As a handicapper, you are always thinking about how you can get better. I have tried systems, and always consult friends who love to play the races. But I have been doing better consistently this past year.

I have been working with WinningPonies since July of 2008. I have blogged, and been part of the Internet show. It has been since then that my capping has turned around.

For the Derby, I was trying to escape the favorite syndrome. We always take a look at the runners, and 9 times out of 10 we end up wanting to play a favorite. It is the skilled handicapper who doesn’t just identify the best looking horse that pays a small price. They look for options and trends that may evolve if the race turns out well.

WinningPonies showed me Summer Bird early on. There were others that may have been more attractive, but only handicappers that arm themselves with proper tools take down the score.

W/P liked this horse with a small time rider named Chris Rosier in the saddle. It was on Belmont day that everything became clear and the clouds would part. Add in Kent Desormeaux and a better track condition, and they were pointing me in the right direction all along. It was to be a MAJOR day, and hopefully you waited out the storm.

They took down the COLD Exacta with Dunkirk for a sweet $121.00, and the triple ($295) and super ($852) in the 4 top spots. I felt that Mine That Bird looked a little vulnerable. My handicapping with WinningPonies paid off in spades by following this runner.

They also hit the Manhattan triple for a whopping $1,859.00. Now, that was day to remember.

I have always considered myself to be a pretty good handicapper. It is when you seek data that fills in the gaps and offers alternative perspectives to your first instinct, that big days happen. I have found it helped me, and I have won major contests. I have talked about racing on radio and TV, and this has helped me identify opportunities that better my selections. Many players feel they may have all of the answers. Once upon a time I was in that line. Now, I feel more informed and ready to fire.

Hopefully, you have been with us lately with some of our major scores.  We are currently offering a FREE WinningPonies.com baseball cap to customers who send us their testimonial.

In the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 14th, we were probably the ONLY service that had Win Willy.  In fact, we had him in our top tier (2nd overall), and he paid a WHOPPING $115.60 to win!  We even picked him ahead of 2-5 favorite Old Fashioned (who was listed in our 2nd tier)!   With Old Fashioned for 2nd, you would have collected a $320.40 Exacta!  We also had the $1 Pick 3 (Races 9-11), which paid a HUGE $3,034.40.   We even picked the UNHIT Pick 4 (Races 8-11), which paid $452.50 (for 3 of 4).  Unfortunately, none of our customers took down the entire pool… [View the Results for Oaklawn March 14th Races 8-11]

Next, let’s check out Aqueduct.  It’s not a bad day when we pick the Pick 6.  How ’bout picking the Pick 6 TWO DAYS in a ROW?!   This includes a day when the Pick 6 went UNHIT.   We picked the $5,011 Pick 6 at Aqueduct on March 12th [View Results] and again the UNHIT Pick 6 on March 13th.  The $1 Pick 4 (Races 6-9) paid an impressive $1,409 [View Results]!  This was made possible thanks to our top pick in the 8th race, Home Crowd, who paid $90 to win!

Below is a summary of other big hits we have made since Thursday, March 12th:

• Delta Downs – March 12th, Race 7 – $1 Superfecta (KEY) $2,483.80 [View Results]
• Delta Downs – March 12th, Races 6-8 – $1 Pick 3 (COLD) $842.80 [View Results]
• Remington Park – March 13th, Race 10 – $1 Superfecta (BOX) $1,261.40 [View Results]
• Gulfstream Park – March 15th, Races 5-10 – $2 Pick 6 $1,238.00 [View Results]
• Fair Grounds – March 15th, Race 4 – $1 Superfecta (KEY) $1,695.50 [View Results]
• Golden Gate – March 15th, Race 6 – $1 Superfecta (KEY) $2,689.30 [View Results

So remember, send us your testimonial, and get your free WinningPonies.com hat!

If you tuned in for our inaugural show last Thursday, you were not disappointed. Now, nobody probably went home in a limo, but the conversation and selections were an excellent way to prepare for the weekend. To be able to look ahead and plot your course to a winning weekend is time well spent.

We kicked off talking about what WinningPonies.com brings to the table. For our members, these are the obvious reasons that you feel comfortable in using our product. For our new listeners, this was an opportunity to find your way to the winners circle.

Our special guest, Tyler Picklesimer, is one of the bright spots in racing. He patiently gave you a behind the scenes tour of what goes on before you think about making a wager. He will be the guy in 20 years that will be one of the voices that keeps our game safe. He has my vote. With more guys that have learned the game from every angle, we can only benefit as a sport.

Having “Dangerous Dan” call in and give his red-hot selections was a lot of fun. If you listened carefully you heard some interesting tidbits; some you could have tucked safely into your wallet. You can bet we will always have seasoned professionals on board. That includes you, if you were wondering. Who better to hear from than the people who make the game go around? Jump in and give us a call. We would love to hear from you.

You can count on hearing behind the scenes information from people who do the work. We don’t want you getting it second hand, but hearing it straight from the source. Some names you will immediately recognize, and others you will become introduced to. The next time you hear them call a race, read their articles, or learn what makes the game go around, you can think back to time well spent listening to “Winning Ponies”.

You can rely on being informed, having fun, being able to answer trivia questions for prizes, and planning ahead for the weekend. Just like I have for so many years with “Ace” handicappers. These guys never made the front headlines, but have made an indelible mark in my heart. They have passed the torch of passion for a game that was here before us, and will be here long after. For that I have to say: “Thanks, Dad. You took the time and showed me the beauty of a sport with the precision of a master craftsman.”

Tune in. We will be here EVERY Thursday at 8:00 p.m. EST, or 5:00 p.m. PST. You can listen to the show (and past archives) by using this link. Or call in at 888-346-9144.

You won’t be disappointed, as we will be talking about the sport we all love.

“Winning Ponies, with Ed Meyer”, our new weekly Internet radio show, debuts this Thursday at 8:00pm EST (5:00pm PST) on the VoiceAmerica Sports station!

Ed has worked in racing nearly 20 years, and is an excellent handicapper. He is currently the Director of Marketing at River Downs in Ohio, and has worn many hats on the Ohio and Kentucky racing circuit, including Race Book Manager and Player Development Manager.

Our show will discuss current events, handicapping and wagering strategies and how to get the most out of the WinningPonies.com website.  We are also planning giveaways and contests in a few weeks, so make us your Thursday prime time habit!

The show also has a call-in segment – please call in to the show at 888-346-9144, to ask Ed a question.  We love hearing from you!

To listen to the show from your computer, use this link.

Our kickoff episode is “Winning Ponies” Welcomes Tyler Picklesimer.  Mr. Picklesimer will be a guest on the show.  He is the Racing Secretary at Colonial Downs, Asst. Racing Secretary at Turfway Park, Racing Official at Keeneland, and Churchill Downs Certified Racing Steward and Placing Judge.  He has been in the racing business over 20 years, in the Ohio, Kentucky, and Virginia racing circuits.

Listen to “Winning Ponies” EVERY Thursday at 8:00pm EST (5:00pm PST) on VoiceAmerica Sports!

I may even call in myself to slip you a HOT tip or two for your holiday stocking…

Has it been ten years already? The old Detroit race course closed it seems just yesterday. In the final race, the winning rider was Lester C. Knight and he was heckled the race before for not winning. Well, it seems as luck would have it old Lester turned the tables on the Detroit crowd, and drew away by five all the while giving the number one symbol to the crowd… Ah, the old days…

Racing has returned, and in a big way. WinningPonies.com is covering Pinnacle Race Course, and this new oval will be one for fans of all walks to pay attention.  This new track located in Huron Township is starting to draw attention. The first phase was a $142 million dollar investment, and I think they are planning on keeping racing alive in the area.

Ever growing competition, the economy, and many other factors have hindered racing. But, in the state of Illinois things are beginning to flourish again. There is a state of the art facility, and a track that horsemen are raving about. The inaugural season features a $50,000 Lansing Stake. Not bad for a track just getting its legs. So how does this work in your favor? When money and plans are being made to keep the Michigan breeding and racing alive and kicking this is something you will want to pay attention to before going to the windows. Seek out professional guidance on the runners before going to the track. This is a new track, and you’ll want to arm yourself with all of the weaponry to make your day a winning one.

There are 63 days in the meet, and they run: Tuesdays, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The bugler has played, and the people are flocking to the windows, and racing is back. You’ll want to keep up with the races, but be sure to arm yourself with appropriate handicapping materials.

Usually we focus on turning the buck, R.O.I, the next race, or the weekend that sets us up for a big score. As a sports fan we can rattle off names of: Capposela, McKay, Vin Scully, Joe Buck, Phil Georgeff, and many of the announcers who sent us to bed with a radio near our ear, or made the hair stand up on the back of our neck as the ponies thundered home.

This past week we have lost one of the biggest fans of the game, who just happened to be the voice of the past ten Kentucky Derbys. His name was Luke Krytbosch, pronounced( Krite-boss). Luke was graduate of the University of Arizona Racetrack Program, and loved the sport like no other.

His deep baritone voice would have caught your ear at any O.T.B, off-site platform; or if you were lucky enough you could have heard him bring them home with a flair that appealed to the common everyday Joe to the folks in the high dollar seats. He began his career as many announcers doing the smaller circuits at tracks in Arizona. He quickly moved on to replace Trevor Denman at Hollywood Park in 1996, and took off for Kentucky to become the fifth caller under the historic Twin Spires.

Luke will be missed, that is the evident truth. The story behind the story is that he was just a simple regular fan. The day after a Kentucky Derby, he was found at River Downs outside of Cincinnati swilling beers, talking horses, and betting low level claiming horses. He was gregarious man who loved life, the sport of kings, and bringing them home in his own distinctive style. The game will go on, and if Luke were here he would have demanded nothing less……

He is just another guy that lived his dream. He loved life, loved calling them home, and his distinctive trademark calls are gone forever. The game needs all of the Luke’s it can find. Just average guys who make the music that much sweeter with a master craftsman touch. He definitely left the game a much kinder place.

Our Picks/Results for June 11th Pick 6 at Belmont Park

We had an AMAZING day at Belmont today, including the MONSTER $103,754 Pick 6!  With our selections, the Pick 6 was definitely hittable. Of the 6 races, three were top picks, two were 2nd picks, and one was a 3rd pick (the $47.80 winner Willsboro Point). To cover the Pick 6 safely, it would have cost $432 to bet (although it could have been hit with a $72 investment). ONLY 29 people had winning Pick 6 tickets.

The Pick 6 wasn’t the only highlight of the day. Besides a bunch of rolling Pick 3s (paying $287, $1,937, $2,497, $1,181 and $59.50) and the late $2,486 Pick 4, we picked a $384.50 Trifecta in the 4th race, a MONSTER $351.00 Exacta in the 5th race (with the horses in our top tier) and a Superfecta in the 6th race for $6,944.00 (for $2) in our top 4 picks!

Send us your Belmont success stories! We’d love to hear about it!

We DESTROYED Hollywood Park today and even picked the $100,222 Pick 6 EASILY. It looks like one person collected this MONSTER Pick 6 (perhaps one of our customers). Of the 6 races, 4 of the winners were our top selections (including the first 3 legs). That COLD $2 Pick 3 (races 3-5) paid $358.00.

If any of our customers made some big scores at Hollywood Park today, let us know.

Picks/Results for June 4th Pick 6 at Hollywood Park

Yes, we did it again! After rocking the Derby, we NAILED the Preakness. It seemed impossible to make big money with Big Brown winning at 1/5, but we did it thanks to Macho Again and Icabad Crane. The $2 Exacta paid $36.60, the $2 Trifecta paid $336.80 and the $1 Superfecta paid a WHOPPING $1192.30! In fact, we had the Superfecta COLD with our 2nd-5th selections!

View Our Preakness Stakes 2008 Results

Thanks to all of our customers who have already sent us their success stories regarding the Preakness! Keep them coming! You can submit your testimonial here.

See you all for the Belmont Stakes…

For the second consecutive year, WinningPonies.com picked the Kentucky Derby Trifecta correctly in their top three selections. The winning Trifecta combination paid $3,445.60 on a $2 bet.

View the entire May 17, 2008 press release.