[banter]

My user name is Banter, and I have eaten chalk.

During the past year, 2006, I have been a follower of chalk trainers and have lost money.

Hey! I still have the Excel charts to prove that betting the chalk trainers, namely Pletcher, Rigatierri, Wolfendale, Morey, Vaders, Trombetta, Clark, Ziadie, Hollendorfer, Beattie (both Todd and Stephanie), Autrey, etc., will lose money in the long run. Less than a 30% win rate, 60% ITM--at the chalk rates those trainers get at the window--wil garner selective returns but wil not pull an overall profit in this game.

Only Catalano, Miyadi, and Klesaris--largely claining trainers with win rates above 30% and 60% ITM--have posted nominally positive ROIs for 2006. No wonder I was a heavy backer of Catalano's Dreaming Of Anna in the BC. That trainer has proven himself over the long haul (I would like to cast my vote for Catalano for Trainer of the Year). I would be happy to see Miyadi and Klesaris have similar opportunities in the BC. But that's a subject for another thread.

I have been sober from betting chalk since Siphon City. He posted an ultra-commanding win in the Prairie Meadows BC (of course I was not on him in that one) and tanked thereafter (of course I was on him in those).

After SC's loss in FL I stopped betting chalk, either by horse or trainer.

For the record, I had four of nine winners on BC day (the crowd was such that I couldn't make my way into Churchill Downs in time for the first race)--It's No Joke, Dreaming Of Anna, Miesque's Approval, and Invasor. None of those were first favorite in their respective races, but even with MA I did well to break even.

I will say this--as a former chalkeater, sometimes it's all I can do to resist the temptation to bet chalk.

So I should ask: What's the 12-step program to help chalkeaters resist?