Tropical Downs: A Novel of Peril and Misadventures in Search of the Elusive Automatic Bet [Paperback]

Mark Cramer (Author), Dean Keppler (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2008

Author Marc Cramer returns with another exciting and adventurous horse racing novel, which is sure to keep both the seasoned racing fan and fledgling bettor on the edge of his seat. Cramer fills his novel with witty and charismatic characters that are faced with several real-life racing and gambling scenarios that are sure to touch the hearts of its readers. In addition, he includes many traditional and expert handicapping angles and tidbits that will also help those that are interested in improving their handicapping.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

It's wonderful! Maybe because Mark Cramer has actually lived there that when he places his horseplaying protagonist Matt Bosch in Bolivia--where no racetrack exits--the prolific author's many followers can be sure the exotic landscape will become not only a fabulous plot device but also a frontier of discovery for all of us. Once into the shenanigans, horseplayers will relish Cramer's clever juxtaposition of the familiar (Saratoga)and unknown (La Paz), and of the real-world handicapper deluxe Nick Kling and the creepy railbird characters Panama Slim and Manuel Arce. The fiction is fun and Cramer swears the handicapping art that runs throughout the novel happened exactly as presented. --James Quinn

From the Back Cover

"It's wonderful!

"Maybe it's because Mark Cramer has actually lived there that when he places his horseplaying protagonist, Matt Bosch, in Bolivia--`where no racetrack exists'-the prolific author's many followers can be sure the exotic landscape will become not only a fabulous plot device but also a frontier of discovery for all of us.

"Once into the shenanigans, horseplayers will relish Cramer's clever juxtaposition of the familiar (Saratoga) and unknown (La Paz), and of the real-world handicapper deluxe Nick Kling and the creepy railbird characters Panama Slim and Manuel Arce.

"The fiction is fun and Cramer swears the handicapping art that runs throughout the novel happened exactly as presented."

James Quinn
Author of The Best of Thoroughbred Handicapping and The Handicapper's Condition Book

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Daily Racing Form (November 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932910743
• ISBN-13: 978-1932910742
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,078,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Torn, December 21, 2010

By 

J. Altobelli (USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tropical Downs: A Novel of Peril and Misadventures in Search of the Elusive Automatic Bet (Paperback)

I'm torn on this book. Marc Cramer has contributed a lot to handicapping literature, and I think it's great that DRF Publications is still taking a chance on his books in 2008. However, as far as the actual book, it's not up to the standard of his earlier work. First, if you like horse racing, much more of this book than "Scared Money" is filled with a convoluted, drawn-out story about alleged Bolivian "intrigue" than horse racing content. "Scared Money" was able to focus on gambling and the gambler's mindset, while here 80 percent of the pages are filled with this other story, which unfortunately isn't very fulfilling in itself. Also, the novel is set in the late 1990s, which leads to lots of mentions of fax machines and "Hey, if only we knew Internet gambling would come along almost immediately after..." that are used to justify the logic of the story. The author works hard to avoid being dated, but still is. Third, the book needed an editor. It repeats itself and that only slows the ponderous story. Finally, we never find out much about the lead character---we're never made to really care what happens to him, and he's basically a self-centered jerk who somehow also has no personality. So, while there are interesting stretches of the book, overall I was disappointed. However, I can't say you shouldn't buy the book, because Cramer has earned some goodwill and it would encourage more (and hopefully better) horse racing books to be published.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Story with Some Handicapping Lessons to Boot, May 25, 2009

By 

Kevin C. Maki (Wheaton, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tropical Downs: A Novel of Peril and Misadventures in Search of the Elusive Automatic Bet (Paperback)

In his typical eclectic style, Mark Cramer weaves together elements of mystery, thrills, sex, handicapping and jazz in this story about a jazz muscician/semi-professional thoroughbred handicapper who moves to Bolivia with his wife and gets caught up in a plot involving nuns, radicals, a prostitute, peasants and characters in organized crime. The story is peppered with fascinating bits of thoroughbred handicapping information. This book can be enjoyed by all, but is well worth the price for those who want to benefit from nuggets of useful "contrarian" information that are likely to be underappreciated by most thoroughbred handicappers.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good smart fun, January 25, 2010

By 

Steve in NC (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tropical Downs: A Novel of Peril and Misadventures in Search of the Elusive Automatic Bet (Paperback)

Lots of smiles in here for me and I could imagine the author with a sly little grin as he wrote certain passages. This book was just plain fun to read, and made me delay other activities so I could turn more pages.

"Tropical Downs" takes you on an adventure, but gives you food for thought along the way. Cramer has lived and worked in Latin America, and it shows. Those familiar with Latin American affairs will find him an insightful observer of that history and the relationship with us Yanquis. Most of us who love the mental puzzle of horse-race handicapping already know & love Cramer, but this fun little novel should appeal to just about anyone... well, at least anyone willing to believe in a prostitute with a heart of gold and a horseplayer ready to take on the mob.