Cos

A Day At The Races

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340 Comments

Cos

on 01-08-2013 at 03:56 AM (2844 Views)

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A blog for horse racing
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For me, being in South Florida, the year is in 2 parts. We have hurricane season from late May through November. During that time, I'm busy dodging 384hr. GFS DOOM, and stocking Cheetos, and keeping track of ant mounds. Then we have horse racing season, which dovetails nicely starting in December and ending with the Kentucky Derby the first Saturday in May. This is the time of year when young 2-3 year old horses are running in their first few races in preparation for the best 20 of these 3 year olds to meet in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby. A horse only gets that 1 chance, only 3 year old horses are allowed to race in the Kentucky Derby. Thou shalt not be 2, neither shall you be 4 or 5. 3 is the number and the number is 3.
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While horses do race in other places, the best in America are in South Florida during the season, at Gulfstream Park, which runs races from Dec. 1-Apr. 1, and that's where I am...either in person or more often watching and wagering from home. While I enjoy the sights and sounds of horse racing the only time I wager is during the Gulfstream meet. It's because I feel that I have the hometown edge. I've been going there 35 years and I've picked up some probabilities that aren't readily apparent to the people I'm betting against. Plus I spend hours everyday doing "homework" analyzing the next day's races. In horse racing, you're gambling not against the casino but against other people, called pari-mutuel gambling. All perfectly legal, there's TVG and HRTV, which many have on their cable line-up, or a couple of on-line places owned by the corporations that also own the major racetracks, twinspires.com or xpressbet.com(that's who I use).
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Anyway, I'll try starting this horse racing blog and we'll see how it goes. The racing goes on Wednesday through Sunday, and I'll be giving my daily thoughts. If you want to watch the races you can register for free on xpressbet. Should you decide to wager you can do that as well through them either on-line or over the phone.
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Hopefully we'll have some interest and we'll have some fun and possibly make money. To that end, for those that don't want to open their own account I'm taking some of the prize money I won from Tulsa's fun contest and putting it into a house account, which I'll use to place the wagers I recommend here daily and anyone who posts on the blog by March 1st will get to share in the winnings*, which will culminate(pardon the French) in some wagers on the Kentucky Derby. In the spirit of the site any post is fine, even a blip or blop and you're in, just blop by March 1st.
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*Dewey gets 20% off the top

Updated 01-08-2013 at 05:11 AM by Cos

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Comments

Tulsahurrcane - 01-08-2013 05:36 AM
Site Supporter
Tulsa, OK
Awesome idea Cos! Sounds like huge fun!!
FtMyersgal - 01-08-2013 11:18 AM
I don't brake for trolls
Fort Myers FL
Well, it sounds like I'm gonna learn about horse racing! This could be real fun Cos. Thanks for the blog
kaiden - 01-08-2013 11:21 AM
Site Supposer
Rain Tease Land
Sounds like a fun time ahead Cos.

I have gone to dog tracks and had some success. But never did much the few times I have been to see the ponies run. Looking forward to picking up some tips.
FLdewey - 01-08-2013 12:31 PM
Chief Geek
Indialantic,FL
Nice!
libgoon - 01-08-2013 12:44 PM
just wants to have fun
somewhere over the pond
Nice Job Cos

Cant believe you guys cant gamble on the internet ...
Scooster67 - 01-08-2013 12:50 PM
29.9° N 82.7° W
Fort White FL.
Good times a comming Cos..........My Sister works for AMR which is the Ambulance service Gulf stream uses. It makes her job exstreamly buisy keeping the trucks staffed and on sight.
FtMyersgal - 01-08-2013 03:03 PM
I don't brake for trolls
Fort Myers FL
Cos, any idea who the possible entries will be or is it too soon for that?

I mean for the Triple Crown, K Derby, Preakness and Belmont
Tulsahurrcane - 01-08-2013 03:21 PM
Site Supporter
Tulsa, OK
hey cos, I want to place bets on Secretariat, Citation and Alysomething...go ahead and handle that for me.
splash3392 - 01-08-2013 03:22 PM
Member
kissimmee fl
I have a friend who is part of a group that owns horses and he has had a few race at Gulf stream. If he has one racing I'll try to get the dates and times and a name for you. I'll enjoy your blog too.!
FtMyersgal - 01-08-2013 03:24 PM
I don't brake for trolls
Fort Myers FL
Originally Posted by Tulsahurrcane

hey cos, I want to place bets on Secretariat, Citation and Alysomething...go ahead and handle that for me.

Yeah Cos, I'm with Tulsa on this one
libgoon - 01-08-2013 03:54 PM
just wants to have fun
somewhere over the pond
Originally Posted by splash3392

I have a friend who is part of a group that owns horses and he has had a few race at Gulf stream. If he has one racing I'll try to get the dates and times and a name for you. I'll enjoy your blog too.!

Hiya Splash long time no see , How have you been keeping?
Tulsahurrcane - 01-08-2013 03:59 PM
Site Supporter
Tulsa, OK
Hey Splash, would love that...even if they lose...as my horses usually do...just don't want them to fall down and break anything...that's the main concern!
Cos - 01-08-2013 03:59 PM
West of West
Originally Posted by FtMyersgal

Cos, any idea who the possible entries will be or is it too soon for that?

I mean for the Triple Crown, K Derby, Preakness and Belmont

Too early FMGal. At this point there's just a listing of 1000 or so horses whose owners have paid $500 or so to be on the eligible list. Probably the 20 horses are amongst those 1000. But for now, we need to wait and see how the horses run in the prep races over the next few months. Besides being the fastest horse, everything has to go smoothly health-wise for these 3 year Derby wannabees. In the end the field of 20 is decided by which 20 accumulate the most money(or points) running in specific races designated as Derby prep races run at various tracks. At Gulfstream we have The Holy Bull Stakes, The Fountain Of Youth Stakes, The Florida Derby. All to come from late January to April. .
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It's also likely that many of the horses who will be in the Kentucky Derby haven't even raced yet. This is the time of the year when many of them first race. Their first race is against other horses who also have never won a race. Win that and they proceed to the next prep race or 2 and then into 1-3 of the designated prep races.
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It's just one of the reasons that I like Gulfstream, as I get to see these babies from the start. On January 1st, there was a horse named Verrazano that ran for the first time. He has great breeding, he looked like a champion, and he won like a champion. He'll be one of the horses in the Derby field likely, and we'll follow his progress along with others.
FtMyersgal - 01-08-2013 04:04 PM
I don't brake for trolls
Fort Myers FL
Thanks Cos. Obviously I have alot to learn. Looking forward to your knowledge
Tulsahurrcane - 01-08-2013 04:08 PM
Site Supporter
Tulsa, OK
Cos, just trying to reinterpret that...I read it as "We're all making millions on Varrazano...done deal". I think i just changed the odds on Varranzono...stupid odds makers, the minute you bet on a horse they change the odds...now how fair is that....how are you supposed to make a living here?
Cos - 01-08-2013 04:09 PM
West of West
I started this blog so everybody who wanted to could learn a little about the sport. Everyone should feel free to ask questions. Hopefully we'll have some fun along the way and it'll be interesting during a time of relative quiet weather.
SQUAWK - 01-08-2013 04:13 PM
Site Supporter
King George, Virginia
Which one is Jimmy Johnson driving?
FtMyersgal - 01-08-2013 04:15 PM
I don't brake for trolls
Fort Myers FL
Originally Posted by SQUAWK

Which one is Jimmy Johnson driving?

The Chevy?
NavarreMark - 01-08-2013 04:16 PM
Member
We only have a dog track nearby.

Never did understand the fascination with dog racing.

On the other hand, I've always enjoyed watching the ponies run wether I was betting or not. Must be my Kentucky ancestry.

My Dad always said that Kentucky was the land of "Purty horses and fast women".
Tulsahurrcane - 01-08-2013 04:18 PM
Site Supporter
Tulsa, OK
How fast do they have to be for you Mark? Are we talking 30 seconds?
Cos - 01-08-2013 04:18 PM
West of West
Originally Posted by Tulsahurrcane

Cos, just trying to reinterpret that...I read it as "We're all making millions on Varrazano...done deal". I think i just changed the odds on Varranzono...stupid odds makers, the minute you bet on a horse they change the odds...now how fair is that....how are you supposed to make a living here?

You've got the right idea about Secretariat, Citation, etc. If we can figure out a way to bet on them after the fact we'll make millions. You actually could change the odds on Verrazano to win the Derby. He's currently 500/1. Call up Vegas and wager $1000 on him and the odds will drop worldwide to 100/1.....and word will leak out that someone "in the know" from Tulsa put down a huge advance wager on him.
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Please don't do this in real life.
Scooster67 - 01-08-2013 04:21 PM
29.9° N 82.7° W
Fort White FL.
Yea T...only do that in your fack life
Cos - 01-08-2013 04:26 PM
West of West
Originally Posted by libgoon

Nice Job Cos

Cant believe you guys cant gamble on the internet ...

We can't gamble on anything else, but it is legal to bet on horse racing via the Internet. There's just a handful of states that don't allow it. I'm going to get into how the folks here can wager if they don't live in one of those states. Over in Ireland I imagine you can and probably already do have an account with one of the companies over there. If you don't let me know....I don't think xpressbet does International but I'll check.
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Wager or not, it'll be free to register so those in the states can watch the races live. Replays will be available a few hours after the races each day on youtube as well.
InTheCone - 01-08-2013 04:30 PM
Site Supporter
Palm Beach Gardens, FL.
Originally Posted by Cos

You've got the right idea about Secretariat, Citation, etc. If we can figure out a way to bet on them after the fact we'll make millions. You actually could change the odds on Verrazano to win the Derby. He's currently 500/1. Call up Vegas and wager $1000 on him and the odds will drop worldwide to 100/1.....and word will leak out that someone "in the know" from Tulsa put down a huge advance wager on him.
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Please don't do this in real life.

Crazy to think that you cause havoc with the odds makers just by being random, and reckless with $$.

Thanks for the blog, Cos! Should make for some interesting reading during the spring. I've always liked to watch the horses run, but I have never bet on them. I'm not adverse to spending $$, but don't like losing it.
Cos - 01-08-2013 04:35 PM
West of West
Originally Posted by splash3392

I have a friend who is part of a group that owns horses and he has had a few race at Gulf stream. If he has one racing I'll try to get the dates and times and a name for you. I'll enjoy your blog too.!

Excellent Splash. Thank you.
Cos - 01-08-2013 04:43 PM
West of West
Just looking here and wagering is available in about 40 of the 50 states, including Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma.
Unfortunately not in Mississippi or Texas, at least through xpressbet.
Any other states that anyone wants me to check on?
NavarreMark - 01-08-2013 04:49 PM
Member
Originally Posted by Cos

Just looking here and wagering is available in about 40 of the 50 states, including Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma.
Unfortunately not in Mississippi or Texas, at least through xpressbet.
Any other states that anyone wants me to check on?

CO.

There was a track called Arapahoe Park which was about 15 miles or so north of my last house in CO. Was in the middle of nowhere and from what I understand, the only reason it existed was because you could do paramutual betting on site there and you could only do it at tracks at that time. I believe it is still open (not sure). Not sure if they have changed the laws there since then.
Cos - 01-08-2013 04:54 PM
West of West
Originally Posted by NavarreMark

CO.

There was a track called Arapahoe Park which was about 15 miles or so north of my last house in CO. Was in the middle of nowhere and from what I understand, the only reason it existed was because you could do paramutual betting on site there and you could only do it at tracks at that time. I believe it is still open (not sure). Not sure if they have changed the laws there since then.

Arapahoe is still there. In checking Colorado, it's legal though to bet on any track in the country through xpressbet. The only track that you can't bet on is Arapahoe? Folks still like to go make the bets in person. They go to Arapahoe to bet on Gulfstream, the Kentucky Derby, and other tracks. Some prefer personally betting instead of over the internet.
NavarreMark - 01-08-2013 05:05 PM
Member
Originally Posted by Cos

Arapahoe is still there. In checking Colorado, it's legal though to bet on any track in the country through xpressbet. The only track that you can't bet on is Arapahoe? Folks still like to go make the bets in person. They go to Arapahoe to bet on Gulfstream, the Kentucky Derby, and other tracks. Some prefer personally betting instead of over the internet.

I may have mistated that. You could do paramutual betting on any track in the US there and watch on closed circuit TV, and at that time you could only do that in CO at the track sites themselves.

Of course that was in addition to the racing they did on site there too.
SQUAWK - 01-08-2013 05:07 PM
Site Supporter
King George, Virginia
Originally Posted by Cos

Just looking here and wagering is available in about 40 of the 50 states, including Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma.
Unfortunately not in Mississippi or Texas, at least through xpressbet.
Any other states that anyone wants me to check on?

MD & VA please.