1st Post!

[uncbossfan]

Afternoon everyone. Just wanted to introduce myself to the board. My name is Matt and I have lurked for about 4 months now and have found some great info on here. My handle comes from being a huge Carolina basketball and Bruce Springsteen fan.

I live 5 minutes from Turfway and River Downs, and just over an hr from Keeneland and Churchill, so I've always got somewhere to go see live racing. I've enjoyed the races for as long as I can remember spending every summer birthday at the River as a youngster.

I am a decent capper when it comes to the Form and figuring out race scenarios, but figuring out ROI, and real odds and some of the other things you guys bring up goes WAY over my head! So if I ask any dumb questions, bare with me, and hopefully I can bring some of my own perspective on this crazy game to the board and help somebody else.

My favorite things about horse racing are.
1. The Derby - being from Ky obviously.
2. Seeing a great stretch run in a major stakes race.
3. Being right when everyone else is wrong.
4. The absolute beauty of Keeneland - the girls there as well :)
5. Being live at the track when the "next great horse" first makes his mark.

My least favorite things about horse racing are
1. Small fields
2. Good horses that retire too early
3. Your horse getting hammered at the window late
4. Running 1st, 2nd, 4th in a tri
5. The misperception that comes along with the sport

Now lets make some $$$

[46zilzal]

a Dean Smith fan. Good guy, good coach

[JimG]

Welcome to the board! I am also a Springsteen fan since seeing him in concert in 1979 in Jacksonville FL. Must have been nice growing up in an area (KY) where attending the races was somewhat normal. I have always disliked the stigma associated with betting/attending the races.

Jim

[Pgh. Gere]

Horseplayers and Springsteen fans....the finest kinds! Welcome aboard Matt.


The stigma of playing. Always liked Beyer quotes from Picking Winners, how if you study the symbolism of Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, you're a scholar, but if you study the symbolism in the DRF you're a bum.

[bigmack]

My least favorite things about horse racing are
5. The misperception that comes along with the sport
Have to assume you're referring to the publics perception that race fans wear oddball hats. There's always a few bad apples...

http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/photo/2005-05/17675337.jpg

http://images.chron.com/content/chronicle/bizarre/images04/ascot/7.jpg

[Ron]

There's nothing wrong with that second hat.

[chickenhead]

There's nothing wrong with that second hat.

The hat I could live with...those fingernails, I don't know. But still, she deserves a:

WooWooo!

[Overlay]

Matt:

Welcome to the board! I grew up in Cincinnati, and River Downs and Turfway Park (at that time Latonia) were my first tracks. But I also lived in Lexington for seven years (1988-1995), so I got to see plenty of Keeneland and Churchill, as well. (I agree with you about Keeneland. No place like it for the combination of the beauty of the grounds and soaking up the whole Kentucky/Bluegrass racing tradition.)(No comment on the girls, though. I was married by that time.) Have you taken a tour of the horse farms around Lexington, or been to the Kentucky Horse Park, north of the city? (I'll never forget going to see Forego when he was still there.)

Tim Maas (Overlay)

[CryingForTheHorses]

Welcome to this great board..While I dont bet and I dont have them Kentucky BlueBloods,I race at Calder with my weekend warriors.They arent the best but they are a hell of a lot of fun. Good luck to you

[jballscalls]

Hey Matt, welcome to the board, if you are out at River Downs i'd love to have you up to the booth for a race and to say hello. Let me know.
Jason

[kenwoodallpromos]

What hat? What fingernails?
_____________
"My least favorite things about horse racing are
1. Small fields
2. Good horses that retire too early
3. Your horse getting hammered at the window late"
____________
You will fit right in!LOL!!

3 book suggestions- Beat The Track. Ada Kulleck; (2 volumes) Blure Ribbnon Systems; Power Of Early Speed, Kline.
These 3 are heavy into %. I use % to assess value.
Fav at 33%= 2-1.

[bigmack]

What hat? What fingernails?
Yeah I looked for quite a spell and didn't see either

[WJ47]

Welcome, Matt! :) This is the best board on handicapping on the web! I'm still mostly a lurker myself, but I love to read all the great tips and discussions.

[KingChas]

Welcome Aboard;

My Favorites
1.Winning
2.Saratoga
3.The fresh smell of horse manure in the mornings.
4.Betting with my heart not my mind for kentucky Derby.
5.Her legs in the pic.

Least Favorites
1.Losing
2.Winter Racing
3.Stepping in horse manure in the morning.
4.Losing Kentucky Derby bets 99.9% of time because i got a big heart.
5. Her fingernails in pic hitting the wrong spot. :eek:

:lol:

[Sailwolf]

There's nothing wrong with that second hat.

I want to see the front view

[uncbossfan]

Hey Matt, welcome to the board, if you are out at River Downs i'd love to have you up to the booth for a race and to say hello. Let me know.
Jason

Jason, I really appreciate the invite and would love to take you up on that offer. River Downs has been my summer home for a couple yrs now.

Thanks for the big welcome. I appreciate the references on some good books to read as well. I look forward to getting to know everyone a little better and most importantly help my handicapping skills.

[Sly7449]

Welcome Aboard.

On the Hat Issue: I see nothing wrong with it. He is dressed Fit for a Formal Event. Matching Hat (looks very expensive, Stetson?) and who said they want to see the face, a side view shot shows that he is even wearing sun glasses.

L8R

Sly