The Doctor of Equine Prophecy

[Jim Hoffman]

The racing world lost an absolute legend yesterday.
He wasn't an owner, or a trainer, or a jockey.
Harvey Pack, whose business card contained the title "Doctor of Equine Prophecy," was responsible for bringing the world of horse racing to millions through nightly television shows on SportsChannel.
Whether it was "Thoroughbred Action"--which showed replays of the entire card at Aqueduct, Belmont, or Saratoga--whatever New York track was open at the time, or "Inside Racing" (the show which aired on dark days, normally Tuesdays as well as Mondays when Saratoga wasn't running), Harvey made the sport fun. And for those who liked to run to the local OTB shop during lunch hour, and bet the card, they were able to come home from work, flip on the TV, and learn the fate of all their bets in a half hour.
While he had an interesting moniker on his business card, Harvey was not the world's greatest handicapper, and really never claimed to be. He did have a few axioms about handicapping which, while having major common sense value, were often forgotten by the betting public. One of his favorite lines was something he'd say after a proven dirt sprinter was sent off at 6/5 odds in a turf route (and "you need a telescope to find him when the race was over" as he ran 9th in a 10 horse field), went like this--"Never bet a horse, as the favorite, who is being asked to do something he hasn't done before." Every time a first time starter went off as an odds-on favorite in a maiden race, which was common at Saratoga in those days, he'd introduce the race on the show with the line "This race features the fastest horse in the history of the sport...." or some similar variation. It didn't matter that over the course of one weekend, there may have been five runners christened the "fastest horse in the history of the sport", it was a schtick which never got old! But when "the fastest horse in the history of the sport" went down to defeat, Harvey would break out his line "Hardly a man is still alive, who bet the mortgage at 3 to 5."
What Harvey was, was a story teller. He was a people person, and he knew everybody in New York racing. And, you knew you were one of Harvey's favorite people if he constantly ragged on you on the show. Apparently, trainer Howie Tesher must have been Harvey's favorite person, because Harvey was ruthless to the point of hilarity at times when talking about "H. Morgan Tesher"--one of the good guys in the sport, actually--and as the trainer of Influent, Bull Inthe Heather, Weber City Miss, Plankton, and Andover Way, he was one of the best trainers on the New York circuit as well.
Of course, Harvey's most famous line was the way he signed off on every show. With a deadpan look, he'd say "May the horse be with you" and fling his program at the camera. Just like a regular horseplayer.