Whatever Happened to?

[Topcat]

The theme of this thread is "Whatever Happened to "
Pleae add what you know and who you are curious about.
I'll start it off: Whatever happened to these well known handicappers/authors,

John Meyer,
TIS, re Turf Investment Society.
Jsut stopped publishing-let's see I'll check one of my
on-line sources: there is a John Meyer in Sand Diego age 71 and a John D Meyer age 5. Anybody????

Ron Ambrose:
What I heard was from Meadows Racing Monthly-seems he ran into him living in a casino hotel in Bullhead, NV. Had some bad health problems, went to Mexico, came back, lives off of wagers

Steve Martin:
Not the comedian, but the triple crown handicapper who used to have a following in PRN. He literally fell on hard times, broke his shoulder after visiting his local tavern a little too long in Las Vegas, moved in with an acquaintance in Long Beach and they were betting tirfectas together -think he moved out-last I heard from him. He did put me on a horse that paid $200 once. Interesting story: he called me once after the OJ was arrested for murder-said he was too upset to handicap and couldn’t understand it-said he had lunch with OJ a few weeks before and that OJ had insisted that he and Nicole would be getting back together. I remembered that when OJ claimed to not even be thinking about Nicole.

Dick Mitchell:
Tell me it isn't so Dick-the divorce that is. I understand he is teaching somewhere in Arizona-not sure how active he bets now. What else is he doing

Gordon Jones: Good ole Gordo-I think he still does seminars in Las Vegas.

William Quirin: after one landmarke book, a so-sos sequel and his own speed figs,he retires from horseracing to go back to teaching. Currenly the chair of the department of Mathmatics and Computer Science at Adelphi University

Huey Mahl: one of the great ones-passed away

Jeff Goldstein: Passed away-wife and friends still putting out trainer newsletter

Tom Hambleton: Not sure what he is doing?

Howard Sartin: Poor health, Not really a doc and is his son running
the business ?

The “Hat” Bradshaw: One book, Aodds software and ???

Tom Brohammer: Not sure what he is up to lately-still active though

Mike Fiori : alive or dead? Still on the East coast???

Lee Rousso: For West Cosat handicappers: He ran constant ads about his picks and seminars in the DRF.
He won a few hanicapping contest back to back when there were still rare Someone told me he gave it up
to go to law school.????

Others?

Thanks
TC

[JimG]

I'll add a few that I have wondered about that were featured in New Expert Handicappers in 1988:

Paul Braseth...from Seattle area as I recall.

Erika Holderith...only female profiled in the book.

Scott Finley....his father I believe was William L. Scott

Anton Hemm...at the time a wall street trader as well.

Steve Klein...worked for the DRF...maybe still does?

Dan McDivitt...believed played in the Boston area...

George Kaywood...Mensa Handicapper


and not from the book but names I can recall:

Al Bozzi...put out a couple of books.

Ron Clarendon...used to produce the ABS report for NY racing.


Any info on the above?

Jim

[penguinfan]

The last 2 grand I took to the track?

Penguinfan

[Tom]

Originally posted by penguinfan
The last 2 grand I took to the track?

Penguinfan

Thank you very much!

How about Mensa-capping as a group? They had a bunch of stuff out oat one time, never heard from them again. Is it that they were so smart, they found the Holy Grail and are keeping quiet, or smart enough to get out of this game quickly? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Whirlaway]

Just goes to show you how hard it is to scratch out a living at a high negative expectation game. The ones who are doing it are mostly getting a hefty rebate from some source or another.

[Lefty]

Gordon Jones is the "resident" handicapper for Sams Town. He takes summers off (means he's not there personally much)to visit the CA fairs which he loves but faxes his picks in every day and they print them and have them available. He also has a radio show which airs in vegas at 7:30 am Wed thru Sun and is also avail. on the internet.
Doc Sartin, yes he is really a Doc. He has a mailorder degree maybe but still a doc. All attempts to reach anyone have failed so don't blve anyone running the bus. If they are they still owe me 3 Follow Ups.

[kitts]

Ron Ambrose is making large bets wisely in Laughlin, NV-at least he was doing that the last time I saw him. He has frequent and very severe attacks of arthritis and the only feasible solution during attack time is to rush to Mexico for treatment. Hence his proximity to Mexico. And such a lifetsyle makes it unlikely for him to take up any kind of "permanent" residence.

Dick Mitchell is now a bachelor teaching math in Arizona. Mathematics is his true love. I am pretty sure he no longer bets. He remarked once that the challenge is gone.

Tom Hambleton, the last I heard, is driving a taxi in Las Vegas and is happy as a clam. Which probably means he is not playing the ponies <g>

[VetScratch]

A friend of mine knew George Kaywood, founder of the Mensa School of Handicapping. He says Kaywood was also a full-time Country & Western Disc Jockey, complete with a down-home radio personality (I can't recall the radio name my friend told me that George used).

Don't know where he is now.... probably still spinning hits at a radio station near a racetrack.

[Dave Schwartz]

Speaking of Tom Hambleton, if anyone knows his whereabouts (contact information, that is) I would really like to know.

I have been looking for him for several years.

He has an excellent mind and should be involved in racing.

Dave Schwartz

[Topcat]

Here's another: Paul Peterson of Morning Liner fame-last I heard he was up in Reno, taxi cab routine.

He was putting out a very good newletter, researching what he called the Einstein Simplicity Method-it didn't work, he disappered. then reappeared said he had a nervous breakdown -but lost his credibility and following.

Dennis Allen was the programmer.

[Dan Montilion]

Paul Mellos?

[GameTheory]

Kaywood was/is the man behind www.handicapping.com. Seeing as how that site was just overhauled and they're still selling Kaywood's books, I imagine he is still involved with it.

[VetScratch]

Many of the "Where Are They Now" notables that have disappeared have succumbed to the immutable and negative dynamics of parimutuel wagering, which always works to destroy the business model for those who publish handicapping books, methods, tout sheets, and software.

For example, the only feasible business model for any "black box" system that shows a consistent profit is one (single) user. Every user past the first is bound to erode profitability until the system becomes consistently unprofitable for all users. By his own admission, ubiquitous praise took the profit out of Beyer's speed figures.

By necessity, this phenomenon is what creates the prevailing business models for software, downloads, and newsletters (that offer proprietary value-added information). For example, prohibitive pricing for software, downloads, or both is the only way restrict the size of the user base and generate enough income to re-invest in improvements to offset the performance dilution that each additional user brings to the party.

Folks who complain about prices all the time must be playing with a short deck. A truly great handicapping resource that features cheap software, cheap data, and/or cheap subscription rates would be an invitation to almost immediate parimutuel disaster.

What does seem to be lacking is a independent appraisal agency like the testing labs at Consumer Reports or PC Magazine.

[Rpd]

Ray Gordon?

[JimL]

Mike Fiore, passed away. I think Karl knew him. JimL