Larry King's interesting tale

[46zilzal]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/05/14/larry.king.track/index.html

[Brogan]

So, the moral of the story is....when things are really going bad for you, you're down and out, broke beyond broke...BET IT ALL AT THE TRACK!

[razzle]

Great story. I hear Frankel has a similar one in which he wins $20k to get his start as a trainer... Maybe others here know.

[macguy]

Sounds like he had a pretty good nicotine addiction. :D

[BeatTheChalk]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/05/14/larry.king.track/index.html

"" Toledo ...what's the question ? "
" Sleep well sir "
:lol:

[spiketoo]

BFD. Everyone has a story. This monkey feces has made so much doing so little ala Oompa and Dr Swill.

His idea now of winning 8K is prolly betting 4K on even money.

[SMOO]

" A friend called up and told me to start living like a human being again.

He invited me to the track"

:lol:

[Oaklawn]

Hey, like Larry King or not, (I don't), that is a fantastic story!

[riskman]

His idea now of winning 8K is prolly betting 4K on even money.

I will take it !

[Cangamble]

I have one problem with that story. Did they have trifectas back in 1971?

I think he could have won $8k without the tri, so I'm not doubting his big day, I'm wondering about his memory.

[joanied]

Down and out? he said the valet called him Mr. King...the valet knows a down and outer by his name? Now, that's a first.
I don't know why I even read that...I cannot stand Larry King...the only redeeming quality he has is he does like horse racing.
Just my personal opinion of the man....
as for Bobby Frankle getting his 'start up' cash...I'd beleive that in a NY minute...because he always gave me good 'tips' back in the day....so, that wouldn't surprise me one bit.
:)

[OTM Al]

I have one problem with that story. Did they have trifectas back in 1971?

I think he could have won $8k without the tri, so I'm not doubting his big day, I'm wondering about his memory.

Larry's been known to embelish (read that word as you will) his stories. The most well known of his embelishments was how he was tight with Sandy Kofax. Sandy simply said he didn't know the guy when asked. Good story but honestly I don't believe it.

[JustRalph]

back in the late 70's early 80's I had a 2nd job that was a third shift gig as a mall cop 3-4 nights a week. Just drive around the mall and punch the clock. I listened to King's radio show late night every week. He used to tell some stories like this about betting at tracks in Fla. He would often take a call from a race track buddy about a nice score..........he was good on radio back then.......

[ldiatone]

ask him to replay his "carvel" icecream story w/ sandy kofax as a teenager
as he "played" it on the radio in the 70's. "3 scoops for 10 cents" or close

[Cangamble]

Larry's been known to embelish (read that word as you will) his stories. The most well known of his embelishments was how he was tight with Sandy Kofax. Sandy simply said he didn't know the guy when asked. Good story but honestly I don't believe it.
I used to listen to him almost nightly when I was in my late teens and early 20's. I was born in 1961, so you figure it out. Got him on a Buffalo channel. Used to love it when he used to open up the airwaves to the kooks at 3 AM.

Still wondering if anyone here can verify when triactors started in North America.

[NJ Stinks]

I didn't always appreciate like Larry like I do today.

I liked the story. And I like it when famous people show their love for the game.

And SMOO, I'm with you. That was hilarious!!

[TurfRuler]

If it ought to be it will be, if it is it ought to be. Most on this board would post 550 post about Larry King losing $8,000 at the track, but can't believe that one day in one year he made a wager with a small outlay and won.

[Greyfox]

Like him or not Larry King is a remarkable guy. He can interview you, he can interview me, he can sit with Royalty and Presidents, and then interview bums on the street. He treats everyone with dignity and respect.

What is really amazing about Larry is he can interview anyone from any religion.
He was born Jewish. But he can get Arabs on his show to talk openly and honestly about just about any subject.

One night I heard him say that his toughest ever interview was with:
Robert Mitchum.
Larry asked Mitchum all sorts of questions that could have been expanded upon.
It didn't matter what Larry asked, Mitchum gave one or two word answers.
After the show, Mitchum said to Larry "That went pretty good didn't it."
Larry just patted him on the back, shook hands and left.
Larry said it was the longest hour that he ever spent on television.

Gotta hand it to him though, he's sure had some lookers for wives.

[PaceAdvantage]

Doesn't anyone else have a serious problem with the valet attendant addressing him as "Mr. King" when he was heading back out to the car...."Bad day Mr. King?"

Makes absolutely no sense in context with the rest of his tale...

[DrunkenHorseplayer]

I believe Hollywood Park invented the exacta around 1971 and therefore will assume that the trifecta came later.

[tag]

Doesn't anyone else have a serious problem with the valet attendant addressing him as "Mr. King" when he was heading back out to the car...."Bad day Mr. King?"

Makes absolutely no sense in context with the rest of his tale...


If I'm down to my last 42 bucks, no way i'm parking in valet in the first place.

[JustRalph]

Larry's old.......the memory slips......... i give him a sprout on this one

[magwell]

Not for nothing..... but lets not let the truth get in the way of a "great story" :)

[A. Pineda]

It was a great story. I didn't see the tri offered in CA until '88 or later, don't know about FLA. Still a great story.

[Canadian]

I heard the race before she finished 4th in the Sunland Derby.

[eastie]

don't lend King any money and think you're gonna get paid

[Cangamble]

Koufax and Larry King do have something in common besides being in Larry King's famous ice cream story. They were both victims of Bernie Madoff:
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090206/BIZ/902060314/0/COMM10

I don't feel too sorry for King though. The guy went bankrupt before in his life, not that this doesn't happen, but I have no problem with what comes around goes around.

[ezrabrooks]

If I'm down to my last 42 bucks, no way i'm parking in valet in the first place.

Yep...first tip off that this story has been embellished just a tad..

Ez

[TurfRuler]

Doesn't anyone else have a serious problem with the valet attendant addressing him as "Mr. King" when he was heading back out to the car...."Bad day Mr. King?"

Makes absolutely no sense in context with the rest of his tale...

It makes a lot of sense if you were born and raised in the South. The last time I checked Florida was South of the Mason/Dixie Line.

[ryesteve]

It makes a lot of sense if you were born and raised in the South. The last time I checked Florida was South of the Mason/Dixie Line.You mean people down south are all psychics?

[razzle]

I have one problem with that story. Did they have trifectas back in 1971?

I think he could have won $8k without the tri, so I'm not doubting his big day, I'm wondering about his memory.
Cangamble,
I found a chart in the Ragozin book showing that Belmont offered the "Triple" as far back as 1977. It was a $2 play then.
His story is testimony to your by-line, though. He was walking around lucky that day...

[OTM Al]

So I was wondering how much of this really was embellishment so I started looking up his factual statements:

Lady Forli. Equiline.com lists only 3 horses with this name. The oldest was foaled in 1972 and was unplaced in 3 starts. A second Lady Forli was born in 1979 and had no starts. The third and last was foaled in 1995. She didn't race either. So the horse name is wrong

Calder was opened May 6, 1971, so it is possible that it was the venue. Odd that he would not remember the green track. Calder had the first all weather track made by 3M when it opened. It apparantly was a weird color of green.

Arlington Park originated the trifecta in 1971 and Hollywood Park gave us the exacta in the same year. Thus, it is possible that Calder had a trifecta. Not sure when Arlington opened that year though, before or after May?

He claims to have gone in late May and the valet knew him by name, but he also says he hadn't been going out at all. Since Calder only just opened in early May this doesn't make sense, unless possibly the valet also worked at Tropical Park (which was owned by Calder's original owners and replaced by it) where Larry was regular enough to be known that well.

So, it's a pretty shaky story but some of it could be true

[PaceAdvantage]

It makes a lot of sense if you were born and raised in the South. The last time I checked Florida was South of the Mason/Dixie Line.Yes, but how did the guy even KNOW Larry's name? At that time, nobody knew who Larry King was, and from the story, it makes it seem as if Larry wasn't a track regular at that time...

Anyway, no biggie...it's my frustrated attorney side coming through again....

[Cangamble]

So I was wondering how much of this really was embellishment so I started looking up his factual statements:

Lady Forli. Equiline.com lists only 3 horses with this name. The oldest was foaled in 1972 and was unplaced in 3 starts. A second Lady Forli was born in 1979 and had no starts. The third and last was foaled in 1995. She didn't race either. So the horse name is wrong

Calder was opened May 6, 1971, so it is possible that it was the venue. Odd that he would not remember the green track. Calder had the first all weather track made by 3M when it opened. It apparantly was a weird color of green.

Arlington Park originated the trifecta in 1971 and Hollywood Park gave us the exacta in the same year. Thus, it is possible that Calder had a trifecta. Not sure when Arlington opened that year though, before or after May?

He claims to have gone in late May and the valet knew him by name, but he also says he hadn't been going out at all. Since Calder only just opened in early May this doesn't make sense, unless possibly the valet also worked at Tropical Park (which was owned by Calder's original owners and replaced by it) where Larry was regular enough to be known that well.

So, it's a pretty shaky story but some of it could be true
I was thinking of the Lady Forli angle too. Too bad I don't have those result books that my father bought with all the results for the year in them.

How did you find out when triactors started? I tried yesterday but found that searching the internet wasn't helping.

[TurfRuler]

You mean people down south are all psychics?

No and not every one is from Missouri either.

[OTM Al]

How did you find out when triactors started? I tried yesterday but found that searching the internet wasn't helping.

Just did a Google search and ran into it pretty quick. I'm not all here today so I can't remember what terms I used but I think it showed up first on a CDI document because I had typed in something like "Calder trifecta introduce" so it tagged Calder but since AP was also part of that group, that little nugget showed in the same doc, so just a little luck there

[Cangamble]

Lets say he got the name wrong, and it was a Forli horse with another name. But even then, the race would have had to be for 2 year olds because Forli first crop were 2 year olds in 1971.
Sleuthing is fun.

[joanied]

Doesn't anyone else have a serious problem with the valet attendant addressing him as "Mr. King" when he was heading back out to the car...."Bad day Mr. King?"

Makes absolutely no sense in context with the rest of his tale...

PA... I had a problem with that...and posted it...if King was a down and outter at the time...how in hell does a valet know to call him Mr. King:confused: ...IMO, King is full of s***

[joanied]

Lets say he got the name wrong, and it was a Forli horse with another name. But even then, the race would have had to be for 2 year olds because Forli first crop were 2 year olds in 1971.
Sleuthing is fun.

:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: Good work!!!

[menifee]

This story is complete BS. Sorry to repeat the points already made - I'm just summarizing:

1. No horse ran by that name in 1971.

http://deadspin.com/5262750/shocker-larry-kings-horsey-tale-is-full-of-holes

2. The track had just opened in May - it was his first time there - no way the valet knew Larry's name.

3. If they did offer trifecta wagering back then at Calder, I am pretty certain it was only on the last race and not the third race. But I don't think they offered it at all. I might look at a newspaper to confirm.

Does anybody do any fact checking anymore?

THIS IS A TRUE STORY.

Larry King says this in that perfect radio voice of his, deep in pitch, confiding in tone, a voice that fills the room where he has come this evening to give a speech.

He is in a synagogue, looking out at 700 people who have paid $20 and up to see him . . .

He is a good speaker, instantly likable, and when he is done, and the synagogue fills with applause, he decides to tell one story more.

"This," he says, "is known as the Carvel story. I've told it on the air. It's in an earlier book. I haven't told it in a while, but you've been a wonderful audience, very warm and nice, and so I'll tell it."

And with that, out comes the most remarkable story of the evening. It involves the neighborhood in Brooklyn where King grew up, and a snowy night in November 1950, and two of King's boyhood friends. One was Herbie Cohen, who remains one of King's closest friends to this day. The other was "Sandy Koufax, later to become a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher."

"We were having a vicious argument -- about ice cream," King says. "I loved Borden's. Herbie loved Breyers. Sandy loved Carvel . . . Finally, we got to price, and Sandy says he knows a Carvel in New Haven, Connecticut, that serves three scoops for 15 cents. Herbie says: 'That's impossible, Sandy. I'll bet you.' I said: 'That's impossible. They can't serve three scoops for 15 cents.' So there's only one way to prove the bet: Three 17-year-old kids are going to drive to New Haven, Connecticut, on this Monday night to find this Carvel and check it out -- because we bet Sandy."

The story goes on from there. They drive and drive, Larry and Herbie up front, Sandy and another kid named Bernie in the back. They find the Carvel, where the price for three scoops is indeed 15 cents, and then they pile back in the car.

"Sandy knew New Haven pretty good," King goes on. "He says: 'Listen, I'll drive you around. Cut down this street, and we'll be on Broadway, and I'll show you the main drag.'" Somehow, they end up at an election rally. Somehow, Larry and Herbie end up on stage introducing the mayor. "Sandy can't believe it," King says. "He collapses. He's on the floor . . . he couldn't stop laughing."

It takes King more than 10 minutes to tell the entire story, and when he is done the ovation is loud and long.

"Every inch of this story is true," he says. "It seems like it's not, but it's true. I swear to God."

But there's a problem.

"This is Sandy Koufax," the man on the phone says a few days later. "I've never been in New Haven, not to this day."

Furthermore, he says, he and Larry King have never been friends. In fact, he says, even though they grew up in the same neighborhood, he didn't get to know King until long after both had left Brooklyn behind. King was on the radio by the time they met, and the Carvel story had already become a part of his life.

"I asked him about it," Koufax remembers.

And?

"He just laughed."

[OTM Al]

That mug shot is killer.

[ryesteve]

No and not every one is from Missouri either.Are you saying that refusing to eat a turd because someone tells you it's chocolate pudding, means you're from Missouri?

[46zilzal]

American Racing Manual review of horses running in 1971

[Dave Schwartz]

In the late 1960's my dad worked as a waiter in a nice joint on the 79th street causeway called "Nick & Arthur's."

Larry King was a regular there and my dad talked about him often. Dad always talked about the good tippers as well as the bad ones. Larry was not one of the good ones.


Dave

[jballscalls]

i dont think the horse ever won in america, let alone raced here

[46zilzal]

From BRIS American Produce Records, a foal of 1972
1972 Lady Forli,f,*Forli 1 3 0 0 0 0 0.00
DP = 4-2-23-1-2 DI = 1.21 CD = 0.16
Doesn't appear this one ever broke it's maiden

our of the mare Prime Lady.

[joanied]

From BRIS American Produce Records, a foal of 1972
1972 Lady Forli,f,*Forli 1 3 0 0 0 0 0.00
DP = 4-2-23-1-2 DI = 1.21 CD = 0.16
Doesn't appear this one ever broke it's maiden

our of the mare Prime Lady.

Nice work, Zil:ThmbUp:

me thinks mr. King was full of s*** when he told this tall :liar: tale :faint:

[46zilzal]

Nice work, Zil:ThmbUp:

me thinks mr. King was full of s*** when he told this tall :liar: tale :faint:
I just informed CNN of this fact and will see what happens

[Zippy Chippy]

I don't think this story is embellished, I think it's 100% made up. I've heard a couple strange things about larry including how he talks about how sandy Koufax was his best friend growing up and some one asked sandy about it and he wasn't sure who larry was

[menifee]

NY Times confirms that Calder did not offer Trifectas in 1971 and that the horse did not race in 1971. What is Larry thinking? More importantly, what is CNN thinking?

http://therail.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/20/larry-kings-horse-tale/

[OTM Al]

He's not thinking. He has a problem with the truth. You don't go through 7 wives (one twice) and have it all together, at least the way I've got it figured.

[46zilzal]

QUOTE: "Normally, female horses don't beat males. We're talking cheap horses. I scanned the board and saw that she was 70-1. But my eyes really opened when I looked at the racing form. Racetrack people talk to each other. So I turned to the guy next to me and said, "You know, this horse, three races back, won in more or less the same company. Why is she 70-1?"


Interesting for a filly who retired a maiden never having hit the board

[Run Nicholas Run]

I heard the race before she finished 4th in the Sunland Derby.

:ThmbUp: :D :cool:

[joanied]

I just informed CNN of this fact and will see what happens

Did you :eek: really???? Holys***, Zil....I think we'll all look forward to what kind of reply you get back from CNN :D (we don't watch CNN:ThmbDown: )

[toussaud]

who in the hell has on a jacket in may in south florida?

[beertapper]

that's some nice fiction... i enjoyed reading it..

as for the facts... well..:bang::bang::bang::bang:

[Cangamble]

I've got a post on my blog dissecting the whole excerpt:
http://cangamble.blogspot.com/2009/05/larry-kings-pants-must-be-on-fire.html

Thanks for all the ideas from this forum.

[Oaklawn]

Oh my gosh I am so freakin gullible! I thought surely this would be true if he's printing the dang story. Then I was thinking, "how come this hasn't happened to me yet!" Ha!

Larry, you suck, I have yet another reason not to like you.

[46zilzal]

Found another unraced foal of 1995 Lady Forli

1995 Lady Forli,f,Forli Light Unraced
DP = 3-0-15-0-0 DI = 1.40 CD = 0.33

[toussaud]

larry king actually has a pretty close tie to affirmed

[46zilzal]

larry king actually has a pretty close tie to affirmed
Yes the owners accused him of bilking them out of a lot of money: $48,000

old Larry was real close as the mug shot shows
http://www.absolutenow.com/mugshots/larry_king.html

[proximity]

can we not just be thankful to mr king for giving the sport and the hope that goes along with each bet some actual positive mainstream publicity?

[Bruddah]

It seems to me Mr King is guilty of embellishing the truth in his tale. However, I ask myself, what harm has he done? He has been in the entertainment business many years. He can be considered an entertainer and it seems he was doing just that, entertaining an audience. No harm, no foul, in my opinion. His distortion of the facts will not hurt or change one person's life. He's an old man who may of mixed up some of the facts of the story. So what, BFD.

I wish this country would become as incredulous about the lies that Congress and Presidents, past, present, both parties have told the American people. Those are lies which do effect lives. Sh*t! There is not a handicapper on this board that hasn't embellished a Big Win or Horse Racing story. Think back and then go look in the mirror.

Nobody but Horse Racing Handicappers would disect that story the way it has been done here. Congratulations! But if you give a Big Rat's A$$, you have nothing going on in your life. :D

[ryesteve]

No harm, no foul, in my opinion.In my opinion, I don't like stories in which the main takeaway is that betting your last dollars on a "birthday trifecta" will have a happy ending. In real life, it doesn't.

[OTM Al]

It seems to me Mr King is guilty of embellishing the truth in his tale. However, I ask myself, what harm has he done? He has been in the entertainment business many years. He can be considered an entertainer and it seems he was doing just that, entertaining an audience. No harm, no foul, in my opinion. His distortion of the facts will not hurt or change one person's life. He's an old man who may of mixed up some of the facts of the story. So what, BFD.

I wish this country would become as incredulous about the lies that Congress and Presidents, past, present, both parties have told the American people. Those are lies which do effect lives. Sh*t! There is not a handicapper on this board that hasn't embellished a Big Win or Horse Racing story. Think back and then go look in the mirror.

Nobody but Horse Racing Handicappers would disect that story the way it has been done here. Congratulations! But if you give a Big Rat's A$$, you have nothing going on in your life. :D

Do I really care? No. It did bother me though. He's credited to be a journalist as well, not just an entertainer and I probably wouldn't have even looked at it twice, but I know he's made up stories before and this one just sounded funny, and it turns out it was. The excerpt was from what is being called his autobiography. With out a doubt this man has lived an interesting life, so why lie about it? How much more in this book is made up?

We all know politicians lie. They always have. I could show you political maneuverings from the Roman Republic that make guys today look like pikers. But when a so called journalist starts lying, there is an even bigger issue. Journalists have always been slanted, telling one side of the story and not the other. That we understand, but outright lies are much more serious. Juvenal once wrote "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes", which literally means, "who will guard the guards themselves". So who should do this?

Horseplayers picked this one apart because it was a subject we understand. Had it been about Hollywood or Washington, people with expertise there probably would have done the same.

[Bruddah]

In my opinion, I don't like stories in which the main takeaway is that betting your last dollars on a "birthday trifecta" will have a happy ending. In real life, it doesn't.

Duuhh yeahh! Thanks for saving the multitudes from that. You are hereby annointed Czar of Birthday Trifectas. Another position in the Government.

[ryesteve]

Duuhh yeahh! Thanks for saving the multitudes from that. You are hereby annointed Czar of Birthday Trifectas. Another position in the Government.So your premise is that there's no harm in slinging this bullshit because everyone ought to know that it's total bullshit? If only everyone were as smart as you and I...

[proximity]

Nobody but Horse Racing Handicappers would disect that story the way it has been done here. Congratulations! But if you give a Big Rat's A$$, you have nothing going on in your life. :D

indeed the insecurity on this thread is running rampant. i mean center of distribution stats and complete racing records of every lady forli who was ever born being sent to cnn? :rolleyes:

[proximity]

But when a so called journalist starts lying, there is an even bigger issue.... .


this thread is about larry king. not paul m.....:)

[Cangamble]

indeed the insecurity on this thread is running rampant. i mean center of distribution stats and complete racing records of every lady forli who was ever born being sent to cnn? :rolleyes:
Insecurity? How so Freud?

Handicappers are detectives by nature. This was a fun topic to go with. There are many good racing stories out there.
I have quite a few myself.

All of us have them. Personally, I do take offense when I come across embellishments, especially when it has to with horse racing.

Also, an autobiography or biography is supposed to be factual. If the guy can't even come up with a true horse racing story, imagine how much crap is in his book. If he was writing fiction, fine, say so.

[OTM Al]

this thread is about larry king. not paul m.....:)

Never accused him of lying (though there was a certain incident that did make me question), just bad reporting. Mr. Moran's actual stories are quite good and fine representations of the races he is writing about. But as you say, this thread is not about him, so let's not go there. Entirely different issue.

[OTM Al]

CNN's web site was hyping his book up to yesterday. They had put up another excerpt about the day his father died. Not much factually checkable there except the movie mentioned and no reason to doubt that. However today, that promo section is gone. Think we're the only ones who took this seriously? Or perhaps its just coincidence......

[strapper]

Very interesting story. Surprised Mr. King would even tell that one on himself. Stuff like that would never happen to me!

[tucker6]

In the late 1960's my dad worked as a waiter in a nice joint on the 79th street causeway called "Nick & Arthur's."

Larry King was a regular there and my dad talked about him often. Dad always talked about the good tippers as well as the bad ones. Larry was not one of the good ones.


Dave
So, the $50 tip is a lie as well.

[proximity]

Insecurity? How so Freud?
.

1) like i said the guy gives some actual positive mainstream ink to the game and everyone's gut reaction is to jump him? the punishment doesn't fit the crime... and 2) i wasn't necessarily referring to your contributions on the thread, so....:)

[Cangamble]

1) like i said the guy gives some actual positive mainstream ink to the game and everyone's gut reaction is to jump him? the punishment doesn't fit the crime... and 2) i wasn't necessarily referring to your contributions on the thread, so....:)
1) I read the story, and if he didn't say triactor in 1971, I probably would have accepted it, and felt good about it. But it just didn't look right to me.

[menifee]

Larry's now claiming he could have "been" with Katie Couric and Jessica Hahn. CNN continues to air this bs. At this point, it is comical.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2009/05/21/ac.cooper.king.loves.cnn

I cannot disprove it and maybe it is true, but this reminds me of this guy at the track who always wants to tell you about his big score and all the big hits he has missed in his life. Larry's the same guy, he just is doing it on a national stage.

[proximity]

Larry's now claiming he could have "been" with Katie Couric and Jessica Hahn. .

indeed it could have been but larry "has to be the pursuer"!! :lol:

[Relwob Owner]

1) like i said the guy gives some actual positive mainstream ink to the game and everyone's gut reaction is to jump him? the punishment doesn't fit the crime... and 2) i wasn't necessarily referring to your contributions on the thread, so....:)


I am confused how something coming from him, even if it is true, is considered positive publicity.....he is alleged to have told many, many untrue stories and his integrity has been questioned by many, many people....so, how is being associated with him "positive mainstream ink"?

[NJ Stinks]

All I know is if I make it to 75 I am going to tell big whopping lies all the time! :cool:

Really, it was a good story and I don't see the harm.

[Relwob Owner]

All I know is if I make it to 75 I am going to tell big whopping lies all the time! :cool:

Really, it was a good story and I don't see the harm.


The harm is that it apparently wasnt true....if there is no harm in lying, then I guess it was a cool, harmless story....

[proximity]

I am confused how something coming from him, even if it is true, is considered positive publicity.....he is alleged to have told many, many untrue stories and his integrity has been questioned by many, many people....so, how is being associated with him "positive mainstream ink"?

the source made the publicity mainstream. the "feel good" nature of the story (as opposed to the usual horse breakdown/ peta lightning rod type story) is what made it positive......

[dav4463]

The valet could know his name. They could have met and talked when he first got there. I can remember someone a few hours after I meet them.

[eastie]

So, the $50 tip is a lie as well.

that deadbeat would have a heart attack if he ever tipped someone $50. and he is also full of shitt. when stuff like that happens, you remember the actual names of the horse(s). I can remember Lucent (First major score) getting up last jump at 41-1 under Rudy Baez like it was yesterday, and that was 25-30 years ago. A Fred Hooper mare called Evaluating was another big score horse who won at Saratoga one year. a nice headbob win at 45-1. These are just a couple of examples, but you guys know if a story like that had any truth in it, he would know the horse's name. I'm sure King would have no problem calling anyone else out if they blatently lied like this.

[Relwob Owner]

the source made the publicity mainstream. the "feel good" nature of the story (as opposed to the usual horse breakdown/ peta lightning rod type story) is what made it positive......


Sad that a story that seems to be proven to have been made up is considered a "feel good" story for our sport.....I guess it shows how desparate we are fpr anything good to be written.

[proximity]

Sad that a story that seems to be proven to have been made up is considered a "feel good" story for our sport.....I guess it shows how desparate we are fpr anything good to be written.

my initial thoughts were that here's a story which will be viewed by thousands who aren't routinely logging into drf, pa, or bloodhorse. and that since the author actually touched on a positive track experience, maybe some of those readers would be encouraged to take a trip out to their local tracks and possibly some new fans could be created? i could be wrong.

[Relwob Owner]

my initial thoughts were that here's a story which will be viewed by thousands who aren't routinely logging into drf, pa, or bloodhorse. and that since the author actually touched on a positive track experience, maybe some of those readers would be encouraged to take a trip out to their local tracks and possibly some new fans could be created? i could be wrong.


Could be...I gotta admit, I carry some Larry King opinion baggage into the conversation so that kind of skews things a bit---as they say, though, any publicity is good publicity so you may be right!

[joanied]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

http://equidaily.com/images/2009/lking.jpg

I bet he even helped Al Gore invent the internet!

[BetHorses!]

I just informed CNN of this fact and will see what happens


Did they respond? :)


Also, this is an excerpt from his autobiography, you should contact the publisher

[strapper]

Facts Schmacts! So he told some Huck Finn sized whoppers....

[toetoe]

I hear Larry never read the DRF --- he didn't want to have any preconceived notions when he cadged his tout. :rolleyes: .

"Hey Vinnie ... the t'oid race --- GO."

[toetoe]

Yes, but how did the guy even KNOW Larry's name?

He was still Zeiger at that point, no ?

[toetoe]

larry king actually has a pretty close tie to affirmed

Yes, especially the dam:

Inquiring Minds: "Mr. King, we want the truth !"

L.K.: "Won't tell you." (Ed. note --- ;) .)

[Cangamble]

He was still Zeiger at that point, no ?
We know we can't take Larry's word for it when it comes to his name change:), but apparently it was done earlier than 1971.

Another point a recovering gambler put on my blog comments is that there is no way on this earth that Larry would have left right after the race. $200,000 plus in debt, just scored 7 G's. He definitely would stay at least one race unless he was avoiding creditors or had to be somewhere in a hurry.

[Relwob Owner]

:ThmbDown: Larry King is a PATHOLOGICAL LIAR, and not just b'c of this fish tale...

Yep....my favorite is where he apparently sadi he was really tight with Sandy Koufax and made up really specific stories about them hanging out....they went to Koufax, who said he barely knew him.....

[FUGITIVE77]

Doesn't anyone else have a serious problem with the valet attendant addressing him as "Mr. King" when he was heading back out to the car...."Bad day Mr. King?"

Makes absolutely no sense in context with the rest of his tale...


Larry King was famous down in Florida with a radio show in the 50s and 60s and I remember he had some bit part on TV for one episode on some old show in the late 50s. So it is possible that the valet would know him. He had some sort of legal problems that rendered him broke in the early seventies. I forgot the details but I remember seeing him on the 50s tv show back when cable was doing something on his life back when I listened to his radio show in the 80s. I'm sure you can look up that on the net, that doesn't interest me, what interest me is, was there a tri at Calder in that time period. Did King get the year wrong? When I first start going to the track around 1981 they had one tri (a day) in the last race and a couple of exactas per card. Should be able to find that info somewhere.


Note: I just glanced at Wikipedia and King had a local TV show out of Miami as early as 1960, so it is possible the valet could have known him without ever having met him.

[PaceAdvantage]

Thanks for that info...makes a little more sense now...

[andymays]

I like Larry King although I don't watch as much as I used to.

His Smoking Gun mugshot is pretty good if nobody has seen it. Sorry for putting it up again if someone already has.

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/larrykingmug1.html

[NYPlayer]

The harm is that it apparently wasnt true....if there is no harm in lying, then I guess it was a cool, harmless story....

Oh, come on! The details were fudged, but it's entirely believable that he made a big score at Calder during that period which was a dark time for him personally (it got worse later when he started writing bad checks). The guy is a horseplayer after all. Jon Stewart really had fun with him in an interview, labelling King a "degenerate". King tried to explain that he only plays horses even when he goes to Vegas. Stewart said that was like saying you weren't an alcoholic because you only drink beer.

...pretty funny

[domino1891]

We know we can't take Larry's word for it when it comes to his name change:), but apparently it was done earlier than 1971.

Another point a recovering gambler put on my blog comments is that there is no way on this earth that Larry would have left right after the race. $200,000 plus in debt, just scored 7 G's. He definitely would stay at least one race unless he was avoiding creditors or had to be somewhere in a hurry.


Much to the surprise of everyone who knew him, at age 22 Larry packed his bags, left all that was familiar to him, and headed south. He knocked on door after door until finally opportunity knocked back. After passing a voice test at WAHR, he was hired—to sweep floors. He accepted the job with the proviso that when an on-air position opened up, he’d be the first to get the job. It did, and he got it. But five minutes before airtime his boss asked him what stage name he was going to use. His boss felt “Larry Zeiger” was too ethnic. Suddenly, an advertisement in the newspaper for “King’s Wholesale Liquor” caught his boss’ eye and he asked, “How about Larry King?” But even after 46 years of using that name, King says that it is just an “outerwear thing.” Although he did change his name legally, he says, “In my heart I’ll always be Zeiger.” He tells how thrilled he was when he saw the name Zeiger listed at Ellis Island and says that when his day comes, “Zeiger” will probably be on his tombstone too.

But in 1957, the nascent “Larry King” took the name his boss gave him and in turn made a name for himself.


http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/larryking.html

[sally]

Didn't Larry have the Smarty Jones/ Birdstone exacta in the Belmont a few years back? Good cappin'....

[highnote]

"This," he says, "is known as the Carvel story. I've told it on the air. It's in an earlier book. I haven't told it in a while, but you've been a wonderful audience, very warm and nice, and so I'll tell it."

And with that, out comes the most remarkable story of the evening. It involves the neighborhood in Brooklyn where King grew up, and a snowy night in November 1950, and two of King's boyhood friends. One was Herbie Cohen, who remains one of King's closest friends to this day. The other was "Sandy Koufax, later to become a Hall of Fame baseball pitcher."

"We were having a vicious argument -- about ice cream," King says. "I loved Borden's. Herbie loved Breyers. Sandy loved Carvel . . . Finally, we got to price, and Sandy says he knows a Carvel in New Haven, Connecticut, that serves three scoops for 15 cents. Herbie says: 'That's impossible, Sandy. I'll bet you.' I said: 'That's impossible. They can't serve three scoops for 15 cents.' So there's only one way to prove the bet: Three 17-year-old kids are going to drive to New Haven, Connecticut, on this Monday night to find this Carvel and check it out -- because we bet Sandy."



I don't know about 1950, but the Carvel ice cream stores I know today don't sell ice cream by the scoop. It's all soft serve -- like Dairy Queen.

[toetoe]

Didn't Larry have the Smarty Jones/ Birdstone exacta in the Belmont a few years back? Good cappin'....

Indeed, if he did, it was good cappin,' but he didn't cash. ;) .