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[thaskalos]

I recall a trip to Las Vegas many years ago, when I purchased Joe Takach's Beat the Beam video from the Gambler's Book Shop there. So excited was I that I couldn't wait to get back home so I could watch it. It turned out to be a very well made video, with clear pictures and explanations of what the "ready horse" is supposed to look like...and what paddock signs to avoid. With vivid images on my mind of what the "ready" and the 'listless' horses were supposed to look like...I eagerly rushed to Arlington Park so I could put my newly-acquired knowledge to profitable use.

As I visited the paddock for the first interesting race of the day...I was shocked to discover that the horse that I intended to bet on was the epitome of what was pictured as a totally listless horse on Takach's video. While the other horses were prancing around on their tippi-toes with their dappled bodies exuding the sort of energy that their handlers could hardly contain...my selection (I think the horse's name was Blanket Finish) looked so exhausted that the poor horse could barely keep its nose off the ground. To this day I've never seen a more lethargic-looking horse...and I still remember how proud I felt for possessing the necessary knowledge which allowed me to avoid sucker horses of this type, which burned the money of the less sophisticated players.

Alas, the pride in my newly-acquired knowledge only lasted until Blanket Finish disposed of the rest of the field en route to a comfortable victory at a generous price...while sticking his tongue out at me the entire way. After that...Takach's video was destined to languish in some dusty corner somewhere in my garage.