Player’s Choice Tournament winner David Smook.
by G. S. Thompson
David Smook captured his first Player’s Choice Handicapping Tournament title at Assiniboia Downs last Saturday, building his bankroll to an impressive $125.00 to claim the trophy and $1,000 prize money.
The 70-year-old retired Canada Post superintendent bested runner-up Ken Stewin ($101.60) by a comfortable $23.40 margin, with Ron Phelps ($94.30), Cecelia Liebrecht ($93.40), and Brandon Barter ($90.90) rounding out the top five.
While Smook admitted he “was lucky on that one,” his victory was anything but accidental. The key to his success was trusting his gut feeling on a first-time starter named Wind Speed in the 11th race at Santa Anita. The 18-1 shot had several factors in his favour — post position one, jockey Tyler Baze, and three scratched horses from the race.
“I just had one of those Ivan Bigg moments and went with my gut feeling,” said Smook, referring to the late respected handicapper whose seminars Smook occasionally attended. Wind Speed paid $38.80, $14.20 $9.80 across the board.
Smith had earlier hit with an 8-1 shot in the fifth race at Santa Anita named Fast Buck, ridden by former Woodbine leading rider Kazushi Kimura. Fast Buck returned $18.20, $6.80, $3.60 across the board and set Smook up with a payoff to build on.
When asked about his handicapping methodology, Smook cited consistency as a primary factor. “I go through the program, I go through the Equibase database, and I look at the form,” said Smook. “Are they consistent in doing this, are they consistent in doing that?”
He also checks BRISnet.com for additional information and relies heavily on his intuition. “I use my gut feelings a lot for some of these races. You can’t ignore it. If I do and I change my mind or something, it usually costs me.” Smook also pays close attention to jockeys. “If you have a big jockey on there, they can sometimes pull it off for you.”
The retired superintendent has been competing in handicapping contests for several years, but this marks his first victory. “Once or twice,” he said about previous close calls. “But I never put the work in, you know, it was just more of ‘we’ll have fun.'”
Smook’s handicapping skills are mostly self-taught, but he expanded his knowledge through Brad Free’s highly regarded handicapping book Handicapping 101: A Horse Racing Primer, which he carries “like a Bible.” He said he also benefited from the late Ivan Bigg’s insights through seminars and newsletter articles.
One key lesson Smook gleaned from these experts: “Horses are just like human athletes. They have their off days. But whether it’s 17 to 1 or 40 to 1, sometimes two races back they might have shown something and they can find it again.”
What does Smook enjoy most about handicapping? “The challenge,” he said. “It’s not simple to do. You really have to do your homework if you want to get ahead.” But he finds the mental exercise enjoyable. “You couldn’t ask for anything more stimulating. I mean, you know, you’ve got the math in there. They’ve got the way they do their speed, the pace, all of that. It’s amazing.”
Smook’s horse racing background extends beyond handicapping. In 1987, he co-owned a gelding named Auto Rotate that ran at Assiniboia Downs. Though he hasn’t owned horses since then due to family and career responsibilities, his passion for the sport remains. He’s looking forward to both the Kentucky Derby this Saturday, and the upcoming live race meeting at the Downs. His favourite longshot pick for the Kentucky Derby? Citizen Bull.
David Smook likes Citizen Bull as a longshot in the Kentucky Derby. (Barbara D. Livingston / DRF)
Smook is a staunch supporter of Assiniboia Downs, which he describes with genuine enthusiasm: “We are very, very lucky to have Assiniboia Downs. It’s a great track. It’s high quality. And the people are great. It’s amazing, you know, it really is. I love it.”
“I’d also like to give credit to Sheri Glendinning,” said Smook. “That lady does a lot of work. And she’s already sent out the stuff for the Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.”
Smook already has his reservations for opening night on Tuesday, May 13 in the Terrace Dining Room, and considers the local racing community fortunate to have such a facility.
When asked how it felt to win for the first time, Smook described the suspense of checking his phone repeatedly: “When I saw my name, I just… well, I screamed quite loud.” His wife Roberta was equally pleased, telling him “you deserve it for trying all the time.”
As for his prize money, Smook plans to keep it in his account for now. “My goal is to spend the least amount of money, and win the most.
“That makes me happy.”