thank you, hp, mall and tabitha. i've found over the years that its a delicate balance. trying to compensate for weekend nights handicapping by getting nice seats and other so-called ''trips'', where the main focus turns out to be the track rather than the other scenic destinations, is tough.

by the way, although i remember that scene from casino, charlie moran refers to the main character from "pope of greenwich village". i don't think his last name is mentioned except for once in the middle of the movie.

an old friend comes up to him outside of an otb (i think the old one on 14th street--anybody?)and he says, ''chalie moran, nobody ever made money in there'' or something to that effect.

which brings me to another question. in the movie, eric roberts' character is forever saying that horses aren't like people--they can't improve their condition in life, and are defined by their genes. he also talks of artificially inseminating horses. excuse my ignorance, but why isn't artificial insemination possible with horses?

has anybody yet read the book, "Stud" by kevin conley, which goes into explicit detail about the breeding business? is it any good?