Peter Berry

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Bob Miserski was one of many Southern Ca. Handicappers published in papers. Others were Jerry Antonucci, Ernie Mason, Gordon Jones, Warren Eves, Mike Superstein, Lucky Louise (supposedly Ernie Mason's wife). I'm sure I'm forgetting others. A great time in So. Cal Racing. Bion Abbott was the racing writer for the LA Times but didn't handicap.

Ernie Mason!, Lucky Louise!, Ernie Mason!, Lucky Louise!, Ernie Mason!, Lucky Louise!,

I can hear that clear as day walking into Los Alamitos from the guy hawking newspapers. At the time my grandmother lived in Leisure World that was maybe a half dozen miles from the track. I would often visit for a couple hours after work when I had an inside sales job in East La, where fortunately they had a liquor store that sold the DRF around the corner and the job had plenty of downtime sitting at my desk waiting for the phone to ring. When I had no one waiting for me at home I visited her every racing night. She once told my dad "Robert always leaves at 7pm every time he visits." My father always great at throwing people under the bus, told her I was going to the track. For the record my grandma thought alcohol and gambling were major sins.


P.S. I hope Peter Berry is not upset we have hijacked the thread wishing him well and praising him. I haven't bet Mountaineer in a couple years and my major beef with him was his lack of calling the horse I bet on nearing the end of the race. Just a joke, I picked lots of losers at MNR. I was either on fire there or cold as ice, no in between. Peter is a highly skilled race caller doing a very hard job.

[Cuffdaddy]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Bob Miserski was one of many Southern Ca. Handicappers published in papers. Others were Jerry Antonucci, Ernie Mason, Gordon Jones, Warren Eves, Mike Superstein, Lucky Louise (supposedly Ernie Mason's wife). I'm sure I'm forgetting others. A great time in So. Cal Racing. Bion Abbott was the racing writer for the LA Times but didn't handicap. Gordon

Miserski ended up being the director of publicity during the final years of Betfair Hollywood Park and IMO did an excellent job.

Race results, stretch runs would be broadcast every half hour on KNX 1070. Boy do I remember listening for those.

The race re-creation show I remember was sponsored Turf Craft and hosted by the great Danny Baxter. His re-creations were epic. Always followed by "another Turf Craft winner" They seemed to hit every race! The Pappy Parker Special. The Play of the Day. The Clockers inside secret play.

Guys would stand on the side of the road by a sign selling the picks on the streets around Del Mar.

My buddies once pooled our money and paid $50.00 for the Best Bet of the day. We couldn't lose because if the horse lost we'd actually be better off because we'd get the rest of the meeting absolutely free!

He did lose at 3/5. His name was White Hot and we weren't better off.

Great days!

Bion Abbott! Now that name jarred some memory. I am completely familiar with the other handicappers.

You are right that they always seemed to have the winner. Horse and Jockey's big service was the "Gold Bond Parlay". You are more my older brothers age and he controlled the show.

$50 was such a big fee for the times. I tried the same thing on one occasion with a partner. We called a number in the back of the form as it had rained for weeks and they had a guaranteed longshot mud winner. It was a another brutal raining and pouring day, we called and a old Cadillac pulled up to his house. We ran out and received a small piece of paper containing the name of the play. We then headed to SA thinking we had secret inside information as 16 year old naive kids. Like you, we lost. Looking back all these moments shape who you become as a handicapper. I was also attending alot or Gordon Jones seminars, mainly because his daughter would let me and my buddy in for free and supply a racing form. I do no think he was too pleased as we never chipped in for his group tickets. I did use his variants for a good while however.

Great days is right Vic!

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Cuffdaddy

Yes, I believe I was confused when Bob went to the Times. I cannot recall who did then horse racing picks back then. Working at Santa Anita was the most exciting times and so much fun at that age.
When there were no promotions to work they would have us sort thru huge stacks of fan entries into various contests and extract the doubles by hand and memory, real accurate.
We grew up in a town called Temple City which is just below Arcadia, think of it as much more low middle class. I lived on a side of the street that was in Arcadia school district.
I see from your other posts that you frequented Los Al. We most certainly have crossed paths as I did the go to SA during day they drive to Los Al at night regularly. From the age 16 to 35 I was all about the track, world revolved around it. Great times!

I had an Aunt and Uncle that lived in Temple City, can't remember exactly where as that was grade school in the late 60's. If you were at Los Al between 1975 and 2010 (when I left Cali) we had to cross paths. All my handicapping was done well in advance of showing up at the track. I learned a long time ago women and gambling don't mix and at the age of 18 had a back injury that makes sitting for any length of time painful. So when I went to a track I was often standing at a bar table or wondering around.

[Cuffdaddy]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

I had an Aunt and Uncle that lived in Temple City, can't remember exactly where as that was grade school in the late 60's. If you were at Los Al between 1975 and 2010 (when I left Cali) we had to cross paths. All my handicapping was done well in advance of showing up at the track. I learned a long time ago women and gambling don't mix and at the age of 18 had a back injury that makes sitting for any length of time painful. So when I went to a track I was often standing at a bar table or wondering around.

For sure then that we crossed paths. I was working FedEx in Huntington Beach as a swing driver from 88 to 99, I had no set route would fill in wherever needed. Whenever I had a route anywhere close to Los Al be it Garden Grove or Cypress I would finish all deliveries and then have a 2 hour break until afternoon pickups. Anyhow, I would drive my FedEx truck telling parking attendant I had a pickup in Concessions on 2nd floor and tell the gate guy same deal, I would get in free and wager. Then spent every weekend there but I was not one to hang with groups of track guys.

Time truly does fly by.

[PaceAdvantage]

I hope he gets well soon.

He has always been one of my favorite announcers. (even if he weren't, I'd still wish him well )

[FRMNBRI]

Im sure someone knows and might not be able to disclose because of patient privacy but does anyone know what is wrong with Peter. He is such a great announcer. I couldn't pick a winner at Mountaineer if you gave it to me after the race was over but love watching because of Peter. Stand up guy and great announcer.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Cuffdaddy

For sure then that we crossed paths. I was working FedEx in Huntington Beach as a swing driver from 88 to 99, I had no set route would fill in wherever needed. Whenever I had a route anywhere close to Los Al be it Garden Grove or Cypress I would finish all deliveries and then have a 2 hour break until afternoon pickups. Anyhow, I would drive my FedEx truck telling parking attendant I had a pickup in Concessions on 2nd floor and tell the gate guy same deal, I would get in free and wager. Then spent every weekend there but I was not one to hang with groups of track guys.

Time truly does fly by.

In the early 80's I had an inside/outside sales job based out of an office on the edge of Skid Row in East Los Angeles. Our product lines, motor control, that we distributed did not have defined territories. I had a lot of freedom to where I went as long as I produced results. Sometimes I was cold calling, other times I was going to scheduled appointments. Nothing worse than hitting a nice early double at Hollywood Park and having to leave to meet a potential customer.


Back in the day if I had a nice hit I set limits on what I would lose back, but having to bail out before reinvesting drove me nuts.

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

LA Times? I always bought the LA Herald Examiner, that was the newspaper for sports gamblers, all my betting friends and I were bummed when it stopped printing in the late 80's.

I was heartbroken when the Herald Examiner went out of business. Their racing coverage was second to none! Grabbing the Times was a poor substitute.

[Zman179]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Race results, stretch runs would be broadcast every half hour on KNX 1070. Boy do I remember listening for those.

OMG does that bring back memories! I remember betting the card at Los Alamitos early bird then waiting for the nighttime to hear Joe Alto with the trotters or Ed Burgart’s whole call with the quarter horses. Geez, it feels as if I was a teenager again remembering those times.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by Zman179

I was heartbroken when the Herald Examiner went out of business. Their racing coverage was second to none! Grabbing the Times was a poor substitute.

Everybody I knew who gambled down to the guys who would make $5 bets on ball games with co workers would buy the LA Herald Examiner. I was shocked when it went out of business. You figure there would have been enough people betting sports to keep them in business. They died long before the internet became common place.

[elhelmete]

Originally Posted by Zman179

OMG does that bring back memories! I remember betting the card at Los Alamitos early bird then waiting for the nighttime to hear Joe Alto with the trotters or Ed Burgart’s whole call with the quarter horses. Geez, it feels as if I was a teenager again remembering those times.

I miss Ed Burgart. (This is not a commentary on the current announcer--just miss Ed)

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

I miss Ed Burgart. (This is not a commentary on the current announcer--just miss Ed)

Eddie was/is an icon. Michael is terrific but don't feel bad about missing the best QH announcer ever.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by elhelmete

I miss Ed Burgart. (This is not a commentary on the current announcer--just miss Ed)

"These horses are noses apart" Ed was also worth listening to when he was talking about the works of first timers. I could not image any type of horse race to call tougher than quarters. That was obvious to me the times the great Trevor Denman called the one or two QH races to start the LA County Fair card. He was totally out of his element and did not sound very good.

[Inner Dirt]

Originally Posted by v j stauffer

Eddie was/is an icon. Michael is terrific but don't feel bad about missing the best QH announcer ever.

Who was the long term guy at Los Al Ed replaced who started each call with "They're running"? That was the first on site track announcer I ever heard.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by Inner Dirt

Who was the long term guy at Los Al Ed replaced who started each call with "They're running"? That was the first on site track announcer I ever heard.

Bobby Doyle