Fairmount1 Wrote:
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> Roman,
>
> That's a great question. I would say there are a
> multitude of reasons obviously for people's
> motivation to play. Addiction, Competition,
> Desire for Money, Social Component, Intellectual
> Pursuit, Boredom, Etc.
>
> Ultimately though, the best answer is likely the
> intellectual challenge is unmatched compared to
> all other gambling endeavors. Only so many
> blackjack combinations or roulette combinations
> can land on the table or the wheel. Some would
> argue horses running in circles with numbers on
> the back is the same type of situation. But quite
> obviously, when one is in tune with the
> handicapping, the game has logical outcomes that
> one can mentally find their way to **Predicting
> the future** (which I think is a powerful drug in
> and of itself especially when the game is making
> sense). AKA **Being Right!** Now add in the
> mental challenge of gambling on the outcome and
> deciding how to make a profit with so many
> wagering options and the complete picture of why
> it is such an amazing game is obvious. The horses
> are majestic, the sights and sounds are out of
> this world at the right race tracks both big
> league and minor league, and the social
> interactions are like no one else. But
> ultimately, the handicapping and gambling
> intellectual challenges are unmatched in other
> gambling choices including sports and poker.
>
> A 2018 study from China suggested that older
> adults who participated in intellectual activities
> like betting on horse racing (among other hobbies
> like reading, board games, and cards) were found
> to have a lower risk of developing dementia. The
> study followed 15,000 folks over 65 in Hong Kong
> where we know racing is King. So, you can all
> tell your loved ones that handicapping and betting
> on the horses is payment for avoiding
> Dementia/Alzheimer's or at least delaying it. :)
>
> While at Saratoga I took a quick gander in their
> little shrine behind FourStarDave for a few
> minutes while clearing my mind between tourney
> plays. A Mary Lou Whitney quote was on the wall
> and it said "Horse racing is where I feel most
> alive, and at home."
>
> For me, that's the best answer for why I play. I
> think it is also true for many who don't even
> gamble on the game and are owners, jockeys,
> trainers, analysts, bloodstock agents, farms, etc
> etc.


One of the best posts I have ever read on here.

Good Luck,
Joe B.