JC / Railbird

Books Archive

Six Secrets of Successful Bettors

The “Six Secrets of Successful Bettors” are hardly secrets at all, but a more apt title — like “Six Characteristics of Successful Bettors” — for the new book by Frank Scatoni and Pete Fornatale wouldn’t sound as snappy. Interviewing more than two dozen top players, the pair distilled handicapping success into these principles: treat betting as a business, make good use of available resources, only bet when you have an edge, manage your money to maximize your advantage, know how to handicap yourself, and control your emotions. Anyone who’s approached handicapping seriously, or thought about trying to do it professionally, has probably hit upon most of these ideas intuitively. Still, it’s kind of nice to have these commensense recommendations condensed into one book, with each principle illustrated through quotes from the likes of Steven Crist and Andy Serling.

Posted in Books on April 14, 2005

Spring Reading

The racing shelf at your local bookstore is about to get more crowded as several new books on the sport are published this spring. Jockey Jerry Bailey’s autobiography, “Against the Odds,” will be out in April and promises to detail “the making of both a man and a champion.” Readers who haven’t had enough of the Smarty Jones story will want to pick up “Smarty Jones: The Horse that Captured America’s Heart,” by Jay Acton. Marvin Drager writes about horses that captured more than the country’s heart in “The Most Glorious Crown: The Story of America’s Triple Crown Thoroughbreds from Sir Barton to Affirmed.” For those looking for an in-depth tour of racing, T.A. Landers offers a guide to the sport’s in and outs in “Insider’s Guide to Horseracing,” while Frank Scatoni gives readers “Six Secrets of Successful Bettors,” and Ted McClelland profiles the handicappers and track habitues he met over the course of a year in “Horseplayers: Life at the Track.”

Posted in Books on February 23, 2005

Quotes and Oats

Smarty Jones tells all in a new book: “America’s horse gives the inside Philadelphia story of his family, friends, fans and place in history. This thoroughbred thinker touches on topics spanning leadership and motivation to humor and humility. He hurls some zingers, and throws a few ringers on the horseracing establishment. In this fact-based tale, Smarty gives an education ranging from the history of the horse to the traits of a champion.” And readers, this isn’t just a book of humor and wit — it’s a tale with meaning and moral. (eMediaWire)

Posted in Books on November 30, 2004

Now Available

The biography of the great two-time Kentucky Derby winning, world-traveling, and recently inducted into the Hall of Fame jockey Jimmy Winkfield, “Wink,” by Ed Hotaling is now out.

Posted in Books on October 8, 2004