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Originally Posted by BarchCapper
Very much agree on Beyer belonging somewhere. He could go in on the strength of EITHER his handicapping contribution OR his Washington Post journalism.
There has been some discussion of these type of issues with Asmussen's passing of Dale Baird for wins, and with Fairmount/Fan Duel getting some attention (St. Louis Derby) thereby bringing talk of Dave Gall in the mix.
I would love to see an area of the NMRHOF that celebrates the "small track" Hall of Famers. The ones who have made huge contributions for generations of local fans, though not national ones.
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There should be some recognition for writers like Beyer and riders like Gall - they both had a huge influence on me when I became a horseplayer in the mid 1980s. Beyer's
Picking Winners and
Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz were the first two handicapping books I bought, after getting transferred to Scott Air Force base in 1985 and becoming a regular patron of nearby Fairmount Park.
Beyer's books and articles were "academic" in quality, for a sport, as Thask points out, filled with charlatans and crooks. It was amazing to be able to quantify the performances of the horses with speed figures, and gain insight to juicy winners down the road with accurate trip notes. I never met another competent handicapper prior to 2000 without Beyer coming up in the discussion early and often.
To watch Gall ride winner after winner at Fairmount was also an amazing opportunity to understand the art of excellent riding. He was a "man among boys", at least on dirt, and according to his obituary article on Bloodhorse never claimed foul on over 40,000 mounts. Wow. A true "pay the winners" attitude.
