"The Kid" character in Beyer's book?

[TheEdge07]

In Beyers book My 50,000 Year At The Racetrack Beyer writes about The Kid in a few chapters.The Kid followed Andy around the track...

Anyone knows who this character may have been?

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Andy Serling

[Robert Goren]

Andy Serling I believe TLG is too young to be the kid.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

You might be right. This was "the kid" that traveled to Gulfstream with him and shared the work.

[BIG49010]

Serling was 11 in 1973 when he and his family moved from Princeton, N.J., to Saratoga Springs, a few blocks from the track.

Beyer book was written in 1977.

I don't think too many kids 15 years old are hanging out, chain smoking and going to the track, per my memory of the book.

[wiffleball whizz]

Trying to figure out how or why my Serling vs Thomas thread was closed....just a friendly debate as to who would win a contest at both their respective tracks?!

They both should be honored that I even give them the time of my day to say they are the 2 best in industry....no ill harm was meant from my end!!!!

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Both are professionals. I have to give TLG a lot of credit as he works very hard and has the guts to put his opinion on the line at all times.

[Thebigguy]

Trying to figure out how or why my Serling vs Thomas thread was closed....just a friendly debate as to who would win a contest at both their respective tracks?!

They both should be honored that I even give them the time of my day to say they are the 2 best in industry....no ill harm was meant from my end!!!!

Its Serling in a landslide. Its not even close.

[PaceAdvantage]

Trying to figure out how or why my Serling vs Thomas thread was closed....just a friendly debate as to who would win a contest at both their respective tracks?!

They both should be honored that I even give them the time of my day to say they are the 2 best in industry....no ill harm was meant from my end!!!!Yeah, I'm sure they'll covet your endorsement... :lol:

The thread was closed because it will simply serve as a forum to bash one over the other...like I said, nobody wins in a thread like that...

[TheEdge07]

Brad Free hit a pick 6 last year on a $32 ticket (or something in the neighorhood)
Beer
Salvatore
CJ
Keendland Dan
Serling
Free
Pick 6 King
Jay Frederick
JJ Surfside

Even a few on here are pretty good we all have our days..

[cj]

It is not Andy Serling, he has said so himself on here.

[Little Watermelon]

I asked Beyer after one of his Saratoga "Talking Horses" sessions; he did not identify him personally but said he is a high-wagering professional gambler, or words to that effect.

[burnsy]

Serling was 11 in 1973 when he and his family moved from Princeton, N.J., to Saratoga Springs, a few blocks from the track.

Beyer book was written in 1977.

I don't think too many kids 15 years old are hanging out, chain smoking and going to the track, per my memory of the book.


I was. Problem was it wasn't cigarettes I was chain smoking.....I lived near that track too. He was a good kid (same grade), I was somewhat the juvenile delinquent. The school wanted me out several times. Luckily, I made it and by some miracle later graduated college with two degrees. I've mellowed with age but I'm lucky to still be here.... its turned out to be an advantage for me. I'm more street smart than the average bear. That happens when you live on the "shadier" side of life. At 15 I was placing bets.....working after hours cleaning the track and any beer or liquor they didn't have locked down. It was a different time back then. No locks or cameras. My friends and I were nuts. I've never been in real trouble but we (my associates) pushed it to the limit. If you've ever seen Animal House...you know what I'm saying. That was me and my friends. At 15, living down the street, you couldn't keep us away from the place. Christmas in July is a true "thing" around here. Of course, back then it didn't open until August.

[Stillriledup]

Yeah, I'm sure they'll covet your endorsement... :lol:

The thread was closed because it will simply serve as a forum to bash one over the other...like I said, nobody wins in a thread like that...

I didnt see any bashing in that thread. It was a thread about 2 top handicappers, why would there be bashing?

[PaceAdvantage]

I didnt see any bashing in that thread. It was a thread about 2 top handicappers, why would there be bashing?It was a preemptive move on my part. Executive decision.

Stop by the complaint box if you have any more problems.

[TraderX]

Both are professionals. I have to give TLG a lot of credit as he works very hard and has the guts to put his opinion on the line at all times.

I seriously doubt Andy Serling makes a living off his picks. He makes picks for the public. I doubt he bets for a living, but I could be wrong.

[Broad Brush]

I could be wrong, but I thought "the kid" was a guy named Mark Hopkins.
He claimed a horse a few years ago and gave the horse to M. Dickinson
to train and the horse won a few stakes races?

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

I seriously doubt Andy Serling makes a living off his picks. He makes picks for the public. I doubt he bets for a living, but I could be wrong.

Using the term professional in reference to Serling means he works hard and has the skills necessary to make the game pay His career as a trader on Wall Street has taught him well. If I am not mistaken I read in an article a few years ago that Andy played professionally for four years with at least one highly profitable year.

[Tom]

Mark Hopkins is a Beyer Associate.
He is good handicapper and he used to write for DRf (or maybe Racing times?) it was a while ago, but if he ever writes a book - buy it. He guested at Finger Lakes a couple of times and both time I walked away with pockets full thanks to his spot on analysis of the cards.

[Hoofless_Wonder]

Based on the title, I thought this thread was going to be about "The Good Life Kid", recently reincarnated on this forum as "Mad Scientist" with his more lucid sidekick "SecretAgentMan"....

For every pro that was tutored by someone like Beyer, there's got to be 10,000 degenerates like the "The Good Life Kid".

[dnlgfnk]

I could be wrong, but I thought "the kid" was a guy named Mark Hopkins.
He claimed a horse a few years ago and gave the horse to M. Dickinson
to train and the horse won a few stakes races?

Mark Hopkins was an "Albany businessman" at the time of "Picking Winners" who Beyer met at Saratoga, and not a protege who introduced himself in a Washington bar. But then, while indebted to Andy, I suspect some of his characters and episodes are a tad romanticized.

[Robert Goren]

Maybe somebody at Woodbine will ask Beyer who the kid is and report back to us.

[delayjf]

As I recall from posts a while back, The Kid was identified in an article. I wonder what ever happened to Charlie. Since he was described as being older than Beyer, I assume he has passed away. Somebody else identified The Fat Man as a man named Robert Miller.

[the little guy]

I feel like we have discussed "Charlie" and he is alive and well. Do you assume everyone older than Beyer, who is in his 60s, is also dead?

Robert Miller is not correct for the Fat Man.

[Johnny V]

Fat Tony maybe?

[iceknight]

Not our own "Kidcapper" ?

[Trips]

Tom Miller

[delayjf]

Do you assume everyone older than Beyer, who is in his 60s, is also dead?

No, just my impression of Charlie from the book was that he was a lot older than Andy, around 60ish at the time (1977). If he's alive and well, great.

[ronsmac]

No, just my impression of Charlie from the book was that he was a lot older than Andy, around 60ish at the time (1977). If he's alive and well, great.
It wasn't a bad assumption since the book was based on a season 37 years ago. One got the impression Charlie was older than Beyer, like a guy in his 40s or 50s. He sounded like a veteran of the game. Evidently he was a little younger than perceived.

[dnlgfnk]

In an August '80 WaPo column, Beyer quotes "Charlie" as stating it takes 20 years to become a master trip handicapper. It is clearly "Charlie" who Beyer refers to in another article as turning to the grandstand and asking the crowd, "Doesn't anyone else see what's going on here?" during the mid '70's New York race fixing scandal.

This always led me to assume that "Charlie" began his apprenticeship with pacers and trotters in the '50's as perhaps a late teen/early adult. Great to hear he is "alive and well".