Quote:
Originally Posted by coachv30
Greeting Fellow Cappers!!
My love for handicapping started over 30 years ago at the young age of 16 years old. It was then that I took an interest following in the footsteps of some influential people around the game. I got to know these individuals through working graveyard shifts on weekends at a local 7 Eleven one mile down the road from Parx Racing (Philly Park) at the time.
These guys would come in overnight (trainers, agents, exercise riders, handicappers, you name it) purchase the DRF and a cup of coffee. They would then pull up a seat behind the counter and start marking away at their programs. It was a very open and friendly place to say the least. I would consider it the mini-market version of "Cheers". In between duties there, whether it was stocking the cooler, the shelves, or mopping the floor, I would watch and listen to them debate about different points of views on different horses. Over time, I got nerve enough to start asking what they meant by different terms such as "current fitness level", "recent form", "running style", etc....It was not long after, that I began asking what all of the marks, slashes, numbers on the page meant and how to they come about making those decisions. In no time, I started wrapping up my duties before they came in so that I could sit alongside with my own copy of the DRF.
About a year later, I was sending them off with $10 or $20 to make plays on horses that I had handicapped that night/morning. How rewarding it was when they would show up at 5AM the next morning with $20 or $30 that I made on a few $2 WIN wagers. From that point on, I was hooked.
PS. Trainers gave the WORST tips!!
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Started going to Keeneland in the early 70's, as a 16 yr old. I was a catholic school student and I remember a bunch of us skipping our Senior Graduation mass to go to Keeneland to watch the Bluegrass stakes which was run on a Thursday at that time ('74) only 10 days before the derby. I bet all I had left on Judger the winner that year.
Fast forward a year and I am sitting in my dorm room at Eastern Ky University watching the Today at Keeneland show replaying the races of that day. Someone pokes his head in the door and asked if he could watch it with me and that day I became friends with one of the greatest horseplayers in the game today...Mike Maloney. Spent the next 4 years going to Latonia, Keeneland and Churchill with Mike and his dad Bud trying to learn as much as I could. One day Mike went to Churchill by himself and bet 500 to win on a horse that hit, and I knew that day he was way out of my league.
I found my niche as a semi serious/recreational player but owe my love of the track and handicapping to Mike and Bud Maloney(RIP)
now I work at Keeneland teaching people how to bet , read the form , and BRIS and play weekly online.
