In the comments section of the NYC OTB FanShot, one of our regular readers, bones_boy, made a great comment about when he first became involved in the sport of horse racing.
When I lived in NYC (many years ago)
Most of the folks in OTB offices weren’t betting – but just pretending to read forms and looking for someplace warm to stand. I used to sneak in these caverns of bliss as a child to see what all the hub-bub was about. Intrigued me enough to cut school one day, go to Aqueduct and place my first bet. Wish I could remember the particulars.
The thing I love about this quote is the description of the OTB as "these caverns of bliss". I think it aptly describes how horse players view this game distinctly different than the non-racing fan. Where one might see a bunch of degenerate gamblers throwing their money away, we see a world of possibilities, a world of win bets, trifectas, and pick 4s. There is something about horse racing that intrigues us and draws us in. Something that you can't find in other sports or forms of gambling. In many ways it's not just about the gambling but the experience.
The time and circumstances of our first foray into the world of playing the horses might not be as crystal clear as we want it to be, but most of us probably remember how we got started.
So what's you're story? Do you remember your first bet? Your first trip to the track? What hooked you into following this sport?