My second favorite was Peter Ferriola.

I use to hang out right by the AQU paddock and watch for Ferriola's assistants (mostly his kid and his son's girlfriend who was quite a looker in a cheap Queens type of way) to see if they were betting or not. One Saturday, last race of the day Ferriola's running a horse named Damian's Groom. He had just claimed him from a friend of mine and I knew for a fact the horse was a complete cripple. Anyway, Ferriola and his crew leave the paddock after saddling and I'm standing there within earshot. Ferriola hands five hundred to one of his henchmen and tells him to go bet the horse. The guy responds "Pete, you gotta be kidding. This horse aint won in 2 years." "Just watch," Ferriola responds. I bet my $100 at 8-5 (a big bet for me at the time). You can guess the rest. Damian breaks slow, circles the field and wins by a city block. Wish I'd been using TG at the time. I'd love to know how much he moved up that horse.

Catalin