The Bottom Line
Pros
- A very entertaining autobiography by one of racing's most entertaining characters
- Behind the scenes look at the NYRA circuit over the last 50 years
- Interesting characters such as Photo Dan and hapless NYRA marketing types complete the story
Cons
- No fault was found with this work. Pack both entertains and educates the reader with his memoirs
Description
- Harvey Pack's Rules of the Game: A day without betting is like a day without sunshine.
- Every time the starting gate opens, expect to be humbled. Never bet on a favorite doing something he's never done before.
- Don't get too excited about 2-year-old firsters from big trainers; look for action on the horses sent out by smaller barns.
- When you go to a strange track, don't worry so much about the jockey standings; trainer standings trump all.
- Never bet a horse on pedigree alone. Hardly is now alive a man who paid a mortgage at 2-to-5.
- If you hear a tip from one person, maybe make a small bet; if you hear the same tip from three or more people, book it.
- Never say that you should have bet more until the race is official. Do not bet on claimers reduced in value after a good race
- It's okay to drop a 3-year-old later in the year because it's about to lose its 3-year-old condition in January.
- Some days you don't want to go to work. Watch the warm-ups. Maybe your selection feels the same way.
- Good handicappers envision exactly how a race will be run. Unfortunately, horses are animals, not machines.
Guide Review - May The Horse Be With You
Having poked fun at the marketing types who proposed renaming Aqueduct as "Silks" and hosted a handicapping contest between turfwriters and psychics, he does take credit for some changes instituted in racing. The predominant style of racetrack simulcast feeds was started by Pack at NYRA years ago. He was instrumental in convincing NYRA to hire Tom Durkin to replace the aging but still popular longtime announcer Marshall Cassidy, clearly a successful move as Durkin continues to call NYRA races to this day. Like any bettor, Pack isn't perfect and he uses his mistakes to further entertain the reader. When he heard about the Breeders' Cup concept of John Gaines, he dismissed it, saying "It'll never work. I said the same thing about ATM's and renting movies." After working for NBC for the first few Cup telecasts, he was hired by the Breeders' Cup to host the international simulcast feed.
Pack shows us that life in the horse racing business can be very entertaining, not just because of what happens at the betting windows but also what happens behind the scenes.
