Revelations of a Winning Horse Player

George E. Smith wasn't much of a talker. Born in 1861 in Sewickley just outside Pittsburgh, PA., he grew up as a quiet introspective young man who paid great attention to others and the world around him.

Everything in life fascinated him. He loved baseball and he admired horses so much that he began attending horse races at tracks in Pennsylvania, New York and surrounding states.

The owner of a pool hall where Smith spent some of his time learning how to shoot pool gave him a nickname that stuck -- Pittsburgh Phil.

Being a native of Western Pennsylvania, I heard a lot about Pittsburgh Phil. My mother loved to make $2 bets on the horses through our local bookie, a man named Angelo who owned a small grocery store in my hometown of Sutersville, pop. 950.

Once when my mother sent me to town to buy bread and milk -- I was 16 -- I made the mistake of going to Angelo's store to make the purchase. He was playing cards with several friends when I entered the building.

As I stood there, money in hand, he looked at me with disgust.

'Kid, where you been all your life?,' he said in his Italian accent. 'You want to make a bet on a horse or the numbers, you come to Angelo. You want groceries, you go to the supermarket.' He returned to his game.

Pittsburgh Phil was just 43 years old when he died of tuberculosis in a sanatorium in Pennsylvania. He left his relatives $3.5 million to fight over after his death, a fortune that would be worth over $85 million today.

He also left behind a book manuscript that revealed some of his secrets for winning at the horse races. I have used Pittsburgh Phil's horse betting techniques over the years, and can vouch that they win more often than they lose. Here are some of them for your own use. Good luck.

TREAT HORSE HANDICAPPING LIKE A BUSINESS. Don't just hope that luck will do the job. It won't.

If you operate a business and want to earn a profit, you need to accumulate all the information you can find on your product, services and competition. Same thing with horses.

Pick up as much information about the horses in the race as you can -- latest workouts, weight, jockey, trainer, favorite distance to run, favorite tracks, any equipment changes, and the distance of the race.

OBSERVE THE HORSE'S PHYSICAL CONDITION.

Does the horse look sleek, toned and ready to run, or does it appear drab and lifeless? A horse is an athlete with four legs. If you saw a runner with crutches or a splint, would you bet on that runner? Of course, the answer is no.and neither should you wager on a horse that looks like death warmed over.

WATCH THE ODDS.

If the Morning Line odds on a horse is 12-1 and at post time the odds are 7/2, something is going on. The money being bet on that horse is probably not coming from the public. It can only be coming from the owner or trainer and their friends.

BET AGAINST THE FAVORITE WHEN POSSIBLE.

If the favorite looks good and has the complete horse appearance (neck arched, prancing, tail straight out, ears sharp and a joy to observe), obviously the horse is ready to run. Unless the trainer has orders to just exercise the animal and has instructed the jockey to do so, the horse will probably run a good race. But if a heavy favorite looks dull, sluggish and doesn't appear interested in the race, you are probably going to get a poor performance. Either find another choice, or skip the race.

READ THE DAILY RACING FORM TO FIND OUT HOW THE HORSE FINISHED IN ITS LAST RACE.

If a horse was bumped, bothered, crowded at the break or in the stretch, that probably affected its finish. Pittsburgh Phil would take into consideration the horse's post position and whether the horse has a new jockey or equipment change.

DID THE HORSE RUN A HARD LAST RACE?

Some horses, especially mares and lighter weight animals, need a long time to recover after a tough race. The horse may have won or finished in the money in its last outing, but if the race took all of its energy, the animal may not be ready to run today regardless of the odds. Like Pittsburgh Phil, look and observe the way the horse is acting on the track. Then act accordingly.

TRUST YOUR JUDGMENT.

I think this is one of the best pieces of advice Pittsburgh Phil ever gave the public. Don't ever go against your judgment. If you use the common sense the good Lord gave you, that's a leg up, as we say in cowboy jargon, and you will rarely go wrong.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter. If you have a unique gambling story to share with him, you may qualify for a cash award. Send your story with all the details to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).