I would skip my last class in high school and run out to my car. – Oh, the feeling of being a young man and missing study hall. I was carrying over bets for my teacher. – I was allowed to drive the expressway and for a 17-year-old this was freedom personified. River Downs was […]

  I was attending college and the simulcast boom was just beginning. ADW’s were a bunch of letters, and if you wanted to bet the ponies you went to the track or made a call to your bookie. – Keeneland was in session and I spent more time digging in my pockets for quarters as […]

I love something free to start the day. – Keeneland is just a couple hours away and there are only three days left to get the bankroll rolling into Churchill Downs. The weather is going to hover around the 70 mark and it is bright and sunny. – I just spoke to the racing office […]

I was sitting in my office looking out the window. – We are six floors up and the flurries were whizzing past like a snow globe.  It was a winter-wonderland rolling through my mind. – It took me back to days gone by and memories they held. – Just staring out the windows overlooking the […]

All tracks have their own little nuances. – Speed on the rail, closers from the back, and middle stalkers rule. – The Polytrack is a whole new animal versus what you’ve been playing all year on dirt.  – If you follow a few rules and keep your eyes peeled for the connections. You may find a winter […]

  Isn’t it fun to visit old haunts? – You know, the places we used to go on a regular basis. – I’ve been away from playing in handicapping contests for years.  I used to play every weekend online, and sometimes make the trip to tracks. There was nothing better than watching your 15-1 shot […]

It may be a large oval where marquee races are held, events of the year take place and the biggest players in sports call home. – Or, it may be the quaint little oval that has the spark of a country fair, and generations of horsemen have worked in the sport they love. I have […]

How do you begin to handicap a track that is open for 15 days twice a year? – I love the boutique meet and the beauty that’s only Keeneland. But, there are a few hints on how to maximize your bankroll for the meet. – Keep these in mind before heading to the windows. – Best […]

Another month in the books, and racing marches on to the next stop. – Fall time racing is a signal for the Breeders’ Cup. – As Keeneland opens you can feel the breeze turning cooler and leaves starting to change. The Happy Horseplayer looks forward to some special times this month. Last year I found […]

Sometimes you stumble across things that bring a smile to your soul. – It can be your secret love or best friend. For many, they search their entire life looking for such a thing and others find it in a blink of an eye. – For me, I was a younger man who fell head […]