy and general oddball, horseracing just suits me...
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  #23  
Old 11-13-2007, 08:42 AM
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Like Riot I got into racing because of the horse. The beauty and will of these animals as they are flying by you is unbeatable. Unlike many athletes they don't whine and complain about their pay. And Riot, again you are right, getting on the back of one of these animals and moving with them is a feeling that cannot be duplicated. Your spirit soars. Can't wait to get out of the office and get on the back of Tom, the 15 year old thoroughbred I ride. He makes everything better.

Oh, and cashing a few nice tickets doesn't hurt either!
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  #24  
Old 11-13-2007, 08:43 AM
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I was born and raised in Saratoga....grew up on a street where Braulio Baeza, Mac Miller, Robyn Smith, Laffit Pincay, Leroy Jolley, and other track people stayed in homes that they rented for the month of August....My Grandmother use to take me to the track for breakfast when I was little also.
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  #25  
Old 11-13-2007, 09:11 AM
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Working with some Jamaicans at a local golf course as a kid and getting to go to the otb after the round
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  #26  
Old 11-13-2007, 09:15 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gales0678
Working with some Jamaicans at a local golf course as a kid and getting to go to the otb after the round
Get up wit dat numba two Mon!!!
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  #27  
Old 11-13-2007, 09:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by letswastemoney
Oh the Racing Form is just hosh posh. Picking the gray horse is still in!!
Dad, I didn't know you posted here!

Just kidding, but that is my old mans philosophy,
The first race I saw was on tv in the 1981 derby when Pleasant Colony won. I was 9. That winter my father took me to Aqueduct, I thought that place was great. But my father only took me to the track a handfull of times. I really didn't fall in love with it until much later in life. My friends and I used to go to Atlantic City every weekend. After a while I want an alternitive to blackjack and craps. That's when I found the track, but then it was just about gambling. Eventually it turned into a love of the sport. Now I am trying to share my love of the sport with my 4 year old (pictured in the left hand corner) He has been to Monmouth and Freehold (which he calls the hurtin track) at least 20 times. He watches it on TV with me and we even play Saratoga with his Lego blocks. That's where I bulid a paddock and a starting gate out of legos and he puts his horses in and they race. We even bought him this electronic track for Christmas that comes with 4 horses and jockeys, it looks so cool. I can't wait for the day to come where both of my boys are old enough to go to Saratoga.
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  #28  
Old 11-13-2007, 09:35 AM
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oilertige oilertige is offline
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Default Good Reading!

Like some others, my first interest in racing was with harness horses. My big brother would take me to Raceway Park in Toledo (was then a dump and still is!) or Scioto Downs in Columbus. I have many friends who are owners in harness racing and still will do harness races following their interests (never miss the Jug!) As a youngster, remember watching TV and all the Triple Crown races but first real betting moment was the Monarchos Derby in 2001! I was in Vegas in the sports book @ Bally's. The place was packed and alive! I hit the tri and I was hooked!
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  #29  
Old 11-13-2007, 09:53 AM
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As a 10 year old in 1973 I went to the Sonoma County Fair in Santa Rosa with my grandparents. I loved watching the races, and the $2 show bets that my grandmother made for me made it that much more fun. I would stay at their house for a week and go to the races everyday. We went to the Solano County Fair in Vallejo one day and I found a Racing Form on the ground on the way out of the track. I remember looking at in the car and being amazed that I could see the past performances of the horses. Once I understood what I was looking at, the races took on an even greater experience for me. From then on I was buying the Form and handicapping every time I went to the track. I was hooked.

Then came Seattle Slew in 1977, and Affirmed in 1978, and The Bid in 1979. What a great time to get involved the game. Seattle was and will always be my hero.
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  #30  
Old 11-13-2007, 09:57 AM
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I grew up in Miami in a pre-Dolphins, pre-Marlins, pre-Heat era. Horseracing was a big deal in the newspapers and on TV. Being a racing fan wasn't as unusual as it is now. The 6 O'clock and 11 O'clock TV news routinely showed the stretch drives of big stakes races from around the country.

Friends of my family owned Sherluck, the '61 Belmont winner. Other family friends owned Stratmat, a claimer that won some stakes races. It was a charge watching these horses on national TV.

After I left Miami for college, it was harder to keep up with racing news. I remember having to go deep into the Sports Section to find out the result of the race in which Seattle Slew faced Affirmed, but both lost to Exceller.

I was capping as a kid, even though I couldn't bet. My betting on horses didn't start until after at least 15 years of serious (and successful) blackjack play. When Ziemba and Hausch published their books on looking for overlays in the place, show, and exotic pools, I tried it out for awhile. Results were mostly negative.

Stanford Wong, author of what's still considered the card counter's bible, thought he had found the key to beating claiming races in the late 80's. I moved to Las Vegas for 6 months to try it out, spending a lot of time in the Stardust's racebook alongside Wong himself. In the end I decided that Wong's ideas, if they worked, didn't yield enough good bets to be worth my time. But I also had learned a lot about capping in the process. I added to that knowledge base over time.

In general I'm willing to invest more money and time into games like blackjack and video poker, where I KNOW I have an edge, than in games like poker and horseracing, where I THINK I have an edge. But there's no denying that horseracing (and poker) are infinitely more interesting and challenging.

The result is that my betting is generally limited to races I'm paying attention to because of my fan interest.

Geez, what a long-winded answer!

--Dunbar
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Curlin and Hard Spun finish 1,2 in the 2007 BC Classic, demonstrating how competing in all three Triple Crown races ruins a horse for the rest of the year...see avatar
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  #31  
Old 11-13-2007, 10:00 AM
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Judging by people's answers, it seems the most important point for creating new fans is for them to be exposed to the track as youngsters.

Does anyone know when the Derby was first televised on national TV?

I think the first time I saw a horse race was Northern Dancer winning in 1964, but that may be confused childhood memories ... I know I remember reading about it in the Sunday paper (I was a horse-crazy kid and looked for anything about horses, everywhere)
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  #32  
Old 11-13-2007, 10:11 AM
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phystech phystech is offline
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Grew up just down the road from Laurel Raceway (harness track) and used to get tips from the drivers/trainers who would come into town to do their laundry. I'd always fanagle a free season pass from one of them, then would get my exercise by running the 2 miles to the track most nights. Made a lot of money off those tips as a teenager.

My father's side of the family loved gambling - horses, playing cards, slots, you name it. Spent a lot of Saturdays with my father, a cousin and an uncle at Laurel, Pimlico, Bowie, Timonium, Charles Town, Shennendoah Downs. Used to really love tagging along on those Bowie/Shennendoah marathon days.

Went to high school with the Dutrow brothers. Spent a lot of time with Tony and Rick at Bowie during the winter, and always laughed my ass off at Rick and his charades.

My father had hoped to own a horse someday. He died before he ever got the chance. After his death, we found money from his overtime work he had been stashing away in a sock. A buddy of his came forward after the funeral and told us they were saving to buy a horse together. He died in his sleep 24 years ago today - at the age of 49 - after he had spent the day at Laurel watching the Washington DC International.

I happened upon a racing usergroup on the internet 12 years ago and they were trying to buy a horse by putting together a partnership. I put in $400 and became a horse owner a few weeks later. I've been lucky enough to be involved as an owner ever since. Guess you could say I'm living my father's dream......
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  #33  
Old 11-13-2007, 10:19 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riot
Judging by people's answers, it seems the most important point for creating new fans is for them to be exposed to the track as youngsters.
I can see it now, "Addict a Child to Gambling Day" at Aqueduct. They could give out ice cream cones with "mystery vouchers wrapped around the bottom. The first 1,000 fans age 12 and under...

After all, today toddlers are tomorrow's degenerate horseplayers.

Kidding aside, I do really enjoy spending time with my 5YO son at Track.
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  #34  
Old 11-13-2007, 10:32 AM
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Heels1989 Heels1989 is offline
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I too, grew up in the Capital District and my grand parents were long time owners and regulars at Saratoga Harness. My grandfather served as a groom for many years and during the summer months and my school breaks, he would bring me along in the mornings. Alls I ever wanted to do was get in the sulky, but I was to young/small, so I mucked stalls, grazed horses, cleaned the tack, etc. Looking back, I was probably a total pain in the a$$, but now 30 years later I wish I had better appreciated and understood the access and opportunity my grandfather had provided.. My parents also purchased a few standardbreds during this time which only added to the fun.

I also spent a many August afternoon across the street at the SPA chasing jockeys for autographs and goggles. I loved the place then and even more so now.

Biggest score as a kid: My buddy and I were running thru the grandstand upstairs. We look down and see a C-note mixed in with some tossed aside tickets. No one was around. We grabbed the $100 and off we went.

Biggest score as an adult: Getting my wife to marry me.
Second biggest: To date, my 1st and only tax ticket, this past spring at Laurel Park Simulcast. A buddy and I hit a nice Pick 4 at Charlestown.
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  #35  
Old 11-13-2007, 11:03 AM
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Quote:
Kidding aside, I do really enjoy spending time with my 5YO son at Track.
I'm sure he'll grow up to remember the race track as a happy place, time spent with you.

Maybe those tracks that offer family days, clowns, pony rides and facepainting for the young kids are not so far off on creating a future fan base?
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  #36  
Old 11-13-2007, 11:03 AM
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Danzig Danzig is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Riot
Judging by people's answers, it seems the most important point for creating new fans is for them to be exposed to the track as youngsters.

Does anyone know when the Derby was first televised on national TV?

I think the first time I saw a horse race was Northern Dancer winning in 1964, but that may be confused childhood memories ... I know I remember reading about it in the Sunday paper (I was a horse-crazy kid and looked for anything about horses, everywhere)
i remember reading that native dancer was a fan fave. the grey stood out on those black and white screens.

first televised in 1952 btw....google told me so. hill gail won that year.


on the radio starting in 1931.
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  #37  
Old 11-13-2007, 11:09 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pmacdaddy
As a bean counter, finance guy and general oddball, horseracing just suits me...
At least you freely admit it....

I got into the game when my older brother took me to Detroit Race Course in 1980. I was hooked instantly. I only attended DRC a few times with my brother (2+ hrs away) and then I was off to college and several hours from the nearest track so the itch had to be put on the back burner. A transfer to the University of Florida in 1985 suddenly put me 2 or so hours from Tampa Bay Downs. I would blow off class and drive in my Subaru to TBD usually on a weekday because I didn't want to give up my social life on the weekends (the only exception was Tampa Bay Derby day). That usually put me in a mostly empty track with a couple thousand senior citizens. I would always arrive as they opened the doors because that was when I could purchase the Form for the day (no newstand outside the Bay Area carried the Form). I would handicap like a maniac until the first post. I wouldn't allow myself a beer until I cashed a ticket (didn't want to waste what little bankroll I had on booze, but if I was buying with the track's money, it was okay).

Today it is not much different, instead of skipping class to go to the track, I skip work.

That aside, as Hooves said, it is all about the puzzle....
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  #38  
Old 11-13-2007, 11:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Danzig
i remember reading that native dancer was a fan fave. the grey stood out on those black and white screens. first televised in 1952 btw....google told me so. hill gail won that year. on the radio starting in 1931.
Thanks for the info on television - my memory of watching it is probably real, then (versus the endless enjoyable hours I've spent in the KY Derby Museum watching old Derby replays).
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  #39  
Old 11-13-2007, 11:27 AM
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My mother grew up in Miami, and my grandmother and aunt used to take me to Hialeah and Gulfstream as a young boy, in fact one of my last memories with my grandmother was the '84 Flamingo where one of my all time favorites suffered his one and only defeat. My dad ran numbers for a bookie as a kid and developed a "big day" type interest in the game so we always watched the Triple Crown and had a couple Belmont/Saratoga days a year. Always had an OTB down the block and hung around there. As team sports got more and more dull (as they have over the last 15 years), the appeal of racing (and gambling on the outcome!) grew.
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  #40  
Old 11-13-2007, 11:34 AM
blackthroatedwind blackthroatedwind is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hoovesupsideyourhead

save the smart ass answers please......

That precludes my response.
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