Race track characters

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

I'm sure most players on this site have fond (and maybe not so fond) memories of the race track characters who frequented the ovals in the years past.Nowadays that most former regular track attendies bet from the home i though it would be refreshing to bring up for discussion the colorful bunch of track characters from the past.

I reside in new york city and have attended the N.y.r.a. tracks for thirty years and believe me the circuit had their share of interesting players.Myself and my friends used to give there individuals secret 'nick names' that basically described their behavior.

THERE WAS PUTTING GREEN THIS MAN LOVED THE HORSE PUTTING GREEN WHO RACED I BELIEVE BACK IN THE 80'S.ANTI-FAVORITE THIS GUY WOULD WALK THE GRANDSTAND AFTER A LOSING FAVORITE AND SHOUT"SHOVE THE FAVORITE UP YOUR _SS AND YOU'LL ALWAYS HAVE IT".THIS GUY MADE SOME IMPRESSION ON BELMONT STAKES DAY OR THE BREEDERS CUP DAYS WHEN THE OUT OF TOWNERS WOULD SEE HIS ROUTINE.I CAN STILL LAUGH NOW LOOKING AT THE FACES OF THESE GUESTS.THE STOOPER THIS GUY NEVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFE AND WOULD SWEEP TICKETS OFF THE BELMONT GRANDSTAND FLOOR WITH THE SPEED OF A VACUUM.HE WAS A FRIENDY SORT WHO SMILED AND REALLY LOVED THE GAME.THE FEARLESS CREW THESE GUYS WOULD MAKE SOME MONSTER BETS AND ON THE VERY RARE OCCASIONS THAT THEY CONNECTED THEY WOULD SPRINT UP THE STEPS RACING TO THE TV MONITOR TO CONFIRM THAT THEY WON THE PHOTO...I'VE SEEN THESE GUYS CRASH INTO THEMSELVES ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.FRANKIE THE SINGER WOULD BELT OUT SOME REAL SERIOUS OPERA WHEN HE HIT THE RIGHT BET,AND YOU COULD HEAR THIS GUY WITH 20,OOO PLUS IN ATENDANCE. THE LIST COULD GO ON AND ON.

FEEL FREE TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHARACTERS YOU'VE COME ACROSS IN YOUR RACE TRACK YEARS.THIS IS WHAT THE GAME IS ALL ABOUT.WINNING MONEY IS PARAMOUNT...BUT NEVER FORGET TO LAUGH AND ENJOY THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE THAT IS THE RACE TRACK WORLD. ZAPPI

[oddswizard]

Loved your recollections. Quinn told me about a stooper in Southern California who would bag the tickets after the race and then head to the parking area. He would stuff the bags of tickets into the trunk of his beautiful Cadillac and head for home each day!

Many years ago at the Sonoma County Fair a man approached me and said "See that man at the betting windows? That is the famous trainer Hal King from Santa Anita. He just bet several hundred on the 4 horse. Quick, give me a hundred bucks & we will split the profits!" I looked at him and at the man who had just placed his bet. As it turns out the man was not Hal King.
It just happens that Hal King was a friend of mind. The man was a tout trying to con me into making a wager for him. What a character!

[46zilzal]

the track is a place where strange behavior is tolerated

[stlseeeek]

i always told my non-gambling buddies that the race track was like a freak show. You will always be amzaed at someone there.


a few of my favs:

1. guy who's eyes were bugged out 3 inches out of his head
2. guy who has a tube in his throat to breathe through, and he's putting his ciagrette in the tube to smoke:rolleyes:
3. Lady who brings her newborns to track everyday, and the kids run nekkid throuught the grandstand screaming.
4 Suntan man, he would only come out for offtrack betting, so he could use his metal recliner and suntan all day. he was so dark, that he looked rubbery(ps, on a sad note, he died of skin cancer, a who would of thunk it)


many more to note.

[howardjim]

My wife and I frequented AQU during winter weekends about 18 years ago. At the time the "Sunny Jim Room" was the warmest grandstand spot and drew all the regulars.

One character would routinely enter, loudly proclaiming "all right, all right" repeatedly. He didn't speak with anyone, just at everyone. There were many repeated phrases such as "just got my hair cut...won my first bet of the day" and " Alysheba $5.60...horse of the year". At some point, most days, groups of people would plead " Shut the !*#@ up, Frankie".

One summer, returning from MTH and changing trains in Newark, a guy sidles up to me on the platform like a tout and whispers, "you know there's two Penn Stations, don't ya". I'd know the voice anywhere. I turned so our eyes met and replied, "Alysheba $5.60...horse of the year". Startled, he said " I hear ya" and faded into the night.

[CryingForTheHorses]

I have seen many of the described,I do have memories about 2 guys that used to be at Greenwood Racetrack in downtown Toronto.We had an old man with no legs,He used to sit on a little board with wheels, He would move along pushing the board with his hands,He would be at the streetcar stop in front of the track on queen street selling forms,Us kids us to tease him (bless his soul) and he would chase us on that board and catch us and pinch the heck out of us. Another used to work the $2.00 DD line, I can still hear him shouting "Line up for the double".Also was a old lady that used to have a unbrella with her, When the race was on the monitor, She would reach up and put the point of her umbrella on the horse she bet on, She would then follow the horse though the race.Another one was a bum who used to go to the table when they had the relish and stuff for the hotdogs, He would open the relish container, Look around and scoop a couple of mouthfulls when nobody was looking.The walk a way quickly with his cheeks bulging, I used to Laugh like hell!! Grandstand memories Yes there are a lot of charactors at the track "We" are all there

[46zilzal]

Ah if only Damon Runyon was around today.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon_Runyon

[Figman]

Anybody remember "Cookie" who used to be at the NYRA tracks in the 60's & 70's. He would waddle all around the grandstand with a leather mailpouch on his hip distributing the latest overnight sheets while babbling all the time.

[the little guy]

I remember Cookie.

[BIG49010]

There were a pair of extremly loud, and half retarded brothers at the Chicago tracks, the older of the two sold peanuts at Wrigley. The only thing they bet was speed on the rail, and they used to beat themselves with their programs all the way around the track until the horse won or died.

You also used to have a the "painter" at Arlington, he love E. Fires. When Fires would win you could here him across the track.

[Stevie Belmont]

Ole Vinny from the Meadowlands was a real character. Had a slight limp and was about mid 60's. This guy would yell at the top of his lungs "Hand Ride!!!!!!" with his growly Jersey City accent. He would repeat this over and over, had a bet on that one. It's funny, the horse would often have the lead, but quit. Guy rarley cashed a winner when he yelled it out. It was kind of a jinx if you had money on the horse he was yelling " Hand Ride!!" on. Might as well rip it. He was like the Moosh fella from Bronx Tale. Vinny was funny and always thought he had a winner. He passed last year sometime. Track is a little quieter now, but not the same. The "Hand Ride" phrase lives on though.

[stlseeeek]

Oh wait, there was the, "Banger".

he would scream and pound his table(thus his banger nick). he was one of the most ungreatfull and pos i have ever met. He would beg for money, then when you didn't give him a dime, he would verbally assault you for about 5 minutes. He would be so loud, that half of the grandstand would look. Made you, who was in the right, look like a huge ahole.

He would sidle up to people who were winning, then beg and assaul them verbally. Even if he had never seen you before, he would be looking at your program when you get up, and bug you till you gave him a dollar!

[gillenr]

In the 60's, there was a guy at Yonkers who watched the races on TV - with binoculars.

[stlseeeek]

great call, a few guys at FP have the binocs while in front row watching the big screen tvs!

[DeoVolente]

Then there was the guy at Aqueduct many years ago, who always bet the speed horse. He would start yelling 'wire wire wire' once the horses turned for home. His horse always seemed to have the lead and it was very amusing listening and watching this guy scream and plead for the wire.

[ryesteve]

My wife and I frequented AQU during winter weekends about 18 years ago. At the time the "Sunny Jim Room" was the warmest grandstand spot and drew all the regulars.

One character would routinely enter, loudly proclaiming "all right, all right" repeatedly. He didn't speak with anyone, just at everyone. There were many repeated phrases such as "just got my hair cut...won my first bet of the day" and " Alysheba $5.60...horse of the year". At some point, most days, groups of people would plead " Shut the !*#@ up, Frankie".

One summer, returning from MTH and changing trains in Newark, a guy sidles up to me on the platform like a tout and whispers, "you know there's two Penn Stations, don't ya". I'd know the voice anywhere. I turned so our eyes met and replied, "Alysheba $5.60...horse of the year". Startled, he said " I hear ya" and faded into the night.

As soon as I started reading this thread, that guy immediately popped into my head... that was a great story!

[parlay]

I remember the guy on the board well McSchell!! I started going to
Greenwood around '72. I hung out at the far east end of the grandstand.
This was a different world for a 15 year old jewish kid from the suburbs.
The characters at the track were a big part of the alure for me.
I play mostly from home now but still wander out to Woodbine to see the action, in the stands that is. The social order that i fell in love with many years ago only exists for short periods of time now at meets like Saratoga.
In the 70's you had to wear a suit,sports jaccket or proper overcoat to enter the CLUBHOUSE, PLUS OF COURSE THE ADDITIONAL ENTRY FEE. This kept the well healed safe from the dreggs of society in the grandstand. At Greenwood you had to stay awake or you were likely to get hoarked on.
The food offered at the concessions was disgusting,especially the hamburgers. At that time we bought double tickets at a seperate wicket, with different tickets for different dollar denominations. After the first race the crowd would gather a the TV just outside the entrance to the Clubhouse on the Grandstand side. The trading pit was in action. This is were rich and poor,educated and uneducated came together and traded as equals. There was always a brisk trade in double tickets. If a race required a photo or a INQUIRY was called the crowd quickly gathered at the same spot to back there position. The show was priceless.

[idahogo]

What great subject matter. I knew the painter and his West Virginia mafia He had a severe case of diabetes and started losing body parts at a rapid rate. That, however did not keep him from the Chicago OTB with the aid of a wheel chair. He was never concerned as much about his lost limbs, but rather the next bet was of paramount importance. He had a partner who we called motorcycle carpenter who is still an active character. He has about 3 teeth left and you could always tell if he had been around by the remains of miniature pound cakes that had been scooped out and the crusty part had been carelessly discarded on the ground.

Painters gone now, but who thought he and his kind would be immortalized

[Richie]

Yeah, the 3rd floor grandstand around the 1/8 pole at aqueduct, I'd bring my mother and father there we had the rastas smoking up the weed on the left and a crew of everchanging heavy beerdrinking guys against the wall on the right , we were in the middle, always left there with a great buzz, those were the days.

[Richie]

Another guy comes to mind in the late 70's at yonkers, he would call every race BEFORE it was run, every race, every day I was there. He sounded pretty good.