This  is also a great spot for the army of Hired Guns who eagerly await an opportunity to fulfill their role as suppressors.  Not wanting to leave anyone out, we'll even give a little time to the horde of bullshit artists - but not much, as the days of feeding on public gullibility are numbered.  A lot of people are going to want a piece of Getting Down, some of whom will hope to be elevated merely by going on the attack.  If you're a whiner, a know-it-all, or a blowhard, though all three usually come in one package, don't bother.  Your time would be better spent at the local bar, where an audience of your peers is almost guaranteed.  If you're genuinely interested in learning more about trainers/jockeys/horses, and/or if you have credible knowledge about such matters, we want to hear from you.  Here at Getting Down great emphasis is given to "daily knowledge enhancement."  To stumble is to learn.  

All submissions to Getting it Right automatically become the property of Getting Down.  

FIND ARTICLES AND COMMENTS BELOW.  

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getright@gettingdownfraud.com

ANY AND ALL COMERS

GET DOWN

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GUNFIGHT IN LAS VEGAS:

10/24/00___In a wild and crazy gambling affair reminiscent of an Old West shoot-out, over 900 pretenders to the throne dismounted in front of the OK Corral ( the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas) and fired blank after blank - with many shots being fired from the hip - as the National Handicapping Challenge  reeled in the suckers for the third straight year. The shoot-out lasted 3 days - October 12, 13, 14.  And when it was all over, everyone who had put up a $500 buy-in was still standing, surprisingly, though easily in excess of 800 players had been relieved of their entry fee. We can be truly thankful only blanks were being fired. Had they been real bullets, most of the players would have shot each other several times.

Just exactly what did this make-believe foolishness establish? Aside from whatever publicity the small, off-the-beaten-path Orleans casino may have generated, the poorly conceived contest proved once again that many people who gamble on trainers/jockeys/horses are generally a pretty unsophisticated lot, predisposed to buying almost any bill of goods.

In support of this conclusion, consider the following facts: Billed as the National Handicapping Challenge, where true skill  and knowledge would be put to the test, I wish someone would please explain why the hallways separating the convention rooms (gambling areas) were buzzing with people making calls from both public and cell phones in order to hopefully establish an unfair advantage.   And just what type of rules did the genius who intelligently sifted through all these potential variables implement to control this type of behavior? As near as Getting Down can tell, it was apparently okay to use the cell/public telephones in the hallways as long as you didn't use them in the actual gambling areas, which were no more than a few steps away.  Is this some kind of a joke?

The unusually large number of contestants were crammed into several rooms and forced to sit at circular dining tables  that provided less than adequate space. Many of the tables were placed so close together that contestants had no other choice than to stand aside and wait their turn to pass or risk a collision with a chair or another person.  Grumbling? There was plenty.

Players could pick the tables of their choice the day before the contest began by affixing their names to the backs of chairs. But since the people who had already spoken for some of the chairs at the table of your choice were normally no where to be found at the moment you happened to pick your chair, you had no way of knowing with whom you might be sitting on the day the contest began. If you happened to be stuck with people who engaged in a lot of mindless chatter, and there were no other chairs/tables vacant, you were "up the creek."

There were far too few gambling windows devoted to the actual contest. Players frequently stacked up like so many loaves of bread on a dysfunctional bakery apparatus, creating unnecessary lines. Some players actually lost on winning tickets because they couldn't get up to the window in time. But there seemed to be an abundance of standard mutuel tellers - ready to take your cool cash.  No problem there whatsoever.  It didn't take long for matters to take on a carnival atmosphere.

Speaking of winning tickets, that a Gambling Track like Louisiana Downs, famous for what many people believe is perhaps the most fraudulent run-slow-run-fast affair in all of America, is even permitted in a so-called "legitimate" contest does seem to fly in the face of reality, to put matters mildly. Management was really out to lunch on this one.  And Louisiana Downs didn't disappoint.  Within just a few Gambling Propositions,  a horse paying over $90 and a horse paying $40 were used to cross the finish line first. Yep.  You guessed it.  A few of the right people  nailed them.  How sweet it is.

So-called longshots, commonly known as mislabeled favorites, were running first and second much of the time. But in the National Handicapping Challenge  contest, no "place" gambling was allowed. You had to gamble on the nose.  Come on, management!  Get your head out of your ass!  A sizable number of contestants would have done considerably better if "place" gambling had been allowed.  Again the grumbling.

There's no doubt that it's cheaper and easier to process win tickets only - when compared to win/place/show tickets. But in order to save a few bucks you can't neutralize the better players.

And here's the hook:  A $500 buy-in got you 12 tickets a day, each worth a mythical $100. Count them. That's 36 tickets over a three-day run. No matter how poorly you play, you're still in the action on the third day. Even if you failed 35 times, you still got a "hot" ticket in your hand.

Those gambling contests where the buy-in - usually $500 - is broken into 10-equal bets on the first day, where you're actually playing with (your) real money, with the first day's results then carried forward on the same premise for a total of 3-4 days, are a much better measure of handicapping ability than what is offered at the Orleans. You can't make a lot of crazy gambles, take a lot of crazy chances on big prices, or you're usually out of the contest on the first day. Getting bumped out of a contest where true skill is required brings home a certain truth that most gamblers would rather not face. 

Gambling fans just love the notion of being in the action for the full three days. Hard fought to the end. Even when they don't have a prayer. Call it gambler's mentality.

All of this isn't cheap.  A conservative price for this type of chronic behavior is around $1000 - if you figure rooms and a little table action on the side.

The Orleans is a very nice casino - spacious, uncluttered, and staffed with some very courteous people who went out of their way to accommodate over 900 contestants. If you're weary of the "Vegas Strip" scene, give the Orleans a try. You won't be sorry - assuming you enjoy good food.

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FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY

5/2/01___While the number of television viewers has steadily declined over the years, prompting grave misgivings from network executives and sponsors, the Kentucky Derby still reigns supreme as the gambling industry's flagship. A popularly held belief is that the Breeders' Cup holds this title. But the Kentucky Derby is the undisputed king, rich in history and lore.

Lurking behind all of the near-Biblical emphasis on Kentucky tradition,  however, is an extremely aggressive Propaganda Machine poised to display any number of camera shots that depict small children playing along the rail  (preferably eating ice cream cones),  and possibly a few shots of the family scene.   Had enough? In order to disarm any remaining doubters, the word sport  will be used as many times as possible during the course of the presentation. Some users may well be contractually obligated, the delivery smooth and matter-of-fact; others will partake whenever the opportunity is presented. If you watch closely, the nonprofessional users, upon mentioning the word as casually as possible, will flash a split-moment expression of relief and/or guilt.

It's somewhat difficult to determine when gambling promoters first began attempting to sell trainer/jockey/horse gambling as a sport.  The art of substituting nice words  to make questionable behavior more acceptable is hardly a fresh concept, perhaps first being observed in the Bible's account of Adam and Eve. As has been pointed out previously in Getting Down, if a money transfer game  relies on gambling for its very survival, it is - by definition - a gambling game. To suggest trainer/jockey/horse gambling is a sport  toys with common sense; a real stretch of the imagination, particularly in light of an industry that condones the running of injured horses on painkilling drugs.

There's no doubt gambling makes for some very exciting, apprehensive moments. Lest we forget, gambling is the act of putting at risk something you may lose in order to hopefully gain something of equal or greater value.

If you gamble regularly on trainer/jockey/horse conduct, the Kentucky Derby will likely be "just another race," another chance to cash a ticket.  After all, 1-1/4 mile gambling propositions are conducted at tracks across the country every day. If you're relatively new to the game, the tremendous hype unfolding before your eyes will surely get your interest. But it is the risky nature of gambling that will account for most of your excitement, as opposed to the actual time taken to complete the event - approximately two minutes.

In spite of all the hoopla and hype, however, the great majority of the country's television viewers will not be watching once again.

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GAMBLING FANS:

5/20/01___Lots of complaints about our failure to participate in the outrageous hype surrounding the Triple Crown. No thanks. Getting Down is way outclassed in this area. We left it up to the so-called experts. They never seem to fail in their sworn duty to deliver cheap hype - though this time matters did get a little out of control. "Who cares if we don't know what we're talking about, just keep talking" was the echo heard above the roar of the crowd.

Unfortunately for many gambling fans, a good deal of the foolishness was supplied by NBC, whose involvement should have been devoted more to covering the events rather than climbing aboard the bandwagon hype, or actually leading the charge. One female commentator, in reference to the Kenturkey Derby, actually stated that Point Given  was "bred to run all day." Please! Neither is Congaree  nor Point Given  bred to go any real distance against legitimate contenders. In Getting Down's opinion, both horses have pretty much run beyond their genetic code, which dramatically underscores Baffert's ability to fire few blanks. This is one trainer who knows how to get them rolling - as long as the wheels don't fall off. If AP Valentine  had not experienced problems earlier in his career, we probably would have had a Triple Crown winner. Monarchos  is a good athlete, but to suggest he is great is ridiculous. John Ward, a gentleman and an outstanding trainer, has done a truly professional job with the handsome gray. And Monarchos  could still go on to win the Belmont, assuming AP Valentine  does not run to his breeding.

As further evidence of this year's Triple Crown mediocrity, Dollar Bill,  having an almost complete lack of quality/distance gene-pool concentration in his pedigree, ran what appears to be a rather remarkable race in the Preakness. Or did he? In a legitimate Triple Crown field, this horse would be so far back a search warrant would be required just to find him.

Save for maybe two or three contenders, the overall quality of this year's entries has been less than stellar, as history will clearly show. Why else would Churchill Downs speed the surface up by some 9-12 lengths?  Cheap hype in order to encourage public gambling is considered acceptable by today's standards; excessive track compaction in order to speed up final times, thus producing a level of front-leg concussion that could easily turn a valuable horse into a permanent cripple, is inexcusable. Jockeys are also put at grave risk. When is this cheap bullshit going to stop? Hopefully it will be halted before the loss of human life.

NBC's coverage was a marked improvement from recent years when a confused ABC left Jim Mckay to stumble through his lines, to basically carry the show by himself. And he did a hell of a job. No additional public comments will be made regarding the Triple Crown.

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GAMBLING FANS:

6/16/01___In defense of Getting Down's statements regarding Point Given's  quality, a perfunctory review of the evidence is in order: Prior to this year's Kenturkey Derby, Point Given  had as much or more experience at routing than most of the other entries. The big chestnut had indeed been meticulously prepared for what was to be the most important and prestigious event of the year.  The workouts over the Churchill Downs surface were superb. Baffert was beaming with confidence. Everything was going according to plan.

The only problem was the distance - a mile-1/4.   After Point Given  faded badly in the stretch, all the usual suspects were rounded up and statements were issued:   "He just didn't feel like himself" was one of the more popular excuses heard.

The amount of money to be realized from breeding a stallion/mare that runs well is substantial. Making light of a potential breeder is considered a major taboo. This backslapping process pretty much assures equal time at the trough of mediocrity. Getting to the point, this is one game that lives on excuses.

Even in the winning effort in the Preakness, at a mile-3/16, AP Valentine  was getting to Point Given  in the stretch.

Point Given's  performance in the mile-1/2 Belmont, given the weak breeding on the mare's side, is nothing short of incredible, which is not to suggest Getting Down was necessarily surprised by the results.

There's always the chance that Point Given  may be a freak product of one or more recessive genes. Getting Down doesn't think so.

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June 17, 2001 ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) -- Bob Baffert, who trained Point Given to victories in the Preakness and Belmont stakes, was suspended for 60 days because of a positive morphine test on one of his horses.

The suspension runs June 25 to Aug. 24. Baffert's penalty was announced Sunday after an eight-day hearing conducted by Santa Anita stewards.

The stewards found that Baffert violated California Horse Racing Board rules against medication, drugs and other substances and regulations that require trainers to insure the condition of a horse.

The Baffert-trained Nautical Look tested positive for morphine after winning a race at Hollywood Park in May 2000.

Baffert has 72 hours to appeal and seek a stay of the suspension, a decision that rests with CHRB president Robert Tourtelot. If he unsuccessfully appeals, Baffert would be denied access to race tracks and owners would have to transfer their horses to another trainer in order to run.

Baffert was at Churchill Downs on Saturday to saddle Captain Steve to a second-place finish in the Stephen Foster Handicap.

He did not answer a message left at his Santa Anita barn Sunday.

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JULY 10, 2001 HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP)___ Four jockeys have been sentenced for fixing horse races at Penn National Race Course, with one receiving a six-month prison term. The jockeys - Ramon Pena, Lazaro Vives, Luis Morales and Andres Reyes - pledged on Monday to one count each of fixing or attempting to fix a sporting event.

Pena, who prosecutors said was more involved in the scheme to fix races at the track, received a six-month prison sentence.

The other three were sentenced to one year probation and issued fines from $800 to 1,500. Horse owners George Berryhill of Lebanon and Neil McElwee of Harrisburg and another jockey are awaiting sentencing.

Authorities said the owners funneled bribes to jockeys to hold back favored horses in 15 races last year so that longshots would win. (AP)

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SUPER TEST or SUPER JOKE

 

GAMBLING FANS BEWARE 8/16/01___Desperate to minimize growing awareness regarding the manipulation of horses in order to defraud the public, the game's High Priests of Propaganda commissioned a "special task force" to test for the presence of illegal drugs in over a thousand so-called "blind samples" from horses across the country. The results are to be announced shortly.

Now this is just no regular test, by golly; after all, anytime a "special task force" is sent into the fray, the truth - so help us God - will forever be known. No longer will nation rise against nation, small children will be able to play along the rail once again, and people everywhere, secure in the knowledge that no cheating exists, will flock to Gambling Tracks in greater numbers than ever before imagined.

The Propaganda Department has yet to decide what this test should be called, though marketing titles such as "Super Test" and "Super Report" are tossed around with gleeful earnest.

This is not to say that plenty of controversial discoveries will not be made, certainly enough for the overall purpose of the "special task force" to hopefully succeed. For example, possibly several trainers will be shown to have "over medicated" a couple of horses - nothing more than honorable people given to honorable intentions. And we wouldn't want to overlook the potential that a lab report might reveal one or more "mustard stains" on a trainer's shirt, or that "catsup stains" were found on a napkin near a kitchen entrance. I understand all the popcorn machines are in good working order, thank God -- so at least we won't have to hear about that. It'll be a tough report alright, just tough enough to hopefully lead people everywhere to conclude that "true objectivity" was the motivation, no stone left unturned to determine if any problems actually exist.

It's hard to believe that a flagrant problem of such magnitude has only recently come to their attention. It does seem rather strange.  FACT:  They've known about the problem for years.

They also know that a lot of run-slow-run-fast activity is executed without the use of illegal drugs. The Propaganda Department - and with good reason - doesn't want this simple truth to become general knowledge. The theory:  If they can lead people to believe that cheating cannot exist without illegal drugs, a favorable "Super Test" report will then hopefully raise the acceptance level of so-called horse racing by way of pretending that the industry is basically "drug free" - safe for consumption.

This goofy thinking from the game's purveyors comes at a time when the gambling industry is spending untold millions of advertising dollars to attract "New Faces" - television commercials depicting wholesome people cashing tickets on their favorite jockeys and trainers, radio spots, bill boards, etc - and is no small coincidence.

Just how the term "blind samples" should be interpreted is not quite clear. It goes without saying that the results of such a test could easily be manipulated by way of selecting certain horses that would conform to a predetermined result, or by initiating a process whereby the probability of discovering offenders is significantly diminished.

If Getting Down were conducting a test to determine the presence of illegal drugs, horses involved in sudden and/or illogical Form Reversals would be primary candidates for testing, whether an individual suddenly ran slow or fast. Horses that turned in a "new high" speed rating would also be tested. All testing would be conducted by one or more FBI labs.

Many gambling fans will be surprised to learn that you don't have to be an experienced observer to readily detect a "false effort" by cheaters who don't use drugs.  For instance, a competitive effort over a given distance of ground produces a higher heart rate and a higher breathing rate than when, say, a horse is given less than an all-out effort, and even smaller numbers when a horse is standing still.

There is a device - when used properly - that can be attached to a horse's chest in order to provide a comprehensive read-out, at all times, pertaining to actual effort extended. But don't get your hopes up. The so-called industry leaders would never allow such a truth-revealing device to be used.

Most false efforts are characterized by a common gate check or improper use of the horse (known as the "stupid move"). But perhaps the main ingredient to look for is when a jockey shifts his/her body either forward or backward from a horse's center of gravity (withers; located just back of the base of the neck). When a horse is running, body design dictates a center of gravity located at the withers. For example, a rocking chair also has a center of gravity. If you don't place your center of gravity directly in line with the rocking chair's center of gravity, you don't rock very well. It takes more energy to rock back and forth in a rocking chair when your body's center of gravity is in conflict with the rocking chair's center of gravity. The same is true with respect to a jockey and a horse.

Additionally, jockey body-placement is actually used to train a horse to "come off the pace," though rein/bit pressure and voice commands are initially employed to accelerate the learning process. A jockey must sit still when riding or a horse could easily become confused.

If you really want to get an eye opener, make it a point to pay special attention on the far turn and the back stretch the next time you're having "just another wonderful day."

That Gambling Tracks everywhere have managed to permanently chase away approximately 70-80 percent of their customer base over the years, speaks to the success of the run-slow-run-fast gang, and should serve as ample warning to "New Faces." Purveyors of the game now find themselves in the unenviable position of having to pursue their victims - much like hustlers of the Old West - from town to town. If it were not for television gambling, many of them would be stuck in a car wash.

In any event, gambling fans, stay alert. You don't have to be an expert to get through this simpleton stuff. A modest amount of common sense is all you need. And remember, this is basically the same camp that has looked the other way for years while the run-slow-run-fast gang has literally driven people away in wholesale numbers; the same camp that has repeatedly lost or misplaced incriminating drug tests; the same camp that is still in a state of denial regarding its serious problems; the same camp that repeatedly uses the word "race" at every opportunity but yet has such little faith in its product that no guaranty is offered; the same camp that insisted for many years that Lasix did not help a horse run faster.

For example, we now know that Lasix conceals the presence of illegal substances, and can safely remove up to roughly 70 pounds of fluid from a horse's body.

The "Super Joke," with the same old supporting cast, and championed by the so-called National Thoroughbred Racing Association, will soon be appearing in a theater near you. A good dose of gullibility is the price of admission.

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FROM JASON IN PITTSBURGH:

9/1/01___The report conducted by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association speaks more to the long-standing problem of the industry, which is to minimize, reduce, or deny the existence of a problem, than to actual on-track problems. The public perception of the industry has always been more important than the true condition of the patient.

Jockeys and trainers consider any number of factors before cheating is committed, such as odds and the level of competition, sometimes to include the potential for collusion in gimmick gambling. Any test should also give consideration to the same variables.

If even a minimum of validity is to be attached to the report, the tracks where the tests took place must be revealed, the type of races, along with the names of the horses, trainers, jockeys and ODDS.

The motive for pretending that no problems exist, considering the incredible amount of money at stake in a struggling industry, is so great that to allow the very people who have everything to gain from a favorable report to also conduct the test (s) is rife with folly from the outset.

A lot of different people were involved in the processing of these tests - too many fingers in the pie with the same motivation.

Having personally worked at several tracks, it is not uncommon to find a listing of drugs that are being tested for, on any given day, posted in plain view in the backstretch. Even when this information is not posted trainers seem to have a way of obtaining this knowledge.

The industry has finally felt the scorn of common sense. The days of cheap hype and flim-flam reports are a thing of the past.

The only way the drug problem will ever be corrected is for horses to be quarantined in holding barns for a 24-hour period prior to race day.

Members of the run-slow-run-fast gang will never accept the 24-hour quarantine. They also do not guarantee that legitimate horse racing is actually being conducted. It's up to players to "connect the dots."

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GAMBLING FANS

9/8/02___ Getting Down only recently returned to the Internet wars after having been away for approximately 30 days. The reason for this was twofold: security problems, and the simple fact that we failed to renew our gettingdown.net domain name - losing it to another party. The name of the site has not changed, but our URL (address) has been changed to gettingdownfraud.com. Neither of the above interfered with our ability to service our customers.

Getting Down will contine to inform the gambling public - no matter the resistance. Thanks for the support.

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BREEDERS' CUP SCANDAL

11/10/02___Three former frat brothers may have pulled off one of the biggest thefts in the history of the gambling industry.  Getting away with it may be the hardest part. For those of you who would like to peruse a host of updated reports, simply type "Breeders' Cup Fraud" in any search engine, preferably GOOGLE - the best the net has to offer.

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ENOUGH BULLSHIT

11/24/02____The game's High Priests of Propaganda, following the Breeders' Cup scam, have appointed none other than one-time New York City Mayor Richard Giuliani to head the latest damage-control juggernaut. Apparently the so-called National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) - the new center for pubic relations - is of the impression that a gullible public now will be inclined to overlook the gambling game's latest scandal, amounting to a perpetual problem that defies correction due to an environment wherein cheating can be successfully carried out with little or no effort or intelligence - at almost no risk to the perpetrators.

Needless to say, a good public relations department demands that a highly trained group of fraud busters such as this should be appropriately named, assuming the desired effect is to be achieved. Named the "Wagering Integrity Alliance," the fraud busters may have outdone themselves. The play on words is enough to cause any sensible grandmother to grab her purse and run out of the building screaming, to send used car salesmen reeling with laughter. Yes, the old drumbeat of gullibility does have a familiar ring.

The word wagering has been substituted for gambling, and the word integrity has been substituted for, well, a disturbing lack of integrity. Perhaps the word complicity would have worked much better here. It is an alliance, however, and it should read something like this: "Gambling Complicity Alliance."

If any of these NTRA fraud busters were legitimate, they'd have moved "a long time ago" against the members of the run-slow-run-fast gang, that "swell bunch of people" who play the game of so-called horse racing on a regular basis. And what about the game's rampant drug problems? Make no mistake, gambling fans, this is one industry awash in the type of behavior that demands the immediate attention of legitimate law enforcement. Don't hold your breath.

Most of the industry's problems could be corrected by prohibiting any and all stable-connected persons from having any contact with the horses 24-hours before competition. Huge fines and penitentiary time would be mandatory for jockeys and trainers who cheat. And the very purveyors must also guarantee that horse racing is actually being conducted. It's really quite simple.

Only public demand will bring about the above changes, the exception here having to do with the guaranty. They'll never guarantee that horse racing is actually being conducted. And who could blame them. They know their product.

The recent Breeders' Cup fraud was perpetrated by a computer programmer who took advantage of software designed to incorporate and thus rely, to an extent, on the trustworthiness of those individuals in charge of the system. The actual software program functioned as was written. The programmer was the problem.

Assuming there was genuine interest, computers could readily be used to detect manufactured form reversals by way of deciphering irregular gambling patterns on horses that, based on the integrity of the performance representations, seemingly have little or no chance of winning. Tracking the payoffs and the names of the individuals involved would be relatively easy.

The questions asked by many players who love legitimate horse racing: "How did things get so rotten?" and "Who's to blame?" Simply stated, a "whole lot of blame can be placed at the feet of a whole lot of people."

One of the few misgivings about America, one which leads to many problems, is there probably isn't anything not for sale.

An excellent example would be our foreign policy. Many historians would argue that for the past eighty years, almost in "total form reversal" to what the original framers of our constitution had in mind, special interest groups have gained control of everything from foreign policy to the price of lettuce. The manipulation of lettuce, however, qualifies as a pardonable sin, as a disturbingly large number of U.S. citizens - waist deep in push-button patriotism - can always "eat cake" while saluting the American flag. The foreign policy of a democracy, in contrast, should foremost exist to protect its people and promote good will, and should never be allowed to pass into the hands - or come under the influence - of any individual or group whose actions, though beneficial for a few, diminish the great majority.

Making matters even worse, the very system responsible for our disastrous foreign policy subsequently failed to protect our country from the September 11 attack on the Twin Towers, in spite of a boatload of evidence that an attack of this nature (the use of hijacked aircraft as bombs) was imminent.

Considering the country's current mess could have easily been avoided, one does tend to be a little depressed.

Don't be misled by any cheap propaganda that directly contradicts historically documented facts. The truth is always there - finding it sometimes is not so easy.

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December 10, 2002

LAWSUIT FILED

A California law firm has filed a class-action suit against Autotote Systems, the company responsible for handling the lion's share of on/off track gambling in North America, at the behest of Jimmy "The Hat" Allard, a professional gambler. The lawsuit, filed in California Superior Court, claims Autotote has been grossly negligent in terms of protecting the public from the type of fraud that occurred during the recent Breeders' Cup.

According to the lead attorney in the filed action, Joseph Lisoni, bettors have lost millions of dollars in the last decade when bets were changed after the race began because Autotote did not have the proper safety precautions in place. "Fraudulent tickets were entered numerous times over the past eight to 10 years at dozens and dozens of racetracks,'' he said.

An Autotote employee has already admitted using his job at Autotote in order to produce "winning tickets" on a pick-six gimmick gambling event after all six events had been conducted. The tickets proved to be worth roughly $3 million.

"No matter how good you are," Allard was reported to have said, "there are 1,000 ways to lose a horse race and only one way to win. Now there are 1001 ways to lose."

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November 21, 2003

ODDS OF PROBABILITY

".......more reasons why you're getting your ass kicked."

Probability is the ratio used to express the likelihood of a particular event occurring, the accuracy of which is based on our ability to intelligently evaluate matters. Ranging from such simple acts as a flip of a coin all the way to those situations which, in the absence of verifiable facts, deal with the type of highly speculative determination that is often attached to certain statements and/or conditions, the relevance of environmental probability remains a common denominator in man's endless pursuit of certainty.

For example, a given side of a die (two make dice) has a probability ratio of 1/6 (only one of the six sides will come up each time the die is tossed), with the odds against it being thrown are five chances that some other side will come up against the one chance that a specified side will be thrown. Since any one side of the total six sides will always come up, with the gambler having to pick the correct side, the correct odds, for a gambling payoff, amount to 1/5. The payoff comes from the five sides that don't come up. A one-dollar gamble, then, assuming you picked the correct side, would result in a win of five dollars, plus the return of the one-dollar gamble you initially made, amounting to a six-dollar total return.

The odds in a casino crap game remain the same at all times. They do not change with each toss of the dice, nor do they change from one crap game to the next. The odds remain the same for all players, whether they be employees of the casino, or members of the public. The same could be said for a number of other casino games. With the exception of a minuscule edge going to the house, no one person has the edge in information, no one person has the edge in odds - unlike the bouncing-ball odds in the gambling game of so-called (SC) horse racing, which can be easily manipulated by way of using performance-altering drugs and/or providing false performance representations.

That being said, it's not difficult to understand why the probability of winning at casino table games, when compared to the highly unstable nature of SC horse racing, greatly favor the gambler.

There will always be a few select players who can hold their own playing trainers/jockeys/horses, though their numbers have dropped dramatically in recent years due to the game's tremendous reliance on drugs, and the near impossible challenge of being able to detect which horses may or may not be "on the juice." The industry's rampant drug problems, while a real gold mine for the stables, has many of the better players pulling out their hair in disbelief - what few that remain.

Cheating literally destroys legitimate probability and produces false odds - usually large odds - allowing the run-slow-run-fast trainers and jockeys to defraud the public out of large sums of money. Only when no performance-altering drugs are used, or have been used in the past, and all past-performance representations are void of fraud, and all of the jockeys are trying to win, can we have true odds. And as most of you will surely agree, manufactured longshots can ruin an otherwise good day - not to mention your wallet.

Granted, it's not impossible to catch a lucky run at a Gambling Track (GT), if only for a few modest hits. The probability of maintaining a successful attack over a sustained period, however, long enough to break even (an almost impossible task these days) or (if you're really a big dreamer) clean up the back payments on your PLAM (please look at me) SUV, is desperately remote.

But is being armed with the ability to correctly decipher all of the above on a regular basis, if we may entertain the impossible for a moment, sufficient to overcome the larger problem - that of winning more than we lose? Getting Down fears not.

We still must overcome a daunting list of very real problems before we can consider the notion of projecting future profit - the bottom line. So let's take a look at the list, not necessarily in their order of importance.

SHORT FIELDS____At a growing number of GTs approximately 50 percent of the SC races average between 5-6 horses. And most of the horses are little more than outrageous junk, backyard breeding at its worst. If you still have doubts about the foregoing comment, simply check out the junk tracks in California. The once proud Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and (old) Del Mar more closely resemble collection facilities for the local processing (meat) plant. About the only things needed to qualify for a real comedy here would be to have the training handled by the local chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous and the grooming turned over to young girls with pigtails.

On the more serious side, short fields cheat players. Horses that might "get off" at an acceptable price in short fields are routinely bet down by the public for no other reason than they have better odds. Call it human nature. And the better the player, the more interest in catching a price. Short fields don't produce many prices. To make matters worse, there usually isn't more than a length's difference between 2-3 of the horses. There's no way you're going to make money here. If you bet big on one of these individuals to compensate for a short price, chances are you'll be making the trip to the parking lot early.

FILLERS__________The criminal act of entering noncompetitive horses in SC races for no other reason than to create the false impression of a "full field" has become a nagging reality. Because full fields normally result in better payoffs, GTs use this angle to generate player interest.

Larry Gibson, a part-time player based in Seattle, has been tracking this problem for the last five years. He has identified a number of instances where up to 70 percent of the horses entered in a given gambling event were nothing more than fillers. Figures of this nature come as no surprise to Getting Down. "When you combine the number of horses that couldn't win even if the jockeys tried," he said, "with the horses that were ridden for no other reason than to build odds, the horses become so strung out it ends up looking like a Third World military parade, seemingly taking forever for all of the horses to cross the finish line."

SHORT CARDS____First introduced by supermarkets, and now a religion, the act of charging more - for less - seems to have caught on at GTs across the country. Admission is up, the price of food is up, and the price of the SC Racing Form, relentlessly flaunted as "America's Turf Authority (always with a straight face)" by its publishers, continues to rise. At some GTs the number of gambling events has actually been reduced from nine to eight.

Short cards and short fields are a disaster for the better players, though an unexpected plus for the folks who have trouble picking a winner in a one-horse field. Makes them feel like handicappers. They don't even realize they are being shortchanged. Good players can only piss and moan and hope for a better day.

JUNK HORSES_____They are everywhere these days - held before a gullible public as if they were the brilliant culmination of the " best bred to the best bred." The tremendous glut of junk horses has cast a dark cloud over the industry. But the suckers keep buying them, looking for a silver lining, often at such inflated prices as to befuddle the imagination.

Large sums of gambling money are lost daily on junk horses that have been touted as having the necessary genetic credentials to win. Truth is, very few junk horses can even get out of their own way. They are extremely hard to handicap for the average player, and the better players usually pass on them due to the difficulty involved.

BAD TRAINERS____"There's a lot more bad ones than good ones, and there ain't too many in the middle," said the old handicapper. "It's been the story of my life." He flashed a toothless smile and then staggered into a nearby stall to relieve himself.

Let's say you picked a horse based on the breeding but the trainer doesn't try because he doesn't think the animal is ready for an all-out effort (AOE). Your money goes in the toilet. Or maybe you picked a horse that should have won easily but the trainer failed to have the horse ready. Down the tube goes your money again. How about a horse that looks good, is in shape, but the trainer doesn't know where to place the horse in order to win. The list here is actually quite extensive, but I think you get the point. Enough said.

BAD RIDES_______ Good jockeys produce fewer bad rides than do IDIOTS. Getting Down could relate some real horror stories in this regard, a number of which involved substantial payoffs lost because of incredibly bad rides on horses that were easily the best. Even if you correctly figured how the outcome of a gambling event should unfold, a bad ride will all too often be the central focus point in what might otherwise have been a winning day.

THE COST________It's getting late. You haven't cashed a ticket all day. The last gambling event is coming up and you still haven't made a decision on which horse to play. Maybe it's time to pause and reflect on the sanity of your conduct. It cost you $20 in gas to go to and from the track, $5 bucks to get in, $7 for food, $4 for the form and $3 for parking. Hey, you were actually down around $40 before the first bell rang. And on the last $100 bet you made the track skimmed $14 dollars off the top just for the right to make the bet. She-e-s-h!

NOT SO FAST______Is "boob-tube gambling" a realistic alternative for those who wish to beat the expense of going to the local GT? It's certainly more convenient, though the cost of doing business, depending on where you hang your hat, can be about the same when you figure the price of ink cartridges, printing, monthly service fees, paper, and downloading the SC Racing Form.

The purveyors of television/Internet gambling programs go to great lengths to separate you from your money, as a percentage of same is deposited in their coffers - that is, once you've opened a gambling account. Known as the "full press" in hustler jargon, every effort is devoted to convince viewers that the road to "Winning Big (a mythical town located just south of Cleveland)" is but a short ride away, though strangely cannot be located on any known map.

The main problem posed by boob-tube gambling occurs because the purveyors are so busy pounding viewers with the "hustle" that getting a good look at the horses is a rare event. The TVG Network is a good example of this problem.

Needless to say, the importance of determining a horse's physical conditioning is of critical importance.

Even when a few shots are offered, rarely do they focus on the most important aspect of equine anatomy - the hind quarters. Camera angles should always be from the side, level with the withers (located at the base of the neck), with one medium shot on the hind quarters, which would reveal the degree of muscle mass, vascularity, muscle tissue density and definition, followed by one full shot of the animal in order to determine presence and attitude.

Because purveyors spend all of their time attempting to create an image that captures what they would have us believe best reflects the "wonderfully aesthetic setting of the SC sport of kings," the interest - if there is any - in adequately providing meaningful information to gambling fans will have to wait. In the meantime, however, we can look forward to more shots of different types of trees and brush, outriders and their mounts, deliberately manicured infields for the occasion, and who would want to forget the children eating ice cream cones along the rail, or mom and dad with several young children. Oh sure, a few shots of the horses are occasionally offered - generally from bad angles.

What with all of the attention being given to "visually inform" players of the aesthetic splendor of the SC sport of kings, by golly, you would think the purveyors might at least give us a few shots of the squalid, unsanitary living conditions for both humans and horses which exist in the backstretch at many GTs. Or maybe a few close-up shots of injured and crippled horses. This wouldn't be nice, of course, because the "truth" is not an option. Well, then, how about a compromise? Yeah, that's right, a compromise. Just to show the general public that "Winning Big" is more than a mythical town just south of Cleveland, why don't we have a few shots of trainers and their associates cashing huge tickets at the gambling window? No..?

As if this isn't bad enough, most boob-tube shills have little or no legitimate knowledge about horses, a fact which is readily apparent, and greater still is their desperate lack of gambling ability, for they must rely entirely on an abundant source of common street expressions and trite backstretch rap, usually seeded in myth and lore, in an attempt to convince you otherwise.

Given the bitter reality of today's industry, we really can't blame the SC Racing Form for vigorously resisting the notion that it might be called upon to guarantee that all of its performance representations reflect legitimate racing. And it looks like the game's purveyors are not about to give gambling fans a few clean shots of the horses, as this complaint is but one of many over the years

So I guess were stuck with the same old boob-tube garbage. With a little practice a person might even be able to overcome the unsophisticated blather that is frequently part of the pitch, but it's the calculated sincerity - behind which lurks a very real hustle - that most players find offensive.

If losing your money can be considered a source of enjoyment, you'll have a blast in today's game. You could always contact Getting Down, of course, but private membership has been closed for well over a year.

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