"the moment" that hooked you on Racing

[BombsAway Bob]

Rich Perloff on TVG today has an E-mail topic of:
"What was the defining moment that got you into Horse Racing?"
Send your moment to.. mail@tvg.com here's the one I sent him..
----
I remember listening to AM Radio recreations in the 60's with my parents to see how Grampas' horses did at Aqueduct.
Yet it was Independance Day 1984- paying $90 that hooked me for life. My parents and I were at Rockingham Park for her
"Special Day".. A stakes race was run, and a maiden horse was entered by the name of MOMS COMMAND!
MOM rolled that day, as hundreds of MOMs in the clubhouse (my mom, too!)cheered home the Ultimate Swami Angle, paying +$50!
While I had always been a fan, that day I became a fan for life.
(Of course, it didn't hurt that MOMS COMMAND went on to win the FILLY TRIPLE CROWN that Year!)

[jognlope]

watching Coronado's Quest in post parade, nibbling at track pony, dancing, being mischeivous, then getting in gate and looking dead bullseye ahead, then won Travers.

[Marshall Bennett]

Not to sound like a grouch , but I find most of Rich's e-mail sessions that require a theme boring . I enjoy a variety of subject lines , much more interesting and educational . Frankly , I could care less what anyone's first experience was like , especially 4 solid hours of it . No offense Bob . :)

[Nacumi]

Big Red, 1973, Belmont.
It took 28 more years before I actually felt that same giddy feeling with a horse of my own. I like those epiphany moments. :lol:

[big frank]

Not to sound like a grouch , but I find most of Rich's e-mail sessions that require a theme boring . I enjoy a variety of subject lines , much more interesting and educational . Frankly , I could care less what anyone's first experience was like , especially 4 solid hours of it . No offense Bob . :) Lets face it ,,,, Rich is boring, arogant , and loves talking down to his viewers. Hey Grant ,, stop kissing the butts of tvg hosts !

[Marshall Bennett]

Lets face it ,,,, Rich is boring, arogant , and loves talking down to his viewers. Hey Grant ,, stop kissing the butts of tvg hosts !
No , Rich is , in my opinion , the best at TVG . I enjoy his contribution on Mondays and Tuesdays . Just didn't care for the theme he invested in during today's show . Rich is top notch .

[BUD]

I dont think Bob Kisses TVG's butt--He is just a Nice Guy--He loves racing--Tvg is racing-He Gravitates to where there is racing to talk about racing--He has done stuff for me--He did not have to--

Monday and Tuesday I have my TVG volume up some--Once NY starts its my Spires Video thing..

But I will forever keep the Bullett I was going to end it with--Once I thought life was done I'm an effen cripple----Hate Springer---The game show network Forever---Ya--I was in top shape--Still played sports at high levels in 3 sports-
Then Poof---
Then I came Across TVG----I grew outta the talk--Why--When my money is on the line I look an look and adjust my picks---I can't be botherd with grab ass talk---Not Saying TVG does that--

OK lost my point Then When The Dish Gets RNN--I'm there--

Getting back to Bob--He is a great ambassador for this game--He talks about it to everyone everywhere--so no is is No TVG Brown noser--

[jognlope]

I have that moment every time they come around the clubhouse turn at the Spa and hear the thundering hooves.

[BombsAway Bob]

Lets face it ,,,, Rich is boring, arogant , and loves talking down to his viewers. Hey Grant ,, stop kissing the butts of tvg hosts !
Easy, BF..who tinkled in your cornflakes and told you it was 2%?
What in my post was "kissing the butts of TVG hosts"... it was a Tuesday Afternoon, & if anyone anywhere had good racing stories, it would be the fine folks of the Pace Advantage crew. Peace, Brother Big...:cool:

[PaceAdvantage]

Pay no attention to posts like Big Frank's...if I had seen it earlier, it would have been removed for being useless.

[cj's dad]

Rich is the same guy who gave a plug to HANA on Monday

[big frank]

To Bombs Away Bob ,,, im sorry for my earlier post,, i was wrong and from what i have seen and heard you are a class act ! best of luck bob

[fmhealth]

Fifty years ago my friend Allan & I decide to skip school & head out to the "Big A". Remember playing show & losing a few races, then it happened. Jack Yother riding Black Sheath wins at 25-1. My $2.00 show bet gets me back about $8.00. I'm hooked!!

An interesting footnote to the above. My friends son is now the agent for Jose Lezano. Funny how things work out.

[Bettowin]

For me it was Canterbury Park and a horse named Stillwater Billy. Saw him in the walking ring and he towered over his competitors and won easily. Figured he would never be beat but didn't understand that 2 yo's catch up quickly:)

So I then came up with my own system that was foolproof:) Get ready, I calculated the amount of time in 1/100's of a second it took horses to run the stretch (no matter what distance). Got me my biggest score when a horse name Shaded Blue came in 2nd at something like 15-1 with a 5/2 favorite on top and the $2 exacta paid nearly $100. Since they were my top two runners in time it took to run the stretch I boxed them for $5 and put a straight $10 exacta on MY top two:) Never mind that Shaded Blue was the only filly in the race so with what I know now I probably would not give her that much of a shot.

That was huge money for me back then. Amazing on what the human brain can recall when we want it to.

PS - My same "system" got me Thirty Slews in the BC:) I was the best handicapper in my own mind back then and thought if I could only get a computer to do the calculating for me I would be a millionare in a matter of months:)

[mjw]

My uncle use to be a regular at Suffolk Downs, and would take me when I was 8-9 years old. We would stand by the rail and watch the horses come thundering down the stretch and when we were between races, I would run all over the place, chasing papers being whirled by the breeze and generally annoying the older harden folk. Fast forward a few years...

I was 15 maybe. My uncle and I would go to Suffolk Downs after putting in a half-day on Sundays at his restaurant. I remember picking a horse early one Sunday at work, the name was... Rye's Last (?) at Suffolk. He was 12-1. Won, by a widening margin. At the time, I could go to the window and bet... the tellers didn't care. But, I chickened out and didn't have a dime on him.

Hooked.

[Nacumi]

On TV, 1969 Belmont Stakes: a game, funny named little horse called Arts And Letters beats the royally-bred Majestic Prince.
Then, 1973, Big Red runs into history. Addiction complete. ;)

[jballscalls]

Watching Captain Condo as a kid hooked me on the game. Watching and listening to Cesario's American Oaks hooked me on becoming an announcer. "Melhor Ainda might get into second, but NO WAY does she catch the winner, the Japanese Superstar, Cesario!!!"--VJS

[strapper]

I was probably very young, about 4 or 5. My father and grandmother would bring me and park on the first turn rail at Fair Grounds. They'd prop me up on the fence and I'd talk with the riders. I would see that big 'ol grandstand and wish for several years before was actually allowed to go in with my dad.

[MzDucat]

My mom's cousin was Red Foley-you guys who are into NY baseball might know the name. Red and my great uncle Huey took me to Belmont. Never occurred to me that uncle Huey was a bookie for owners and trainers. Became a degenate that day. Family full of nuns, priests, and smackdab in the middle a bookie. Guess who gave me wallets full of fins. Nice memory.

Also sitting behind the mets in '69. Tommy Agee, Cleon Jones, Ron Swoboda all so sweet to two little girls. My sister slept with Bud Harrelson's picture under her pillow. She knew everybodys stats and Red was so proud.

Drive past her house when the Mets are on. Living room full of crazy screamers. :D

[raybo]

I was hooked at the moment I figured out that the game could be beaten, 30+ years ago. Studied the game for the next 20 years or so until I figured out exactly how to do it. The rest is, as they say, history.