Racetrack Characters

[Cadillakin]

Originally Posted by ManeMediaMogul

Vic Tayback always had an entourage of horseplayers with him at the track. He took care of those guys. gave them money to bet, fed 'em lunch and then took 'em to dinner. He was a wonderful guy who died way too soon.

Vince Edwards was an asshole who thought he was special.

Elliot Alexander is the king of the whisperers.

Tim Conway is always hysterical. He is just as funny in real life as he is on tv and in the theatre.

I never spoke to Vic Tayback, but I was often near him.. As you said, he seemed very genuine and loved his friends and the racetrack camaraderie.. I was saddened too when he passed because I knew he was one of the good guys..

[ManeMediaMogul]

Originally Posted by Cadillakin

I have to tell you that I knew Vince rather well.. Yes, an asshole, a big one..

He had this little tipster Mafia group... where they would exchange all the insider info and talk like wise guys... I sat behind one of his best tip-sources in the SA box seats.. They are going back and forth... "It's the 2 - Jerry says the 2 is a lock." "Nah, Sonny says Randy loves the 5." Bla bla bla..

I had a friend in the box.. He is pretty impressed a movie star is standing three feet away from him... But I'm fed up with the distraction, so finally, I speak up, saying to my friend loud enough for everybody to hear... "Don't pay no attention to those guys.. their full of sh*t". So Vince, being the angry man, says, What the f*** you talking about? "You heard me", I said.. He says aggressively, So who do you like smart guy". Well, I answered him...

Unfortunately, my horse won... Thereafter Vince tabbed me as an insider...

I gave him only generic advice because I didn't really want to assist him in any way. He was perhaps the rudest man I ever met... He would cut in front of people in the cashier or seller line.. and sometimes get in pushing matches and threaten violence right there in line.. One time I had a girl with me... and Vince walks up and starts blabbin away.. She says, Wow, isn't that guy a movie star.. He's your friend?". I answered, "Hell no. That guy is an f****** idiot..

Vince called me "HEY" and generally addressed me in a somewhat, "You're a peasant, I'm a king" mode.. What a d*ck he was/is... and without a doubt, the biggest, addicted, losing gambler I ever encountered

Nicely done!

[toetoe]

[QUOTE=ManeMediaMogul] Vince Edwards was an asshole who thought he was special.

/QUOTE]

All my sources agree, but according to William Murray and others, Martin Ritt was the most miserable, obnoxious character ever. Why single out Vince ?

Sincerely,

Sam Jaffe

[fmolf]

everyday day that i am able to get to belmont i have a ritual i bring a thermos of coffee sit out beneath the trees near the paddock getting the changes and scratches off the tv and every day a fellow with a knapsack comes around asking who i like in this and that race...then trying to sell tip sheets and pointing at my notations asking questions...i almost saw him get into fights with other patrons who are not as tolerant as i am.....he has a knapsack full of i do not know why and then when you do not want his homemade tip sheets he out and out asks you for any spare change you might have!has anyone else encountered this gentleman at belmont in the paddock area before the races say around 11:am?...one day he asked if i could let him have some coffee from my thermos,s mug i was drinking out of!...lol...i gave him 2 bucks to get a cup of racetrack jo.....i love the racetrack!

[BlueShoe]

In the 1970's Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos had night harness racing meets.This was long before simulcasting and before the modern bet and cash modern tote system.It was the days of the old paper win ticket system.Bookies would rarely take action on harness racing.This meant that all the so called wise hot money had to be bet at the track at the large denomination windows.This often resulted in some odd betting action patterns.Which brings us to Bud.Bud just hated it when a horse would receive heavy non public action and win,and he was very outspoken in expressing his outrage.He had a voice that half the grandstand could hear when he tossed one of his tantrums.The situation would go something like this;a horse was 10-1 on a good ML.Just before post time it was 5-1,odds cut in half.Next flash it dropped to 4-1,and the last flash as the horses were lined up behing the gate it would go to 5-2.It would win the race.Bud would then go bonkers and start shrieking;"Costa Nostra!,the Black Hand strikes again!.The crooks are out tonight,men",etc.Lots of fans would just laugh,but many of the losers would boo loudly.He would start up again during the winners circle ceremony.When the horses were parading by the the stands for the next race he would start again;"okay boys,everybody into the boats,row,row,row your boats!".All very funny.The thing is,track management did not find Buds tirades amusing,in fact,on a few occasions over the years they had him escorted from the premises by track security,which is a polite way of saying that he was kicked out.Years later,in the early 90's,ran into Bud in a downtown Las Vegas racebook.We chatted and laughed about those times,and he confided that once,at Hollywood Park,he had been barred for the entire rest of the meeting.They said that he was creating a public disturbance and trying to incite a riot.Who,Bud?

[Cangamble]

An on track bookie who gave back 10 points if you lost named Woody used to hang at Woodbine between being barred. Used to disguise himself with a sun hat and sun glasses. Always came into the track at peak times.
I got word he died a month ago in Vegas.

There was also an old lady stooper who was faster than Speedy Gonzalez as I found out once at Greenwood. She used to go around with bags full of tickets, and spent her hours away from the track checking them. That was her job.

And lets not forget the mental patient at Greenwood who would continuously talked to himself and freaked out anyone who didn't know him. He was funny too. Used to say things like "once had an Edsel, wrapped it around a pole, now it is a pretzel."
He would ride the streetcars as well.
There were rumours he once had a good business and lost that and his wife to the track. Couldn't confirm that though.

[Doc]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

In the 1970's Hollywood Park and Los Alamitos had night harness racing meets.This was long before simulcasting and before the modern bet and cash modern tote system.It was the days of the old paper win ticket system.Bookies would rarely take action on harness racing.This meant that all the so called wise hot money had to be bet at the track at the large denomination windows.This often resulted in some odd betting action patterns.Which brings us to Bud.Bud just hated it when a horse would receive heavy non public action and win,and he was very outspoken in expressing his outrage.He had a voice that half the grandstand could hear when he tossed one of his tantrums.The situation would go something like this;a horse was 10-1 on a good ML.Just before post time it was 5-1,odds cut in half.Next flash it dropped to 4-1,and the last flash as the horses were lined up behing the gate it would go to 5-2.It would win the race.Bud would then go bonkers and start shrieking;"Costa Nostra!,the Black Hand strikes again!.The crooks are out tonight,men",etc.Lots of fans would just laugh,but many of the losers would boo loudly.He would start up again during the winners circle ceremony.When the horses were parading by the the stands for the next race he would start again;"okay boys,everybody into the boats,row,row,row your boats!".All very funny.The thing is,track management did not find Buds tirades amusing,in fact,on a few occasions over the years they had him escorted from the premises by track security,which is a polite way of saying that he was kicked out.Years later,in the early 90's,ran into Bud in a downtown Las Vegas racebook.We chatted and laughed about those times,and he confided that once,at Hollywood Park,he had been barred for the entire rest of the meeting.They said that he was creating a public disturbance and trying to incite a riot.Who,Bud?

LOL, that is TOO funny! I was snickering as I was reading this ... especially the part about "Costa Nostra! the Black Hand strikes again!" Guess management wants people to be meek and mild and take their lumps without saying a word ... this guy didn't give a crap what management thought. Wonder if Bud is still around?

[Hajck Hillstrom]

Originally Posted by Cadillakin

What a d*ck he was/is... and without a doubt, the biggest, addicted, losing gambler I ever encountered

I have to agree. Probably the most arrogant, vile guy I've ever met at the track. It appears that we might have a consensus here. I would like to know... is there anyone that met Vince Edwards that actually liked him?

[magwell]

Does anybody remember "briefcase Bernie" around S.A or hollywood park I think he was around vince in those days.

[BlueShoe]

Originally Posted by Hajck Hillstrom

Probably the most arrogant, vile guy I've ever met at the track.

If VE was such a sob,why didnt someone clean his clock?Cutting in front of some guy at the track or anywhere else is often a good way to get knocked on your ass.Did he ever get punched out,or did his celeb status keep him safe?

[Cadillakin]

Originally Posted by Hajck Hillstrom

I have to agree. Probably the most arrogant, vile guy I've ever met at the track. It appears that we might have a consensus here. I would like to know... is there anyone that met Vince Edwards that actually liked him?

Of course not. There was nothing to like about Vince.

I remember when he filed bankruptcy, he claimed *2 million* in racetrack gambling losses... A week later, I saw him driving a brand new top-of-the-line BMW.. I looked on the window sticker to make sure it was registered to him...

I had little knowledge of bankruptcy procedures, but I was thinking.. "That's a screwed up deal.. He stiffs all his creditors and then buys a very expensive car a few days later... Something is wrong with that.

[wisconsin]

Two things bring back memories for me. One was this wierd older lady at Hawthorne and Sportsman's dressed in Victorian clothing fit for the Kentucky Derby with a parasol in her hand. She always wore fashionable hats, too. We used to stare at her down by the finish line. Never knew who she was or what her deal was. I made eye contact once or twice, and she would wink back. Turns out that her name was Rose, and old stripper from Chicago. Someone named a horse after here called Racetrack Rosie and Sportsman's had a "Rosie" day with her picture on the program cover.

Another was two old timers from Arlington (before the fire). I always thought they were sharpies, or in the know, since they acted the part every day I saw them there. Like a couple of big shots. Day after day. Very condescending when they would talk to anyone. One day as I was getting off of the escalators at the top of the grandstnd, and I overhear one whisper to the other "looks like we have a sleeper here.....) and my heart was pounding as I followed this geazer down a level to a window at the end of the grandstand. I'm all excited, and then I here him blurt out $40 to show on so and so. Huh? If ever there was someone who I thought knew it all it was them, but alas, they were like everyone else. Another pompous loudmouth.

[Cadillakin]

Originally Posted by BlueShoe

If VE was such a sob,why didnt someone clean his clock?Cutting in front of some guy at the track or anywhere else is often a good way to get knocked on your ass.Did he ever get punched out,or did his celeb status keep him safe?

I did see an old man challenge Vince.. He said, "Big shot movie star.. If I were 30 years younger, I'd beat your face in" Vince got all red and invited him to throw a punch... The guards had to break them up.

Vince wasn't too tall, but he was broad shouldered and very aggressive. There is an article somewhere on the web about a mobster cracking his head over money not repaid.. but I can't find it at the moment..

I found a reference...
http://af11.wordpress.com/2008/09/29/mob-meets-tv-star/

[andymays]

I remember something from years ago about Vince and maybe some of you can verify this.

I think it was KNX that gave the race results and one day I remember hearing that there was good news and bad news for Vince that day at the track.

The good news was that he hit the pick 6 for 24k.

The bad news was that it only got him even for the day!


I don't remember if someone told me that story or I heard it myself on KNX.

Anyway...

[rwwupl]

Vince Edwards was always "broke". One day at Fairplex he was always there when I went to the window. I asked my pal at the track what was going on.
My pal said Vince said he was about broke and asked him who the big guy liked in the feature race(He meant me).

My pal said I told him some number but he did not believe me, and he wanted to check it out.

There was also this frail ,little old lady at Santa Anita with a cane. I did not ever know her name. She was always in the paddock room.
Her specialty was to go to the window very late and she never worried about getting shut out because she would go to near the front of any line at any time and punch the behind of the man there with her cane, and when he turned to see what happened she would step in front of him.
When the man saw her frail and with a smile, no one ever said a word and she purchased her tickets and shuffled off.