So you want to be a horse player? I mean a real horse racing handicapping, betting, living by the seat of your pants, punter? Let me tell you a few things before you jump into the game and then perhaps you can make an informed decision.
First of all, I've been going to horse races for well over 50 years.
I started as a toddler because my grandfather was a horse man and worked the tracks in New England.
One of my first recollections is looking up under the rails and watching the horses legs go by during a race.
So you could say I've been around it all my life.
I've met some colorful people who played the ponies or owned them or just had plain old, "horse fever.
" For many, life was tough and there was a lot of pain.
One thing I did learn, however, was that many of them had developed a philosophical approach to life that kept them going through the ups and downs of horse racing and living day to day, which is what most of them wound up doing, despite their best intentions.
At some point, most of them found some other way to make money that they could fall back on and most of them did fall back on those ways often because when you make a living betting on the future, which is what this is, then you're going to make some mistakes and lose often.
You may go to Florida and have a good season, but travel North in the spring, full of hope and big plans for the New England and New York circuit, only to hit a rough patch and wind up losing it all back.
That's when that other profession will come in handy.
Here's an example of the glamorous life of a horse player, it happened in 1986 when I was a curly haired wise guy living off a little Dutching system I'd developed back then.
I walked out of Gulfstream Park and found two beautiful young women sitting on the hood of my vintage Triumph sports car.
They'd seen me around and knew I was a sport and wanted to have some fun.
The only problem was that I had just bet my last $640 on a race only to watch both my horses come up short so I was flat busted.
I had enough gas in the car to make it back to the apartment and to make some phone calls to set up some work for that week and I don't mean playing the ponies or hanging out with pretty girls.
Imagine how I felt telling them that I didn't have enough for a cup of coffee and that any joy riding or fun would be on their dime.
They quickly left and I set out to work and build up another bankroll.
I went back up North and had a good summer at Rockingham, but the point is that I'd been doing well and then tapped out on a losing streak which happens often in this game.
Yes you may have some fun times but be ready for the downhill slide because it does happen and when it does, you'll have to pull yourself back up by your boot straps and start all over again.
Along the way you won't be able to hold onto much.
Have a few good systems, learn to bet with your head and not your heart and also, and most importantly, don't take losing personally, but don't ever get cozy with it.
Bad breaks and mistakes should be considered unwelcome house guests.
Be polite, but get rid of them as fast as you can.