FnF question

[dpage70]

dang dude you need to teach me how to bet the pony's while you're teaching me how to float n fly lol.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I assure you teaching the FNF will take a LOT less time and a LOT less money. Been FNF for 3 years while picking ponies for 17 years. Just like FNF, made many trips to the lake and came back empty, made many trips to the track and came back with empty pockets. The empty pockets just don't happen as often now as they did in the beginning. Lot of discipline and lot of knowledge and lot of luck involved in Pony Picking.

[Devils Horse]

Used to bet the ponies a bit. Here's what happened back in the early 80's in San Mateo, California. Lost most of my allotted cash, but then hit an exacta in the 7th and made it all back with a little extra. In the 10th, I plunked the whole wad down on a win bet. The horse was from a successful trainer/stable, moving down in class, and used to racing at a bigger track with stiffer competition. A poor payback, but a shoo in that would beef my holdings a little and make my planned bet in the 12th a little stronger.

Since my whole $110 was riding on it, (a huge chunk of cabbage to me back then) I went down to the rail to watch. My horse came around the last turn in the lead by 5 lengths. When he got parallel to the stands, the jockey started making this exaggerated riding motion and was swinging the crop like mad. Only he wasn't touching the horse with it at all, and despite all the movement he wasn't really 'riding' the horse. Watching from the rail, he was running right at me and I could see very clearly as it all went down. The horse stopped running as suddenly as if the jockey had thrown out an anchor. He finished 4th and even the schlepps who had him on a show ticket were on the outside looking in.

The realization that this race and doubtless some others I'd bet on was fixed hit me like a ton of bricks. I tore the ticket up, threw the pieces on the ground, and went to my truck. I've not set foot inside a horse race track since that day 20 something years ago. I admit I've betted small on a few greyhound races since then though.

Not saying all horse races are fixed, but I personally believe a number of them are.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Jim,

I stick to betting the larger circuits and larger tracks like, New York, Florida, KY and California. I think there is far less chance of races being fixed there due to all the money involved plus all the pre and post race testing that is done. Steward these days will look at races for what you described and the penalty is HARSH. Too many cameras all over the track to get birds eye views of the entire race so there is not much missed. With $5-$10MM dollars per given day bet at Sanata Anita or one of the New York tracks alone, race fixing is not as easy today as in the past. The influx of simulcasting has brought more dollars to the table even if it meant less to the actual track. The gambling dollar is what drives the horse racing industry. The takeout of each wager, between 15 and 20%, pays for everything at the track including the race purse plus overhead. When the industry jeopardizes this they jeopardize it all. A bettor that does not feel comfortable in that the race is on the up and up will not plunk down his money and therfore the industry will suffer. The only reason that all that Bluegrass Horse money exists is the average joe gambler like myself and others. When you throw in the floating casino's vieing for that gambling dollar, there is more reason to keep it straight. I don't go as much as I could but I know for a fact that I am approximately $25,000 to the good this year and would do it for a living if I did not have a wife and 3 kids. It is one thing taking money to the track from my cushy job to possible lose but another to have to make money at the track in order to eat and pay rent. See ya on the water.