May The Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track - Hardcover

Harvey Pack

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1932910859 ISBN 13: 9781932910858

Publisher: Daily Racing Form, 2007

Synopsis

If there were a picture next to the word horseplayer in the dictionary, odds are it would be the familiar visage of Harvey Pack, the legendary and curmudgeonly face and voice of racing to generations of New York racetrack denizens. In May the Horse be with You: Pack at the Track, Pack reflects on over a half century of racing's most memorable people, places and moments. From his seat in the grandstand as a childhood fan, to his decades of dedicated work behind the microphone and in front of the camera, Pack recalls a lively life at the track amidst millionaires, busted-out bettors, and ever-changing crew of wagering compatriots. Pack, with the help of author Peter Thomas Fornatale, tells Runyon-esque tales from his seven decades as a racing fan, highlighted by the characters he was fortunate (and unfortunate) enough to meet. In the end it wasn't the celebrities or racing superstars that Pack connected with best, but the regular racetrack Joe. Whether one finds himself lumped with the hundreds of fans who risk the rent money or just a casual $2 across-the-board bettor, it's the everlasting comradeship associated with being a horseplayer that Pack and so many others are drawn to day in and day out.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Harvey Pack's Laws of the Track is a horseracing memoir celebrating the legendary life of Harvey Pack and his innovative insight and career in Thoroughbred racing. The book is structured chronologically with the start of each chapter being one of Pack's racetrack axioms. Any horse racing or sports fan alive is sure to appreciate the entertaining story of a "regular" guy from New York city whose dream was to never hold a real job. Ironically, it was his same ostracized aspiration that later turned into a fruitful career for Pack in the sport and game he grew to love and flourish in. The memoir includes Pack's earliest experiences at the track. It begins with the story of his childhood when his father used to pay him to take the first train out to Belmont from New York City to hold seats for him and a friend, to his experiences in the army when a certain Colonel made him his personal handicapper at Atlantic City racecourse after discovering Harvey's interest in horses. Pack goes on to describe his experiences as a racing fan in the 1950s and 60s, and the genesis of his radio show, Pack at the Track, which raised his profile among fans and horsemen and eventually led to his getting a job at the New York Racing Association. At NYRA, Harvey's accomplishments included starting the Paddock Club, starting and hosting the popular the racing recap show, and renting the parking lot to the Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups- an eclectic group of credits to say the least. In the 1980s, Pack gained national and then international fame as the host of various broadcasts of the Breeders' Cup, while he continued working at NYRA and hosting the recap show. Seven years ago, Pack became the host of the Daily Racing Form seminars at Siro's, where he presides over a panel of rotating handicappers, still offering his wit and wisdom to admiring fans that show up in droves to see him. Pack's life has already been the subject of an Eclipse Award nominated piece for Horseplayer magazine and his trademark humor is legendary.

From the Back Cover:

"Harvey Pack's sardonic wit and his love of the racetrack have made him the sport's most entertaining character. I never tire of listening to Harvey's stories--even the ones I've been hearing for the last 30 years." Andrew Beyer, Washington Post Columnist

"Pack was and still is the standard for all New York bettors, fans and handicappers. Reading some of these hilarious stories brought back some of my best track memories from hanging out in the Belmont and Saratoga backstretch. His radio and TV show were classic."
-Nick Zito, Hall of Fame trainer

"On one of his first days working for NYRA, Pack organized a special day for me at Belmont. I never forgot that experience. Pack was the image of NYRA racing, and the influence he had on the jockeys, bettors, and regular workers was very special. It was a fun ride back then and Pack relives all of those entertaining stories in this book." -Angel Cordero, Hall of Fame jockey

About this edition

• Publisher: Daily Racing Form
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1932910859
• ISBN 13: 9781932910858
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176