Last Saturday I was at Santa Anita not only watching and wagering on the races but beforehand taking part in a Big Cap seminar at 10:15am in the executive board room with my colleague Jason Levin, the host of Inside Racing. Santa Anita put up signs directing patrons to the seminar and was kind enough to prepare coffee, tea, decaf, and/or water for attendees. Jason brought the donuts. Nature also cooperated, thankfully.
Jason and I arrived at the executive board room slightly before gates opened (10am) to four of five earlybirds seated in the row of chairs, ten or so, parallel to the oblong board table abutting the windows. Jason set up on the far side, away from the outside doors, at the executive throne, Frank Stronach\'s perch. I set up at the other end. The board room, initially, seemed roomy enough and was certainly comfortable but people kept showing up and Jason went to see about getting more chairs. The thirty or so available chairs quickly filled up.
We started the seminar and more and more people kept streaming in. Pretty soon, we were SRO, with a good bunch standing in rows behind me. Others were circling the table and more were standing in the door portals with people cocking their ears straining to hear even if they couldn\'t see (so I was told).
Frankly even though I didn\'t know what numbers to expect, the SRO turnout was encouraging and made me feel as though the trip was worthwhile. I think Jason and I did a good job handicapping the card and while, realistically, I feel, there was a lot left on the table, I think Gio Ponti at 12.80, Einstein at 12.00, and the 3rd exacta of Van Brit/Pericia Fina 406.20 (and potentially the triple and super if you used Jason\'s top choice and my other horse) in addition to Jason\'s good call on I Want Revenge was a good job of handicapping. In particular that third was a good value-laden example of the potency of Thoro-Graph figures, especially when graphed and shown in the context of form cycles. (I stated before the seminar began that all selections today were mine and mine alone and may differ from what was offered for sale on the web sites.)
Also attendees got sincere, honest information from a rep, Joe I think, of the Class Racing Stable. They had, I believe, two runners on the card, one of whom was Apoplectic, winner of the 6th at 12.8-1. He said the horse was training well but would probably need one. Hard for him to come out and say they\'d win. That would be a big boast, but Thoro-Graph data users should know by now that trainer Craig Dollase is quite capable off long layoffs. Jason said if Apoplectic won we were all coming down to the winner\'s circle and Joe said sure. Well a bunch of us went down and got our picture taken. That was fun and unexpected--we\'re handicappers primarily, not owners.
Anyway the seminar was good fun. I just want to say thanks to the people who came out. I\'ve been on the radio for quite a while and usually I\'m sitting here alone on Saturday morning, at a decent hour I might add, and it\'s nice to know that indeed people are listening and it was good to see some of you.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank Jason who organized this on his end in conjunction with the Santa Anita people--Chris Quinn, Alan Gutterman. Thanks to Jonathan for making sure the package got to me and in particular,I\'d like to thank Ron Charles, President of Santa Anita, who in the midst of the seminar dropped in an presented Jason with clubhouse seats for all attendees, gratis, which were handed out to those that wanted them afterwards. That was a thoughtful and kind gesture.
As I said at the seminar, handicapping with Thoro-Graph data is not rocket science. Anyone employing patience and discipline can learn to use Thoro-Graph data for their benefit. We\'re happy to serve people who only want our opinions (analysis) either on this site or Racingjason.com. But for all of you who want to partake and solve the handicapping puzzles themselves, Thoro-Graph data are available two nights ahead of race day online and hardcopy is available for Southern California tracks and simulcasts at Valentine\'s Liquors year round the day before racing (see sales sites page). Also the Race of the Week, ROTW, and the Redboard Room, both online and free, are there to help one\'s Thoro-Graph education,as well as the Ask the Experts bulletin board where you can get live feedback from questions posed.
P.S.--Santa Anita was beautiful and it was gratifying to see people enjoying a day at the races. I might add that later at dinner that evening, I had the pleasure of meeting Laffit Pincay III, a commentator on HRTV and his dad, Hall of Fame jockey, Laffit Pincay Jr. I was speechless shaking Mr. Pincay\'s hand and didn\'t say anything other than I was an admirer. People, like me, meeting idols, can sometimes unintentionally be invasive. Anyway, in my hotel room later, I was thinking I should of said somthing. Something like:
1978
August
Saratoga
Travers
What happened?
I was there that day and made the biggest bet on my life on Affirmed, Pincay Jr. up, who was a mortal lock at 3-5. Easy money. Well Angel Cordero (who I saw by the way at SA--he looked great) rode Shake Shake Shake and he managed to get inbetween the rail and Affirmed, and others, annoying Laffit so much so that he, Laffit, came over and shut off not only Shake Shake Shake, but Alydar who was a length or so further back on the rail I believe. All of the sudden 40,000 people moaned all at once (I kid you not) and we all knew that Affirmed was coming down. That was about my 10th or so hard luck lesson in not betting odds-on mortal locks. Of course, it took me several ___ (fill in the blank) more lessons before I realized the troika--randomness, low odds, horses--was one sure fire combination to fulfill the Runyonesque prophecy that \"all horseplayers must die broke.\"
