May The Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track [Hardcover]

Harvey Pack (Author), Peter Thomas Fornatale (Collaborator)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 25, 2007

If there were a picture next to the word horseplayer in the dictionary, odds are it would be the familiar visage of Harvey Pack, the legendary and curmudgeonly face and voice of racing to generations of New York racetrack denizens. In May the Horse be with You: Pack at the Track, Pack reflects on over a half century of racing's most memorable people, places and moments. From his seat in the grandstand as a childhood fan, to his decades of dedicated work behind the microphone and in front of the camera, Pack recalls a lively life at the track amidst millionaires, busted-out bettors, and ever-changing crew of wagering compatriots. Pack, with the help of author Peter Thomas Fornatale, tells Runyon-esque tales from his seven decades as a racing fan, highlighted by the characters he was fortunate (and unfortunate) enough to meet. In the end it wasn't the celebrities or racing superstars that Pack connected with best, but the regular racetrack Joe. Whether one finds himself lumped with the hundreds of fans who risk the rent money or just a casual $2 across-the-board bettor, it's the everlasting comradeship associated with being a horseplayer that Pack and so many others are drawn to day in and day out.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Harvey Pack's Laws of the Track is a horseracing memoir celebrating the legendary life of Harvey Pack and his innovative insight and career in Thoroughbred racing. The book is structured chronologically with the start of each chapter being one of Pack's racetrack axioms. Any horse racing or sports fan alive is sure to appreciate the entertaining story of a "regular" guy from New York city whose dream was to never hold a real job. Ironically, it was his same ostracized aspiration that later turned into a fruitful career for Pack in the sport and game he grew to love and flourish in. The memoir includes Pack's earliest experiences at the track. It begins with the story of his childhood when his father used to pay him to take the first train out to Belmont from New York City to hold seats for him and a friend, to his experiences in the army when a certain Colonel made him his personal handicapper at Atlantic City racecourse after discovering Harvey's interest in horses. Pack goes on to describe his experiences as a racing fan in the 1950s and 60s, and the genesis of his radio show, Pack at the Track, which raised his profile among fans and horsemen and eventually led to his getting a job at the New York Racing Association. At NYRA, Harvey's accomplishments included starting the Paddock Club, starting and hosting the popular the racing recap show, and renting the parking lot to the Jehovah's Witnesses and other groups- an eclectic group of credits to say the least. In the 1980s, Pack gained national and then international fame as the host of various broadcasts of the Breeders' Cup, while he continued working at NYRA and hosting the recap show. Seven years ago, Pack became the host of the Daily Racing Form seminars at Siro's, where he presides over a panel of rotating handicappers, still offering his wit and wisdom to admiring fans that show up in droves to see him. Pack's life has already been the subject of an Eclipse Award nominated piece for Horseplayer magazine and his trademark humor is legendary.

From the Inside Flap

If there were a picture next to the word "horseplayer" in the dictionary, odds are it would be the familiar visage of Harvey Pack, the legendary and curmudgeonly face and voice of racing to generations of New York racetrack denizens. In May the Horse be with You: Pack at the Track, Pack reflects on over a half century of racing's most memorable people, places and moments. From his seat in the grandstand as a childhood fan, to his decades of dedicated work behind the microphone and in front of the camera, Pack recalls a lively life at the track amidst millionaires, busted-out bettors, and ever-changing crew of wagering compatriots.

Pack, with the help of author Peter Thomas Fornatale, tells Runyon-esque tales from his seven decades as a racing fan, highlighted by the characters he was fortunate (and unfortunate) enough to meet. In the end it wasn't the celebrities or racing superstars that Pack connected with best, but the regular racetrack "Joe." Whether one finds himself lumped with the hundreds of fans who risk the rent money or just a casual $2 across-the-board bettor, it's the everlasting comradeship associated with being a horseplayer that Pack and so many others are drawn to day in and day out.

As Pack best puts it, he lived every horseplayer's dream. "It's a sad but true fact: most people do work. I'm one of the lucky ones because I never worked. I remember taking my brother-in-law to Monmouth with me one day years ago in the middle of the week and him saying to me. "Why aren't these people at their jobs?" I told him, "This IS their job."

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Daily Racing Form; First Edition edition (July 25, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932910859
• ISBN-13: 978-1932910858
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #929,225 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book on Racing Ever, July 20, 2007

By 

Paul D. Wexler "Racing Fan" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: May The Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track (Hardcover)

A great read. Harvey Pack is the most knowledgable racing expert in the sport today. He is also a funny and talented wordsmith. Make sure that you pick up this book before Saratoga. It will be worth its weight in gold.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read between posts on a day at the track, August 31, 2007

By 

Alydar "alydar" (New York) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: May The Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track (Hardcover)

This book is an ideal beach, track or lakeside reader. Do you have to be a racing fan? I'd say yes, most definitely. The book has many stories and funny "rules of thumb" when speculating ( notice I am a racing speculator not a gambler, ha ha )on the outcome of a race. You will meet characters that will inspire you and make you appreciate what little you have but still have. Harvey is a great guy and a great storyteller. The book, I feel, really picks up in the middle when we get Harvey's true story on his rise to racedom ( notice I didn't say, stardom - though I'm sure many people would recognize him on the streets of Manhattan and most assured they'd know that face up at Saratoga. I am a big Harvey Pack fan. I brought an elderly grandmother from upstate to Aqueduct and she wanted to meet Harvey. No problem, he came down and hugged her and said "I need every fan I can get - so stay healthy....." What a guy. Now get this book if you are a racing fan ( A MUST ) and get this book if you love Harvey ( A MUST ), and as a matter of fact - get the book anyway. Harvey's alittle low on cash up at Saratoga and needs the spending money another book sale will bring him. " May Harvey always be with us "

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Read!, October 5, 2007

By 

John A. Hernandez (Escondido, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: May The Horse Be With You: Pack at the Track (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed reading May The Horse Be With You: Pack At The Track. I saw Harvey Pack host the NYRA replay shows off my late Father's old C-band dish in the mid 80s. I was always impressed with the way Harvey KNEW how to use the medium of television. Unlike so many of today's so-called broadcasters, Harvey realized the strength and magic of using television to create a very intimate and personal relationship with each of his viewers. His ability to do that was also reflected in his "in person" persona. This past Spring, he held a room of handicappers captive with his genuine personality at the DRF Handicappers Expo in Las Vegas. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about Harvey!