A little jealousy

[how cliche]

I know so many people who are dedicated horse players like me. I like to ask them how they got involved in the life. The vast majority were introduced to the sport by their fathers as children. If dad is still alive today they still have outings to the track as a regularly scheduled event every month, if not more often. Some buddies even attend handicapping contests with their dads. Lots of guys tell me stories about long, racing oriented, road trips they take with their dads. I am extremely jealous of this father son bond.

I took my dad out to GGF not too long ago. We both had good winning days & that was his first time ever going out. I half expected for him to ask about the next time we could go. He never did. I instead asked him when he wanted to. He told me that "racing isn't his cup of tea." That, "There's so much waiting around." This made me sad. I liked having him there with me.

[how cliche]

You know, even though I'm a tad jealous of you, I'd still like to hear the greatest stories of you at the track with your dad. If you are a dad who takes junior to the track, I'd like to hear those best stories as well.

[gIracing]

my dad took me to the track when I was 8. don't have to ask him when he is going to be there.. half the time I run into him while i am there!

he's not into it as much as I am, but he is there at least 2 times a month when racing season is around.


as long as he has been around the track, he can't handicap a race to save his life.. he's a "toteboard" handicapper....whoever is getting action. He also plays the rail on slop like it's a religion

[DanG]

Good thread topic Cliché, :ThmbUp:


My father vanished when I was 5 so my brother became that figure in my life. He was always very advanced in math and our town in New Jersey was loaded with harness owners, trainers and gamblers. We would go to Freehold raceway with a friend’s father and would study the harness programs until we went to sleep.

An occasional trip to Monmouth and New York thoroughbred tracks and that’s when we saw our first racing form. We were in awe of the complexity of thoroughbred information as compared to the harness program and my mother still has a picture of me reading the form just before my 6th birthday.

My brother taught me the game / encouraged me at every twist in the road and is completely responsible for the good fortune I’ve enjoyed the last many years. It’s also created a tremendous bond between us that was forged on so many long car trips to various tracks which culminated in a 9 week extended junket across country to as many tracks as we could find.

Racing and baseball is our common language as he has zero interest in my other passion which is music. Would I have have had greater financial “success” if he had steered me into studying law (for example) with the same intensity as I did racing? My feeling is no, because it’s the passion that ultimately drives one to become expert in any given field IMO.

I too am jealous of the father and son bond that can exist in racing. I will never forget visiting family acquaintances at their Colts Neck horse ranch. When we entered their main home the entry way had pictures of many generations of horseman who have handed down the family business to the next in line. There was stability to this family that had to be felt to be appreciated.

With all its issues above and below the surface, this industry and the many family’s who support it are people of great integrity and the majority of the time, I am proud to be associated with this game.

[chickenhead]

had a special moment last year, took my 80 yr old grandfather to Del Mar. He is a racetracker from way back, Del Mar was like visiting the Vatican for him, pretty neat.

My dad and I go to the track at least 5 or 6 times a year, that man loves a good show parlay :bang: I try to teach him things, but his head is like a block of wood. :D

[GaryG]

I spent more days than I could possibly count with by dad at various tracks, from 1954 until I lost him 5 years ago. He knew it was business for me but we never failed to have a good time together.There is not a day goes by that I don't miss him. Priceless memories.

[Tom]

My Dad took me to Finger Lakes in 1962 and let me bet the double. BNot wanting to get into exotics so young:rolleyes: I opted to bet the first race. Morganfield won and paid $28.80 - and me making a cool 50 cents a week allowance. I missed hardly a Saturday at the thumb until around 1999 or so.

I wish I could take him out there one more time to repay the favor.

[keilan]

My Dad took me to Finger Lakes in 1962 and let me bet the double. BNot wanting to get into exotics so young:rolleyes: I opted to bet the first race. Morganfield won and paid $28.80 - and me making a cool 50 cents a week allowance. I missed hardly a Saturday at the thumb until around 1999 or so.

I wish I could take him out there one more time to repay the favor.


Tom -- were you a stinky young lad ;)

[46zilzal]

My father was an expert on the U.S. Cavalry and I cannot remember a time that we did not go to horse shows, mounted exhibitions, parades, just anything to do with the horse. I started riding around the age of three and thought my rented mount "Paint" actually belonged to me.

I began to watch the feature race from Anita (on old KNXT TV Los Angeles hosted by Gil Stratton). I often wondered why my mother, a very rational woman, always tried to convince me to watch something else. She never forbade me, just suggested.

THEN I met her brother Earl. He had been involved in the movie industry and, on the promise of going into the Signal Corp, volunteered for the Army in 1942. He never went where he was promised and acted up so much that he got the kiss of death in those days: a dishonorable discharge. He couldn't find a job and simply dove into the booze bottle. BUT, in the midst of this alcoholic haze, began to bet horses and get into trouble with bookies. My grandmother got him solvent again by cashing out all of her savings.

My mom was worried that I was going to follow in his footsteps as it became obvious as a teenager that horses were going to be part of my life. The last time we went to the races together she stopped me after the last race with the question: "You didn't bet a single race today did you?"
"Yes mom, I wanted to show you that I am in control here and the spectacle and history of racing is what interests me the most." She went to her grave knowing that and I was very pleased.

I almost set out on a career in racing in the later 60's. After a round of rejections from medical school, I had a job offer to work in a lab doing post-race analysis of samples from Hollywood and Anita. Sometimes I wonder if eventually going to study medicine was the right road.

I think it was then, not now.

[GaryG]

I faced a similar decision. With a double BS in Math and Physics I had a good job at a defense contractor. But I was betting on the weekends, read everything I could find and had been staying up for nights on end working on improving my handicapping. I finally bit the bullet and, although it cost me a marriage and reduced income for a few years, it was worth it. It is not easy to find a woman that will put up with moving often and an uncertain income. I have been truly blessed and I know Dad was pleased.

[Mike P]

We lived on Long Island and my Dad and I never once attended the races. I went to college in Seattle and my friends took me to Longacres in the Spring of 1979. Took my Dad to Belmont that summer and he hasn't missed many Saturday's since. He lives near Calder now and we have seen races together at Longacres, Belmont, Aqueduct, Saratoga, Roosevelt, Yonkers, Gulfstream, Hialeah, Oaklawn, Hollywood and Churchill. Brings back many good memories.

[46zilzal]

We lived on Long Island and my Dad and I never once attended the races. I went to college in Seattle and my friends took me to Longacres in the Spring of 1979.
Wasn't Longacres a hoot? Do Dah Do Dah....Loved that place.

I have a great photo I took of the two time LGA Mile winner Trooper Seven upon his retirment they paraded him the last time.

[bigmack]

"You didn't bet a single race today did you?"
"Yes mom, I wanted to show you that I am in control here and the spectacle and history of racing is what interests me the most." She went to her grave knowing that and I was very pleased.
Nice story Zil. Thanks for sharing.

There's a docu about Longacres
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miracle_strip_the_a_story_of_longacres_race_track/about.php
(http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/coverv/04/109904.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miracle_strip_the_a_story_of_longacres_race_track/about.php&h=260&w=144&sz=14&hl=en&start=7&um=1&tbnid=ynO7vJ9GI0TOzM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=62&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlongacres%2Brace%2Btrack%26svnum%3D10 %26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG)

[Dan Montilion]

It is amazing how the memories can come flooding back. I had actually been reading DRF prior to asking my father, while I was all of 13 years of age to take me to the track. My paternal side has wagering in the blood. Grandpa was a damn good lo-ball player, my uncle (dad's brother) dealt cards and owned a card room. The first time at the track was at Bay Meadows and we thought we were going to the T-breds. However, we arrived on closing day of the quarter horse meeting. We arrived for the last four races of the day and the first wager was on Midningt Becky, Steve Treasure up and got her home at 17.80. I was shocked at how the crowd went nuts yelling for their wagers, all the while my father punching me in the arm yelling "you got it, you got it". Missed the 7th but had two winners in the last two. The 8th race of the day was the Bay Meadows futurity won by Tiny's Gay, we went for Catchajet and ran second. A few years later again at the Q's I noticed a first timers offspring of Tiny's Gay and Catachajet named Catchatinyjet. We bet and cashed. Years later at the T-breds again at Bay Meadows I had caught on to a very, very strong rail bias. I bet and bet the Pick 3 (in those days just one was offered on the 6-8 races). Using the inside And keying a 15-1 morning line that was breaking from the rail with a prior trip and huge mud pedigree. Anyway I'm live to the single for just under half the pool, obviously the posted probable is a bit lower than expected. Dad goes to the bathroom and comes back laughing his ass off. He says "Weasle (my nickname) I'm standing there holding my own and some guy says I can't believe how short its paying to the rail, some asshole must have pouneded it" Dad tells him yea I sired that asshole" We did get it home, the old man gets up after they hit the wire and says "lets get our money" my response "OUR money?" Of course I took care of both dad and mom. Dad died in 1990 just two years into my full time player career. One year at Bay Meadows a weekend player would get a box next to my season box. We struck up a horseplayers friendship at one point we got around to speaking of our fathers. At some point a real sense of overwhelming loss came over me as I turned away, not emotional but a real sadness showed on my face. He let me sit for a bit and come over to me and said something I will never forget. He said "Dan, when I die I pray my son has that same look on his face".

[ranchwest]

My Dad only went to the track one time -- with our neighbor, a cousin. Dad likes to relate the story of how the jockey fell off and it was his contention that he didn't bet on the jockey, he bet on the horse.

I enjoyed horse racing on TV as a youngster and enjoyed a show called "Let's Go to the Races", which was a game a bit like bingo sponsored by a grocery store. They'd show taped races and if you had the winner on a card from the store, you'd win a prize.

In college, I had a girlfriend whose parents would bring us to the races. They would get seats in the clubhouse and pay our way in. Those trips to the track hooked me on racing because I'm a competitive person. I wish the girlfriend would have liked me as much as her family did. lol

My Mom has never been to a horse race and knows little about horses except that she is intuitively a great physicality handicapper. She can look at horses on television and pick winners, even though she seldom watches a horse race.

[gIracing]

toast to that.. I've never been married, too young, but my living revolves around horse racing... and although I don't do bad for msyelf, what's more important is I couldn't be happier. it's what i love, and that should account for something these days. I have more computer certiifcations than you can co unt, and i have a degree in art history, so natrually I get alot of griff from my parents telling me to do a real job.. but I love it. not so much the gambling, the sport. I'm actually geting bit by the breeding bug and looking to get into it

[gIracing]

My Dad only went to the track one time -- with our neighbor, a cousin. Dad likes to relate the story of how the jockey fell off and it was his contention that he didn't bet on the jockey, he bet on the horse.

I enjoyed horse racing on TV as a youngster and enjoyed a show called "Let's Go to the Races", which was a game a bit like bingo sponsored by a grocery store. They'd show taped races and if you had the winner on a card from the store, you'd win a prize.

In college, I had a girlfriend whose parents would bring us to the races. They would get seats in the clubhouse and pay our way in. Those trips to the track hooked me on racing because I'm a competitive person. I wish the girlfriend would have liked me as much as her family did. lol

My Mom has never been to a horse race and knows little about horses except that she is intuitively a great physicality handicapper. She can look at horses on television and pick winners, even though she seldom watches a horse race.

my mom has been known to take me on 2 hour round trip to oaklawn when I was little and i was out of school. she knew enough about horse racing to be dangerous.

[ranchwest]

my mom has been known to take me on 2 hour round trip to oaklawn when I was little and i was out of school. she knew enough about horse racing to be dangerous.

Hmmm, you might be President someday.

[john del riccio]

I miss my POP more than I can verbalize. He brought me to MTH when I was 5
and I have had it in my blood ever since. When I got my driving license, he & I used to head to MTH almost every weekend, and when the MED had those day- night double headers, we did that too. 20 races in one day , at one track, it was a blast ! What I wouldn't give to have a chat with him over a beer in the air-conditioned room upstairs from the paddock at MTH Park.

John

[Overlay]

I never knew my dad, and my mom couldn't have cared less about racing. I first got interested in the sport just through watching races on television (back when they were regularly on network television), and from some infrequent family outings to River Downs or Latonia (as Turfway was known back then). (I grew up in Cincinnati, and I also absorbed some of the history and tradition of the sport just from being that close to Kentucky.) The conjunction of events that really got me hooked on racing were Secretariat's Triple Crown in 1973, which came at the end of my first year in college in Southern California, where I had also met future fellow PA member falconridge, and finally had someone to talk racing with. After college, I moved to New York City, and that got me into regular race attendance, and started my serious study of handicapping.

[gIracing]

I hate to see myself if i was within normal driving distance of a horse track on a regular basis.. I'm moving to SoCal later this year..watch out.. I might just have to bring an air matress

[GaryG]

I hate to see myself if i was within normal driving distance of a horse track on a regular basis.. I'm moving to SoCal later this year..watch out.. I might just have to bring an air matressHave you spent much time there? Could be a big time culture shock. :eek:

[Milleruszk]

My dad was a horse player who taught me about the game. He learned it from his father. When he was a kid, my dad would run down to the corner store and place bets for my grandfather with the bookie. He would then run back to the apartment to hear the race call on the radio. As a child my father took me to the Big A and Belmont.

I used to hate August because that was when the horses were up in Saratoga and downstate was dark. This meant no track outings. We only lived about 2.5 hours from Saratoga but it might as well have been on the moon as far as my old man was concerned. He was very old school and would never pay to stay overnight. Ten years ago, I had some time off in August and I was going to take the "old" man to Saratoga. He was 77 years old and had never been there. Things happened and we never made the trip. He died the following December so we never got another chance.

Instead of take your kid to work day there should be "take your dad to the track day."

[john del riccio]

Instead of take your kid to work day there should be "take your dad to the track day."[/QUOTE]

This brought a smile to my face, I wish I could.

John

[Doc]

My best childhood memories are of my father and me sitting in the grandstand at Monmouth Park. The night before we went, I was usually too excited to sleep, and would read the Form over and over and over trying to decide who I'd bet (I must've been eight or nine years old). Gosh, there were some blazing hot afternoons! My father had his favorites - J.J. Crupi, Julie Krone, John Forbes - but he wasn't a big bettor and never got mad if he lost. We usually went the day of the Haskell - I can see Delta Flag slogging through the slop like it was yesterday, and I remember we went the day Revidere won the Monmouth Oaks and I made my first $5 bet (and won, but she was the heavy chalk). My father would do anything for me and so every time I go to Monmouth now I always think of him (he died in 2004). Doc :)

[ELA]

I miss my POP more than I can verbalize. He brought me to MTH when I was 5
and I have had it in my blood ever since. When I got my driving license, he & I used to head to MTH almost every weekend, and when the MED had those day- night double headers, we did that too. 20 races in one day , at one track, it was a blast ! What I wouldn't give to have a chat with him over a beer in the air-conditioned room upstairs from the paddock at MTH Park.

John

Here's to fathers . . . and their sons.

Eric

[bigmack]

The old man was a tough, surly fellow who relunctantly took part in the extra carricular actions of his 4 kids, though he never put up much of fight when I asked if we could mozy over to Arlington and throw some loot around as it was a click and half away from the abode. He'd often forget his Cubs hat and end up folding some odd shaped origami-like structure out of the form to shade his Irish noggin from the oppressive Chicago sun.

I'd watch workouts early in morn with my gang as we marvelled at the equine muscledom and the old man would roll by going to work and honk at us hooligans with our noses pressed to the fence just livin' a simple day as kids growing up on the mean streets of suburban Chicago.