Canterbury Works to Educate New Fans on Wagering

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to participate in a class at Canterbury Park that is offered each week they call Canterbury College.  Canterbury College is a program designed by Canterbury Park for novice handicappers to help teach them basics of handicapping and beyond.  The program has been in place for several years and is a great way to bring fans to the race track and give them the confidence to wager.  The program is held over 6 Sundays from February to April and is free to enroll and includes course materials (including Brad Free’s “Handicapping 101” book) and lunch.  Enrollment this off-season was about 170 students looking to take advantage of the opportunity.

I was there ostensibly to talk about horse ownership and the Canterbury Racing Club but hosts Track Announcer Paul Allen (Twitter: @PAKFANVikes) and Media Relations Manager Jeff Maday (Twitter: @CBYTrackFlack) graciously allowed me to share the podium with them for the three hour class.

We tackled 4 races, 3 at Tampa Bay Downs and 1 from Hawthorne and the three of us would handicap the race aloud, taking the group through the thought process of how we break down races trying to find winners answering questions as they came up.  We’d explain all the terminology with nothing being too basic.  As the race was run, Paul (the best kept secret in track announcing in America) would take the class through the race, pointing out horses that were being ridden hard, traveling easily or otherwise having trouble.  When the race was done, we’d spend a few minutes breaking down the winner and pointing out what we may have missed or what may have contributed to that particular horse winning the race.

I know that many tracks during the season have brief “welcome to the races” sessions, but I don’t know of any that go through as much effort during the off-season as Canterbury does to court new players and educate them on how to tackle the game.  As I was telling a few of the students as I left the track, this game is like a puzzle and once you can start figuring things out, there is a lot of beauty and satisfaction in figuring out a race correctly.

I can honestly say I don’t know when I have had that much fun.  The students were great and seeing that many people so interested in the learning the game I love so much was heartening.  The give and take with Jeff and Paul was also enjoyable.  We didn’t always agree, but that’s part of the fun: differing opinions make for a more lively exchange.

Thanks to Paul and Jeff for the invite and a big thank you to all the students that come out every few weeks to learn the racing game.

Thank You, Canterbury Park

Usually this space, on the first day after the conclusion of the Canterbury Park live meet, you get all the facts and figures and my ruminations on the season.  That will come soon enough, but this summer at Canterbury Park has done something for me that nothing has over the past six years of living here: it has made Minnesota home.

Wherever I have lived in the past, I have been able to assimilate. I bleed Boston and New England – that will never change - but when I lived in the DC area, I loved the museums, battlefields and culture and felt like a Marylander.  In Las Vegas I became a UNLV fan, as did my kids.  Even when living on Guam I felt a connected to the land and people (tano y chamoru for those of you “in the know”).  No matter what I tried here in Minnesota, that didn’t happen.  When people asked, I was “from” Massachusetts or Nevada, but I “lived” in Minnesota.

That changed this summer and I have a lot of people to thank for that.

In no particular order:

David Miller and Jim Dunleavy.  My friend David, bloodstock agent and Equibase chart caller, helped me get involved in Minnesota racing which led to Fizzy Pop, this blog, Tabby Lane and, ultimately, a recommendation to Jim, an editor at the Daily Racing Form that got me this freelance gig.  Jim gave me a shot and it worked out well enough that if I’m around, I’ll do this gig again next year.  Thank you, both.

Jeff Maday, Andrew Offerman, Angela Hermann, Paul Allen, Kate Ulrich, Jim Wells and Bruce “The Oracle” Meyer.  The Canterbury Park press box team welcomed me in and, after I proved not to be a real doofus, made me part of the family.  While the night of the shutdown was depressing, being with this group made it bearable and, in fact, will stay with me as one of the best memories – not for the event, but for the camaraderie.  They were also silly enough to put a microphone in my hand and put me in front of a camera.  I loved it like you read about and thank them for the experience.  I’m going to miss this crew terribly and hope that my next “real” job enables me to be back with them next year – and for years to come.

Annie Ringwelski and Jen Selvig (Minnesota Retired Racehorse Project).  These ladies helped me discover a passion for helping retiring racehorses that I never knew I had!  I even made a deal – I help them write grants and wrangle up money and I’ll be taught to ride and take care of a horse.  Ladies, I so got the better end of that deal!  I mean, it’s not curling, but still…  Thank you and you all I won’t miss too much – we’ll be seeing a lot of each other as we move forward.  I promise to try and get there once a week to help out, until a “real” job gets in the way.

Jay & Willa Dailey, Mary Malkerson, Kris Reinman, Tom & Jan Aguilera, Kay King and other owners and MTA members I’m sure I’m inadvertently missing.  Getting to know you all better this year was the gem of the summer and something I’ll always have.  Thank you.

As always, I can never, ever thank Bernell & Cindy Rhone, Dean & Leann Butler and all the barn help for all they’ve done for our horses over the years and especially the patient and near miraculous job they did turning Tabby Lane around.  But they are even better people than they are horsepeople and that’s what makes them special.

Of course, Tabby Lane.  I visited Tabby nearly every race day of the meet.  Sometimes we shared dinner – well, she ate while I yapped.  She always took breaks to nuzzle, though, and I appreciate it.  She taught me that horses have very distinct personalities and that hers was dazzling.  When I’d come by she would stick her head out of her stall and push her forehead up against my chest and I’d nuzzle with her and we’d talk.  She’s a great listener and I love her dearly.  This business may have other plans, but I hope that I get to retire her someday.  She’s a keeper.

Ultimately while what I got paid for covering racing probably barely covered my gas for the summer, it gave me much more than that.  Thank you to all I have mentioned and those that I forgot for doing something in a summer that living here for six years didn’t:  I’m now “from” Minnesota (I’m still a Boston sports fan, let’s not get crazy) and finally feel a sense of belonging.  Thank you for the best summer of my adult life.

Now we’ll see if I can stay.

This Should Be Interesting

The tremendous experience that his been this summer continues Friday night when I take over for Angela Hermann in the pre-race show at Canterbury Park.  Angela is going to be a part of her sister's wedding and that left a slot open next to KQRS personality Mike Gelfand in reviewing the evening's card before the races. I'm very excited about the opportunity even though I'm also a bit nervous.  What's funny is that I'm not nervous about the material, but nervous about appearing nervous!!

I have to think that Mike is going to be more than a little let down with the substitution...

Jeff Maday has let me do a few paddock previews before the races and I have to admit I got flustered a bit too easily.  I was so concerned about being "smooth" and "polished" that when I lost my place in my notes I got a little off balance. It does seem to get easier with time.  Each time I do a preview - and I've only done four - I recognize things that I could/would do differently.  It's funny, it's not like this is necessarily leading to anything, but I'm still committed to prepping and doing the best job that I can.  I probably expect a bit too much out of myself in this spot but a job worth doing, etc.

What will help make it a bit easier is that I will be able to sit in the booth with a stationary microphone rather than try and hold my handful of notes in one hand while holding the microphone in the other.  Of course the other reality is that I will be directly on the TV for the entire time, not having the camera scan the horses in the walking ring to distract from my prospective discomfort.

I'm hoping to go in with the attitude to have a good time and enjoy my 15 minutes - and not stumble too badly!  If you get a chance, tune it - it should be a hoot!