Student horse player gives tips ' By TOM LUCAS Collegian Staff Writer Horse riming, once known as the Sport of Kings, has evolved into the sport of the masses as over 50 million people passed through the turnstiles of the nation's race tracks in 1974. Most 'patrons can be classified as small-time bettors- attending the races to enjoy themselves without an undue regard to whether they make or lose a small amount of money. However, there is a group of professional handicappers at any track; said David Cowman (sth-science). Cowman played the horse heavily for about a year and a half several years ago. He classified himself as a "semi-professional" at that time because he was an advanced handicapper. On the other hand, he didn't support himself solely from his winnings. However, Cowman stressed, he quit his heavy betting and only goes to the, races occasionally now. "I knew I couldn't do it forever," he said; "I didn't make a fantastic amount of money, but / did make some ... 'Ctiwman would not say how much money he made while • he was betting heavily. "I didn't make a fantastic amount of money," he said, "but I did make some money." Cowman said his biggest payoff for a race and night was about $lBOO and $2OOO respectively. On the other side of the ledger, the most he ever lost was about $250 and $lOOO respectively. . While betting heavily, Cowman employed some tactics the average bettor probably wouldn't know about. One such tactic involVed employing friends to follow horse trainers and owners around and Pollution: it's a crying shame r am THIS COUPON GOOD FOR EXP. 4/ 8 / 7 6 PICKUP OR DELIVERY 111 11: ' FREE! . ' • 11': Buy any , ; Pizza Medium -. 1 .7—.:t.. I at the rivulet price I; Get identical Medium PIZZA I 11'. PRIIII I 111 237-1481 Little Caesars Pica 1 lip •• • ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER a Ell 1111 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS (M 0.439619 & compishon Mot law I mu of collec t s ) , . 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Cowman said he felt there was a.sub stantial percentage of races that were fixed at most of the smaller thoroughbred tracks in Penn- "Sometimes jockeys, make more money losing the race than winning it." However, "It's pretty hard to gather evidence." sylvania. "SoMetimes the jockey makes more money losing the race than winning it," he said, referring to races with small purses. However, Cowman said, it is one thing to say a race has been fixed, as opposed to proving it was fixed. "It's pretty hard to gather evidence," he said. Fixed races become much less of a problem at the bigger tracks, Cowman said, because the race purses are higher, making it possible for the jockey to make some decent money. Besides knowing who to follow Cowman used several other special tactics to further his winnings. Just as he employed people to follow and observe trainers and owners, he carried several disguises, with him to foil anybody following him. He would sometimes bet as one person and collect as another. "When you're at the track, you've got to beat the other people," he said in defense of his tactics. Another tactic Cowman used was cross handicapping, which involves predicting how a horse from one track will perform at another track. Cowman said, "It's a good way to make money if • kirk 17, N. reminds you to NAVY BAL Friday, April 9 Davidson's Florists & Gifts 130 E. 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Cowman said he would do a lot of cross handicapping at the beginning of a meet at a track. He said one time he was at Bowie, a track in Maryland, and noticed that a lot of horses from Monmouth in New Jersey were winning, even though their respective times may have been several seconds slower. Cowman said the insight could lead the experienced handicapper to conclude the track in Monmouth must have been con siderably slower than Bowie and to bet accordingly. The average bettor wouldn't usually notice this, Cowman said, at least not right away. . Cowman also used to analyze the racing forms, which have the past performances of the horses running in the races. He said he would look for things such as if the horse could come from behind and how strong it was. Cowman suggests that anybody interested in horse racing read a couple of good books before they start going to the races with any regularity. However, he said, the only way to really get good is to get experience. "It's a good way to make money if you know what you're doing, but it's an easy way, to lose if you don't ..." In the long run, the average bettor will probably lose money because the state takes its percentage, the track takes its percentage and some races are fixed, Cowman said. The moral is: Don't bet like a king and lose a mass of money. Awaiting transfer The Daily Collegian Thursday. April 1. 1976 Immigrants' relaxing at Ellis Island, New York, are the subject of this photograph by Lewis Gine. well-known for his photographs of early 20th cen tury social issues. It is among his works on view in Zoller Gallery through April 3 during History of Photography Week 1976.
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