For years I made treks to Beulah, Louisville-Trackside, Churchill, Keeneland, Arlington, Turfway, and many others. The trip with friends and conversation was worth a million bucks. – As we would walk into large buildings prepared to put on the best contest possible. The top three would be going to Vegas, and the rest would be going […]

The winds of fall blow gently through the trees as the sweltering heat of summer fades into the sunset. The Happy Horseplayer readies for the fall racing season with dreams of cool days and autumn foliage in Kentucky. Maybe its the thought of going to Keeneland or the Breeders’ Cup around the corner. But the […]

Kentucky Downs is located on the border of Kentucky / Tennesee. – No, really. You can see the last weigh station, where the 5/8th’s pole would be located at Kentucky Downs. Offering the highest average daily purses in North America at $1.68 million for 2017, Kentucky Downs attracts the best jockeys and trainers and some of […]

  There are not many magicians who will take you back stage and reveal the truth behind the magic. – I’m not much of a magician unless you count making money disappear at the windows from time-to-time. – I set myself a $200 bankroll for last Saturday and I was wanting to build a bankroll […]

                  I stand up every race and look out the windows for a few minutes. I’m looking for the longtime faces that have been coming to the races as we both have gained a little age to our looks. – The fans are the best part of […]

Nothing like a cliff note version of what’s going on. Don’t think of it as a cheat sheet as there are many issues that deserve a fuller explanation. – But here are a few items that caught my eye and as usual, the opinions here are just that. Remember what your high school teacher used to […]

Another month in the books and “The Happy Horseplayer” enjoyed every minute. – The eternal optimist looks forward to more fun in the sun as racing is just starting to heat up. The past month left me with fond memories, nice scores, and a few bad beats. But all in all, I wouldn’t trade it […]

The day started like any other as I made my way to work. I like to get there early to beat the traffic, prepare for the day and look over the track as the tractors put finishing touches on the surface. The sun was hot and the air was filled with thick humidity you could […]

What a weekend for showing the ups and downs of Thoroughbred racing. Arrogate has the racing world scratching their head and the bridges around the country had standing room only as he tossed in a clunker. – Fast forward to the next day at the Spa. Bob Baffert still hurting from Arrogates lack of interest sent […]

I was going to River Downs for years before I started working in the parking lot as a kid. Beulah Park was a once or twice a year trek. – Years later, I returned to RD as the director of marketing. I was 1A of “The Regular Guys” and fun in the sun was the […]