The Finish Line

The Finish Line

When I interviewed Milton Berle for the Phoenix Gazette at Buster Bonoff's Star Theater where he was appearing, I asked him a favorite question that I ask most of the celebrities I interview: 'Mr. Berle, if you could change one thing in your life, what would that thing be?'

Berle gave me a thoughtful look, puffed his always present cigar and said, 'I wouldn't have gambled away the $4 million I lost at the race tracks.'

Thoroughbred horse racing has been called 'The Sport of Kings,' and with good reason. In the olden days, kings were thought of as the only people with enough money to participate in the sport. People went to the track for the thrill. They expected to lose and wagered accordingly.

Today, of course, that is no longer so. Handicapping horses has become an art, perfected by best-selling author-handicappers like Tom Ainsle and Andrew Beyer. While their systems may be different, their goals are the same: to overcome the track takeout and win.

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My younger brother and I bet on our first horse race in Tucson, AZ. several decades ago. I was 21 and Legs was 20. We went to the track with Sheldon, a truck driver who lived in the same boarding house on Swan Road where we lived.

It was the first time I ever gambled. Sheldon had a wise guy sense of humor and claimed he was an expert.

'Just bet on the horse I pick and you'll win money,' he said. And so we followed him blindly.

Sheldon was lucky that day. Super lucky. We had incredible beginner's luck and hit eight quinellas out of nine. When we got home I had money sticking out of every pocket and of course I was hooked.

Handicapping a horse race is a terribly tricky chore. There are so many arenas to cover from latest workouts to class and early speed. What horse is high weight and why? Which animal is the oldest? Who is the trainer and jockey and what are their records? How long is the race? Is there an equipment change, and so much more.

I lived in Las Vegas for two years. There was an overweight man who always wore a straw hat and a suit with a vest who bet on the horses at one of the casinos on Fremont Street. He always whistled an aimless tune and he always won. Once I saw him walk away from the cashier's window with over $30,000. I have no idea what his system was or what he bet, whether he wagered on perfectas, trifectas, superfectas or the pick four, five or six.

All I know is that he won.

Over the years, I have had my big paydays by betting on the horses. My biggest payoffs were in the $10,000 to $15,000 range. When my choices hit the finish line making me a winner, it was sweet.

Even if you've never bet on the horses, you have probably heard of Willie Shoemaker. Willie, of course, was one of the winningest jockeys of all time. His home track was Sant Anita. I had just been hired as a reporter by the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner and gotten married. Nan and I were living in Arcadia, CA., just a couple of miles from Santa Anita. We both liked going to the track for its steak and lobster dinner. Of course I would set aside a few dollars for betting purposes.

Shoemaker had been hurt in an accident when his horse fell. His injuries had been serious enough to keep him from racing for several weeks while he recovered. He was racing the day my wife and I went to the track.

Frowning, I checked the program. 'Willie's riding in four races today,' I said. 'He just came back to work after a horse almost killed him. I don't think he's going to do very well until he gets his courage back. What do you think.'

Nan, a cute redhead, wrinkled her nose. 'He's Willie Shoemaker, the best jockey there is. He wants to prove he's still champion. He'll win.'

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She was right. Shoemaker won all four races and I didn't have a dime on him.

Andrew Beyer, who perfected a unique horse handicapping system that he calls 'Beyer on Speed,' wrote a book 'The Winning Horseplayer: an advanced approach to thoroughbred handicapping and betting.' Whether you are a beginning or advanced handicapper, his advice can give you a winning edge.

First you should learn how the Beyer speed rating system works, and then use it. If one horse in the race has two Beyers that are better than the other horses, it may be worth a wager.

Check the horse's workouts since its last race. If it had a superior workout for the distance and ran well in its last race, finishing fourth or better or closing sharply), give it serious consideration in making your selection.

Watch for horses where the equipment has changed or a switch to a better jockey has been made. That is usually a good sign that the trainer is going for a win.

If a horse's morning odds are cut in half (10-1 to 5-1 or less), it's probably stable money that is going on the animal and the horse must be included in you considerations.

Observe the horse's body language as it works out before the race and as it approaches the starting gate. If it looks healthy and seems to want to run, it probably will regardless of the odds.

Check the past performances of all the horses. If only one of the horses has good early speed, that is an excellent choice. If several horses have early speed and only one is a closer, that horse should be included in your selection process.

Finally, try to work out your own winning system for the horses by awarding points for everything good that seems to point to that particular animal. It may take time, but your selection process will improve. Good luck at the races. See you at the finish line.

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