Growing up, I was the average child. I watched Disney
cartoons, played the game cube and watched more television. As I went to school
those years seemed empty. I would go to school, come home, eat and play games.
In the midst of my childhood, I dealt with the divorce of my
parents. At age eight, I coped with going house to house every week to see my
dad then return to my mom’s house. Just as I was ending my fourth grade year,
my life was about to change for the better.
My mom has a friend, who owns thoroughbred horses that came
to our house constantly. I was shooting golf balls with him in my yard when he
went inside. I wondered when he would come back out to hit balls with me. I
walked inside and I looked in curiosity as my mom and him sat on the couch,
watching the horses run around the Golden Gate oval. Although I had seen horse
racing in my earlier years, it hadn’t caught my eye the way it did that day.
I walked over to him and asked him what he was doing, in
which he replied handicapping. After I asked what, he gave me a tutorial on how
to read a program. I sat with them on the couch, waiting anxiously for the next
Golden Gate race. When they went off, I saw the horse I selected turn for home
in front. I screamed and shouted, “I had the winner!” (Not technically had,
just selected). From there, the love of horse racing had eaten its way into my
brain.
I didn’t see much of my mom’s friend for the rest of the
summer, but that didn’t stop me. I remembered one day that my dad was really
involved in horse racing, so I went to ask him to take me to the track one day.
He replied to me of course.
During that summer, my dad had a part-time job at the
Hershey Gardens, watching the trains. I would go to his house every Wednesday
night, where we would go out to get some wings at a restaurant, then head to
Penn National to watch the races.
I wasn’t truly a harness man at this stage; I was more into the thoroughbreds.
But as my selecting skills got off, I tried something else.
I asked my dad if he could teach me how to look at harness
races and he replied sure. Ending the summer of 2009, I was hooked on harness.
It was an undying love that is unexplainable as most passions. What triggered
the true love on the other hand, was one Wednesday night at Penn National.
The sun set as we were in our seats that evening. My dad and
I both had our coffee and were off to look at the races at Pocono Downs. I saw
a wager I never heard of, the Pick 3, and I asked him what it was in which he
replied you pick three consecutive winners.
I thought I would try this. I picked one horse in the three
races, a 6-1, 4-1 and 5-1. I had the first two legs and was turning for home
with a good shot to win the third. As I remember, Vinnie Ginsburg had a 13-1
shot who sat the pocket for most of the mile and was in pursuit of the 5-1 I
needed for the ticket. Heading down to the wire, he nipped my horse and won by
a nose.
Before the race, my dad looked at the payouts and said, “You
would’ve had the entire pool!” I sat in anguish, sad that my horse lost right
at the line. Then, the payouts came up.
It was a consolation! A single ticket, worth $2, returned
over $80 for a Pick 3. The profit was nearly an 8,000% return! From there, I
couldn’t stop watching harness racing.
The handicapping wasn’t enough though. I didn’t feel as
involved as I wanted to be. In the summer of 2010, my wish came true.
My dad had gotten a job with the Hambletonian Society to
cover all the major races leading up to the Hambletonian, then the Breeders
Crown. He wanted me to help him.
I didn’t know much about journalism at that time.
Thankfully, my dad taught me how the reviews should be laid out and how to
write them. With all that I learned, I went to the Meadowlands to get my first
taste of live standardbred action.
I had always wanted to be on site at a harness racing track
and I was able to be. The Clyde Hirt group then asked to interview me as I was
the youngest person, at age 10, to be inside the Meadowlands press box.
The 2010 season was in the books and memories had been
cherished. Though, my rise to stardom wasn’t close to ending. With my father at
side, I began writing race previews with him for TwinSpires and the
Hambletonian Society. I got a mix of handicapping and journalism when I began
previews.
The 2011-year was the most meteoric rise to fame for me. I
had begun my own blog, The Racing Inquirer and decided to begin writing
reviews and previews for that as well as TwinSpires and the Hambletonian
Society. I became the busiest 11-year-old in my school with this venture.
I knew everyone at the Meadowlands as I returned for year
two, though the mood was softer than in 2010. The reason was that news had been
coming out that the Meadowlands could possibly close forever unless a deal was
reached. Though, that didn’t take away from the excitement of the races.
Everyone from 2010 was anxious to see me as I was to see
them. I was most excited to be with the main crew Dave Brower, Bob Heyden, Sam
McKee and Ken Warkentin. Though reports were coming in that Dave would leave
the Meadowlands, also causing a soft mood.
After the Hambletonian was our journey for the Breeders
Crown. My dad and I did not head to Canada to cover the races, but were in our
office working. Though the Hambletonian Society got the WEG personnel to cover
the races, I began writing for Harnesslink after they interviewed me in
August of 2011.
Yet, my rise was still not close to ending. The hardest year
for me was 2012 as I was ending my seventh grade year, I began yet again to
cover the races. It was harder though, seeing as earlier in the year I could
never have thought I could be in a better position than I am now. Of course, I
was wrong.
I returned for the third year to the Meadowlands, where I
began a strong connection with a friend of mine Darin Zoccali. He is a good man
and is still being kind enough to teach me ways to get more involved in the
sport.
At the time of year three at the Big M, I had become a
co-host on the radio show North American Harness Update on
BlogTalkRadio. I had received a promotion from week-to-week guest after the
previous co-host left due to new assignments that he accepted.
I had become the producer of the show at the time of the
Meadowlands. I did the show for the Hambletonian live from the press box the
Friday night before the big day, staying after the races to talk about the
upcoming super day.
Then, the super day came. I was not doing much in the press
box as our boss didn’t give us much direction on what to do, so I was covering
the races for my blog. The year’s press manager, Chris Tully, asked for my
assistance as he saw I was not too busy.
I helped him manage the frenzy of the press box on Hambletonian day, while
still having time to go into the front paddock and watch the Nat Ray, Hambletonian
Oaks and Hambletonian from the rail up close.
After Hambletonian 2012, it was time to cover the Breeders
Crown, which was starting to appear to be the toughest in ages. I covered it
with him and then ended the 2012 season
Which brings me to today. The significance of this
blog is that today is my father’s birthday. I recognize him today, as one of
the biggest ambassadors to harness racing. He brought a new age of harness fans
into the sport and now I attempt to do the same. He is the reason for my
success and I thought it be necessary to recognize him today. I wish my father,
mentor and partner in crime, Frank Cotolo, a happy birthday.
