Joaquin Jaime is a living example of why small tracks matter.
The TVG host, analyst and reporter was fascinated by horse racing when his family first took him to the Big Fresno Fair on the Northern California fair circuit as a child. It wasn't long before Jaime latched onto an uncle who taught him to read Daily Racing Form past performances and explain how pari-mutuel wagering worked.
Attending Saint Mary's College of California brought him closer to San Francisco and the Bay Area tracks of Golden Gate Fields, Bay Meadows and Pleasanton, and his first job out of college was as a researcher for TVG. He's been with the racing network now for 15 years.
Jaime is this week's guest handicapper in the Beat Ray Everyday Beach Boss competition, focusing on Saturday's Grade 2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar – a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In event for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. While we both have respect for the two Pat O'Brien favorites, C Z Rocket and Flagstaff, each of us went in a different direction.
Beat Ray Everyday is a season-long online contest that is free to enter and calls for players to wager a mythical $100 each racing day at the seaside track. The player with the biggest bankroll at the end of the competition wins two VIP tickets to this year's Breeders' Cup world championships, to be held at Del Mar Nov. 5-6. It's not too late to enter. More details and registration can be found here.
The post Beat Ray At Del Mar: For Joaquin Jaime, It All Began At The Fair appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.