Fate, Coincidence, and the Outcome of Horse Races: How to Use Life's Clues to Beat the Odds [Paperback]

Armando Benitez (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing Co. (May 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1878901443
• ISBN-13: 978-1878901446
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,903,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A curious little work. Too bad it is so short (106 pages), October 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fate, Coincidence, and the Outcome of Horse Races: How to Use Life's Clues to Beat the Odds (Paperback)

Fate, Coincidence, and the Outcome of Horse Races is not so much about horse races as it is about the superstitions that plague the horse-racing fan. The author shows a rare type of humor, explaining with wry wit why the horse-racing fan should observe certain superstitions: never eat peanuts at a race track; do not keep losing mutuel tickets in your pocket; keep your eyes and ears peeled for the occurrence of coincidences, etc. Armando Benitez affirms that there is a power that arranges the occurrence of every incident on earth, and that sometimes that power is too lazy to scramble its results. Sometimes, also, when there are two or more similarly-named horses in a race, that power will tend to pick one of them to win the race . . . because it is unconsciously influenced by the repetitious occurrence of the names, the same as we are. The book is sprinkled throughout with anecdotes from the race track, quotes and examples from antiquity, and from authors ranging from Herodotus to Arthur Koestler. Whether you believe this stuff or not, or whether you are a racing fan or not, this is a book worth reading. Are there any other titles by this very funny and talented writer?

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fate, Coincidence and the Outcome of Horse Races, May 27, 2001

By 

Marianne Montez (Sacramento, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fate, Coincidence, and the Outcome of Horse Races: How to Use Life's Clues to Beat the Odds (Paperback)

The intriguing title makes one want to open this book. Because, who has not been tantalized by the occurrence of a coincidence in his or her life? At the race track, especially, even the hardest nosed of race handicappers will occasionally throw their handicapping knowledge to the wind to follow a hunch or coincidence.

The practicality of the advice in this book aside, it is a little gem awaiting its readership. Full of anecdotes from the race track and from history, it is both fascinating and funny.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Insight!, March 21, 2000

By 

Marc Shay (Costa Mesa, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fate, Coincidence, and the Outcome of Horse Races: How to Use Life's Clues to Beat the Odds (Paperback)

I am a HUGE Horse Racing fan and this book was terrific! Sometimes I feel that I am part horse when I read this book!