what got you in .. why is horseracing ...

[Dunbar]

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

[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)

[pmacdaddy]

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.

[Heels1989]

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.

[philcski]

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.

[Holland Hacker]

I first went to Monmouth in 1981 on a whim. My friends brother was going and asked if we wanted to go. As it turns out it was a big day at the track as we saw Five Star Flight win the the Monmouth Invitational (now known as the Haskell). He tried to show us how to read a form and a program, I'm still learning. I've been into racing ever since then.

What has kept me involved is the "Puzzle" aspect and knowing that it is parimutuel wagering and all my experience and "knowledge" should one day provide an advantage over the people that are betting names, numbers and colors. I'm still waiting for the elusive big score, hope it comes soon, real soon.

After reading most of the these posts I think I might actually be PMACDADDY's long lost brother.

I too am in a profession dealing with numbers (accounting) as he is and enjoy spending time at the track with my 5 year old son.

[moke0043]

A Texas bred horse by the name of YESSIRGENERALSIR got me into the sport.

[Riot]

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?

[Danzig]

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.

[Riot]

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).

[Pedigree Ann]

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 know I watched Venetian Way and Bally Ache and Celtic Ash in the 1960 Triple Crown races because I drew strangely proportioned but labelled pictures of the winners with blankets of flowers over their withers. (Only 8, you see, and not particularly artistically talented.) Native Dancer is supposed to have been the first racehorse TV star, back in 1953.