My grandfather took my dad to the races back in the days of the Maryland fair circuit.As he tells it his father told him he needn't tell his mother where they had been
I remember watching the Derbys of the early 70's with my dad and sister who was 6 years my junior but into racing more than myself.She cried when Alydar lost and claimed how unfair it was that her teams(Redskins and Orioles) always got the short end of it(We hated Roger Staubach and the Mets) and now Alydar let her down.
About that time I was more into substance experimentation than horseracing.I had dabbled in racing in eigth grade with friends who had taken me out to Bowie Race Course and soon after we were booking each others bets on a daily basis until we discovered one of the guys was getting the results from the radio.
Fast forward to Affirmed's 3yo season.Late in the fall a friend from work takes me to Charles Town.I bet an exacta in an early race and Voila it hits.I go to cash and the teller informs me I must choose another exacta.The race I played was called the Big exacta,like a daily double except you turn in your ticket if you win the first half to play the next race.My buddy tells me the favorite is a lock and I need to choose a second horse.The one I picked ran third and the payoff with the second place finisher paid $1,100.
At that moment I realized a horseplayer was born.The substance experimentation dwindled as a newfound high was discovered.The next day I was at Laurel and I haven't stopped playing since.