Remember the racing form competitor?

[pandy]

I wrote a regular column for Racing Times and worked for Sports Eye in the Post Washington office too, left in April of 1981. Sports Eye had thoroughbred pps before the Racing Times but the Racing Form paid them to stop. This was before Equibase so Sports Eye had to hire chart callers all over the country. It was a big undertaking.

[HPFridays]

Originally Posted by pandy

I wrote a regular column for Racing Times and worked for Sports Eye in the Post Washington office too, left in April of 1981. Sports Eye had thoroughbred pps before the Racing Times but the Racing Form paid them to stop. This was before Equibase so Sports Eye had to hire chart callers all over the country. It was a big undertaking.

I'm hoping Pandy or Vic would know this, but wasn't Sports Form(sports handicapping's weekly version of the racing form) published by Sports Eye too? I used to buy the Sports Form weekly about 15 yrs ago. I do remember a tout that did great on the Sunday and Monday night NFL games, Colonel Joe Challmus or something like that.

[pandy]

Yes, Sports Form I believe and also College and Pro Football Weekly. Mike Francesca worked on that stuff.

[Cardus]

Originally Posted by levinmpa

I posted 2 images of the the old Racing Times a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed that publication.

For anyone that's never seen it, here is an image of the front page and another of the actual PPs.

Note the record at the distance and record over the track, as well as the Beyer figure in bold. Also note the stud fee and grandsire information. DRF did not publish this information at the time. It was added to the DRF PPs only after the Racing Times went under.

Interesting graphic, with Fly So Free's past performances.

Vermont, who finished 2nd in the Tremont to Hansel, raced on the Belmont Stakes Day card in 1991, and I believe that it was his first start since the Tremont. I remember him running off of a big layoff. I might be wrong, but he ran 2nd in that comeback race, if memory serves. I am certain that he raced on that day, though.

Of course, back in the day when there were a sufficient number of good horses, Fly So Free ran in the Colin Stakes on that day. He won at a short price.

[NoDayJob]

Originally Posted by Casino

Found the clip in the Baltimore Sun.Can you imagine the paper cost $2.50 and at one point they were giving it away as a sample.$2.50 we are getting old.

When I started handicapping the DRF cost $ 0.25 in 1946 as did the Morning Telegraph... Speaking about old, let's get real!

[classhandicapper]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Interesting graphic, with Fly So Free's past performances.

Of course, back in the day when there were a sufficient number of good horses, Fly So Free ran in the Colin Stakes on that day. He won at a short price.

Looking at Fly So Free's PPs was kind of shocking to me.

At the time I considered him an average to slightly below average "Derby prospect" compared to all the other leading 3YOs I had seen before him. His PPs look so much more impressive to me now. I guess we really have had a lot weak crops since then.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by NoDayJob

When I started handicapping the DRF cost $ 0.25 in 1946 as did the Morning Telegraph... Speaking about old, let's get real!

Wow! I came on board at 35 cents.

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by TheGhostOfOscarB

And is it my imagination or has the tout business dried up over the years?

More like evaporated. Half a century ago they were quite prominent in SoCal, and, I assume, everywhere else as well. They routinely ran adds in the LA Times, Examiner, and Pasadena Star-News, all of which had large racing coverage. They also sponsored the nightly race re creation programs. Names such as Turfcraft, Horse and Jockey, and J. J. Williams come to mind from that era. Players today are much more sophisticated and unlikely to patronize touts, although still see the tip sheets and selection cards on sale at the track, a bit different proposition.

[levinmpa]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

More like evaporated. Half a century ago they were quite prominent in SoCal, and, I assume, everywhere else as well. They routinely ran adds in the LA Times, Examiner, and Pasadena Star-News, all of which had large racing coverage. They also sponsored the nightly race re creation programs. Names such as Turfcraft, Horse and Jockey, and J. J. Williams come to mind from that era. Players today are much more sophisticated and unlikely to patronize touts, although still see the tip sheets and selection cards on sale at the track, a bit different proposition.

In Northern California, I used to listen to the race recreations from D. O'Connor Publications. The show was on a low wattage station in Vallejo, so they had to finish the show before the sun went down. They always had all the winners, until I bought their $25 Saturday specials, which always lost. They had an office at 760 Market Street, Room 659 in San Francisco. I still remember how they would give out the phone number. "Give us a call at YU6-0896. You had to visit Tony Molano, a guy with a big cigar. He'd always try to sell you other information packages.

At night I could barely get XPRS 1090 out of Tijuana. Turfcraft had their So. Cal race recreation show on that station each race evening. I still remember the announcer saying "And that's another Turfcraft winner". It seems like they had every winner on the card sometimes. I used to get their free Turfcraft Magazine in the mail every month. It had a bunch of horses to watch, although I don't remember making any money with it, since in those days you couldn't wager on So. Cal races at the No. Cal tracks.

[v j stauffer]

Originally Posted by levinmpa

In Northern California, I used to listen to the race recreations from D. O'Connor Publications. The show was on a low wattage station in Vallejo, so they had to finish the show before the sun went down. They always had all the winners, until I bought their $25 Saturday specials, which always lost. They had an office at 760 Market Street, Room 659 in San Francisco. I still remember how they would give out the phone number. "Give us a call at YU6-0896. You had to visit Tony Molano, a guy with a big cigar. He'd always try to sell you other information packages.

At night I could barely get XPRS 1090 out of Tijuana. Turfcraft had their So. Cal race recreation show on that station each race evening. I still remember the announcer saying "And that's another Turfcraft winner". It seems like they had every winner on the card sometimes. I used to get their free Turfcraft Magazine in the mail every month. It had a bunch of horses to watch, although I don't remember making any money with it, since in those days you couldn't wager on So. Cal races at the No. Cal tracks.

I loved the Turfcraft shows. Calls made by Danny Baxter. He'd pitch you to buy the Sammy Parker private clockers release. If it didn't win you get the rest of the meet for no charge.

[Spalding No!]

Originally Posted by Cardus

Interesting graphic, with Fly So Free's past performances.

Vermont, who finished 2nd in the Tremont to Hansel, raced on the Belmont Stakes Day card in 1991, and I believe that it was his first start since the Tremont. I remember him running off of a big layoff. I might be wrong, but he ran 2nd in that comeback race, if memory serves. I am certain that he raced on that day, though.

Of course, back in the day when there were a sufficient number of good horses, Fly So Free ran in the Colin Stakes on that day. He won at a short price.

Fly So Free won the Riva Ridge on the Belmont undercard.

I didn't realize he made no starts between the Tremont in July and his Champagne romp in October. That was a pretty bold move.

[Dan Montilion]

Originally Posted by levinmpa

In Northern California, I used to listen to the race recreations from D. O'Connor Publications. The show was on a low wattage station in Vallejo, so they had to finish the show before the sun went down. They always had all the winners, until I bought their $25 Saturday specials, which always lost. They had an office at 760 Market Street, Room 659 in San Francisco. I still remember how they would give out the phone number. "Give us a call at YU6-0896. You had to visit Tony Molano, a guy with a big cigar. He'd always try to sell you other information packages.

At night I could barely get XPRS 1090 out of Tijuana. Turfcraft had their So. Cal race recreation show on that station each race evening. I still remember the announcer saying "And that's another Turfcraft winner". It seems like they had every winner on the card sometimes. I used to get their free Turfcraft Magazine in the mail every month. It had a bunch of horses to watch, although I don't remember making any money with it, since in those days you couldn't wager on So. Cal races at the No. Cal tracks.

Say Goodnight Rob Bob

[BlueShoe]

They also sponsored the nightly race re creation programs. Names such as Turfcraft, Horse and Jockey, and J. J. Williams come to mind from that era.

The Horse and Jockey re creations were done by a man named Jay Richards. Have often wondered if this was the same Jay Richards that later enjoyed a long career as the raciing columist for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.