My Fatherly Influence

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.