Hoss Talk

   Today at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas, many of North America's top horse-racing handicappers will gather to compete for $212,000 US in prize money at the Daily Racing Form/NTRA National Handicapping Championship.
   
   This event helps put to rest the stereotype of horse players as out-of-work, non-taxpaying misfits whose only goal in life is to beat the system.

   Horse players do hold down jobs and raise model families. They are not a drain on society. And when it comes to electing politicians, they have good memories and know how to cast a vote.
   
   People who enjoy horse racing are no different from those who enjoy other forms of legal gambling: lottery, bingo or Keno.
   
   A look at past and present entrants in the national handicapping championship reveals horse players as average citizens.
   
   Last year's winner, Judy Wagner, is a 51-year-old grandmother and former schoolteacher from New Orleans. The inaugural champion from 2000, Steve Walker, is a 45-year-old environmentalist from Nebraska.
   
   A 65-year-old blind horse player, a world blind chess champion and a 68-year-old retired kindergarten teacher were among last year's   finalists.
   
   This year's 176 qualifiers include an animal trainer, a nuclear submarine technician, a psychologist, a racetrack announcer and several business CEOs.
   
   Their ages vary. One player qualified three days before his 21st birthday, and 82-year-old Ruth Beaufait of California began playing horses in 1930.
   
   "This is like the NCAA basketball tournament, where you have the elite college teams and you have the Murray States of the world. Here we have the elite horse players and tournament veterans   competing against regular two-dollar bettors and novices," said tournament publicist Tim O'Leary.
   
   Unfortunately, none of the qualifiers are from Canada.
   
 - On Wednesday, jockey Tony McCoy won perhaps the most extraordinary race ever run. McCoy and all six of his rival jockeys fell off their horses in the St. Raymond Novices Chase in Southwell, England.
   
   McCoy hitched a ride on a Land Rover back to his horse and remounted, rejumped the final fence and completed the race. His was the only horse left standing.
   
 - Horseracing lost a good ol' boy with the recent passing of Hastings Park trainer Lawrence "Spike" Hannah. Our condolences go out to his family. A memorial service is schedule for Monday at 1 p.m. in the Hastings Park racetrack cafeteria
   
   twolski@shaw.ca

(Tom Wolski can be seen on the Sport of Kings,       10:00 am Saturday
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: Vancouver Province
E-mail Tommy Wolski at twolski@home.com