The truth about myths is that they are convenient, they give people something to believe in. They can also act as a piece of news. Nowhere is this more true than at the race track. How many times have you found yourself standing there looking at the Daily Racing Form, scratching your head and thinking how the hell did that happen. When suddenly, some guy who probably has not cashed a ticket in weeks offers his opinion, this is his way of delivering the news to you: "You can't beat the races ... they cheat... it's fixed...," he happily assures you. Or how about when the self-proclaimed racetracker screams out: "Did you see that son-of-a bitch stiff my horse?" He then airmails his program across the Grandstand. His actions are hardly noticed by his fellow racetrackers.
-Most of the people who have had the opportunity to grow up around this game have been taught this myth from the beginning. They believe that you can sometimes make a score. This must justify their beliefs and make it all worth it.
-Growing up I did not know any racetrackers. For years I was simply a casual player, I watched and listened to these old wise men and wondered why they continued to show up and bet their money on a game that by their own admission could not be defeated.
-When I first embarked upon this adventure I had no idea that overwhelming consensus was that it can't be done. I must say as an adult, new to the game, I found this attitude hard to accept. Yet, every time I went to the track these same old wise men would gladly take some time to inform me, the new guy, that they had been at this for 30, 40, 50+ years and that they had a parent or grandparent or uncle or someone who had lost for decades before them. They would always reassure me that "you can't beat this game." And because that is what they belief, that’s their reality.
-To claim that there are a handful of simple rules you can follow to become a successful handicapper is, of course, misleading. As in becoming a successful stockbroker, weatherman, doctor, lawyer, novelist, or anything else, we each have our own system for learning and our own ways of integrating the skills we need.
-Now by no means am I’m saying that in a few short years and two dozen handicapping books and $10s of thousands of dollars later that I have personally conquered the race track. Far from it. I have, however, made tremendous progress. I have first hand knowledge that the game can be beat. I've talked to some of the few people that make a living by wagering at the race track.
-So on one hand I had a disadvantage to my fellow players because when I started I didn’t even know what they were talking about when they yelled out that the chalk won. On the other hand, I’m a lifetime ahead because I'm not burdened with the myth that this game "can't be beat." -What I don't understand is why don't they change their game. We all have our demons I guess.
-Well, I am now the guy who talks about pars, run up, wager value, edge and ability times. My goal is to try to educate the person who falls in love with horse racing. The truth is there is hope. It is a lot of work, there is however, an annual payoff for the diligent. Welcome to my blog and join me on a journey that has been truly amazing thus far.
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