Bio
I am originally a New Yorker, living in Queens and then Long Island, until my family moved to the Albany area in 1962 when I was 13. And I have lived in this area ever since, moving to Saratoga Springs, 3 miles from the racetrack, in 2003. I live here on Saratoga Lake with my wife of 34 years, Laurie Wellman, who, luckily for me, shares my passion for horse racing. Well, maybe not quite as much, but I’m very lucky. I have been a horse racing fanatic for as long as I can remember, and got to the track as often as I could over the years. This included many trips up the Northway from my office in Albany, rushing to get to the track, while I was doing a complete wardrobe change in the car as I drove up. And, over the years, I was there and saw some bizarre things at Saratoga. The day the stewards disqualified the wrong horse. The day the starter started the race before all the horses were loaded. The day lightning scored a direct hit and took down a big tree in the infield between races. The day(s) that a severe thunderstorm canceled racing in the middle of the card. And many more. Just when you think you’ve seen it all.
How/when did your interest in racing come about?
Good question. My parents had no real interest in racing and neither did any of my family. Maybe it was my paternal grandfather who, as I hear it, was something of a Damon Runyon character out of Guys and Dolls. My first memory of racing was when I was 8 and I (based on my father’s opinion) liked a horse in the Kentucky Derby that year (1957). The horse was Gallant Man and, as most know, the jockey on Gallant Man misjudged the finish line and lost the Derby by a nose. I was very disappointed. A precedent had been set for me as you will see later. I also remember vividly being disappointed that Carry Back lost the Belmont and thus the Triple Crown in 1961. But I first started actually going to the races (both harness and thoroughbred) in 1966 when I was 17. Even though I was underage, they let me bet but gave me a hard time collecting. Unfortunately though, that was not a problem very often. Ever since then, I have gotten to the track as often as I could, graduating from sitting out on the ledge outside the jockey’s room with my friends, to weekend seats, to reserved seats every day, to actual ownership of horses. I started owning in 2004 and have had decidedly mixed results with two other partnerships before I got into Adelphi about 3 years ago, and I now own a piece of 8 horses. It has been a great ride.
Favorite track and why
I have been to many tracks both in the U.S. and Europe. And, to me, there is nothing like Saratoga. The history, the architecture, the ambience, the atmosphere – there’s nothing like it. Of course, I go back to the time when they saddled horses in the backyard and there was talk of shutting Saratoga down. We’ve come a long way.
Favorite horse and why
No question. Dr. Fager. Greatest horse I ever saw. This was a horse that, in 1968, won the Quadruple Crown. He won the Eclipse Award as the Best Handicap Horse, the best Sprinter, the best Grass Horse, and Horse of the Year (unanimously). That’s diversity. He set world records that stood for over 30 years. Under 139 pounds! And the only horses that ever finished ahead of him in his 22 starts were either Hall of Fame legends in their own right (Damascus and Buckpasser) or the Champion 2YO of 1966 (Successor). And Dr. Fager only lost those races because he had rabbits entered against him (he was rather headstrong). He never lost to the likes of Onion or Monetary Principle like Secretariat did. As an aside though, I now have another favorite horse – Pandagate. I just hope he continues to progress.
Best wagering score
I have hit a couple of IRS trifectas, but the one I like best is a future bet I made in 2013. I had never bet a future bet before and have never made one since, but we happened to be in Vegas on our way to a wedding in California. We were on line to see Elton John when I looked over and saw the future betting area in Caesar’s Palace. I wondered if they took future betting on the Breeders Cup Classic coming up in a month. If so, there was a horse that I had been following and liked and that I knew was pointing for the Classic and would, at least, be competitive. The horse was Mucho Macho Man and I was getting 35-1. I emptied my wallet, he won by a nose, and it was a nice score. A great memory.
Key wagering strategy
I was always a fan of vertical wagering. Mostly win and exacta bets with a few trifectas thrown in and maybe a Daily Double. But Matt has convinced me that the Pick 4 and Pick 5 horizontal bets are the best bets at the track. So now I am evolving into that, mostly in Pick 4’s.
Best wagering story
It seems like I always lose when I am involved in a close photo finish. Probably most people feel that way. Well, about 5 years ago, on Opening Day at Saratoga, I lost a heartbreaking photo by half a nose. Couldn’t have been closer. So, I decided to log all the photos that I was involved in (win, exacta, whatever) over the duration of the meet. Just close nose photos, not head or neck. As it turned out, over the 40-day meet, I was involved in 19 such photo finishes. How many did I win? None. Zero. What are the odds of that? But then, on Closing Day, I finally won one. And got disqualified. You can’t make this stuff up.
What changes would you make to help our sport grow?
That’s a tough one and I don’t have a good answer for it. Safety is, of course, our primary concern and we have progressed significantly along that front. All in all, they’re doing a good job.
Favorite jockey
Right now, my favorite jockey is Dylan Davis. I have had some great success with him and he is improving all the time. I also have some least favorite jockeys but I’ll save those stories for another time. I’m looking at you Pat Day and Paco Lopez.
Best moment as an owner
A – No question here. Pandagate. The Party Bus and victory in the NY Derby at Finger Lakes (including the hailstorm and tornado warning) as well as the winner’s circle for the Albany Stakes at Saratoga this summer. Hopefully there’s more to come.
What race would you like to win as an owner?
I guess that would be the Travers or a Breeders Cup race, but any graded stakes race would do. Hell, any victory is exciting and why we’re in the game.
Toughest aspect of owning horses
A – I’m not a particularly patient person and it’s tough when your horse only races 6 or 7 times a year and it’s so difficult to find races for them. (Maybe I should own harness horses.) It’s also tough worrying about a horse’s health. A horse is only as good as his next step. That’s pretty tenuous.
Favorite restaurant in Saratoga
We like Mama Mia’s in Saratoga for Italian, Mi Casa in Ballston Spa for Mexican (this was founded by ex-jockey Filiberto Leon and still uses his recipes, I think), and the West Side Café for a sports bar. Sushi Thai downtown is also good but we have yet to go to Solevo which is right across the street. Too crowded.
Favorite Breeders Cup venue
A – Back in the day, it was Gulfstream. But the new track that was built there makes that impossible now. I suppose the best place to hold the Breeders Cup is at Santa Anita although I can’t wait until it comes to the new Belmont.
3 dinner guests from racing (any era)
A – This list excludes Matt Cutair, Rich Cristiano, Joe Migliore, and the many partners I have met and liked through the Adelphi partnership. We enjoy dining with them anytime. But here’s the list:
1)John Nerud
2)Andy Beyer
3)Tom Durkin
Honorable Mention – The crew from America’s Day at the Races. Acacia, Maggie, Andy, the Mig, Greg Wolf, etc. do a fabulous job. Far superior to any similar programs. How they can talk for 6 hours or so and keep it interesting and informative is amazing. They kept me sane during the pandemic.
