Ken Hopkins 2008 Horseplayer World Series Champion

I remembered Kenny from the previous HWS.  While I am blessed to have a good memory (trust me I say Thank You everyday) I mostly remembered him because he was memorable, just something about his demeanor.  When we sat down to talk he began with “I was a qualifier last year, this year I bought in.  I love this contest.  You do a great job here.  You treat horseplayers so well.  Win or lose you have a great time!  I’m not saying that because I won, I’m saying it because I mean it!”  High Praise and since that is exactly what we try to do at Coast for horseplayers it gives us a great sense of satisfaction and pleasure to know in Ken’s eyes we succeed.  He likes that we have no mandatory races, he likes the freedom of that.

Ken was born in the Bronx, now lives in Queens. “Closer to Belmont and Aqueduct – no bridge toll”.  He’s played the ponies for 35 years.  His favorite tracks?  Of course the New York Circuit and he’s a great fan of Kentucky tracks especially Keeneland.    I think Ken is best described as an old fashion, no frills handicapper- a meat and potato guy.  He arms himself with a racing form, well-honed instincts and the conviction that you can have one reason to like a horse – just one can do it.  His strategy for the HWS is “Don’t save the bullets, pull the trigger!”  Pulling the trigger at the right time is essential.  He came into the contest not intending to pick a horse under 10-1, when Oaklawn and Santa Anita cancelled he had to revise that a bit – no horse below 7-1 and he stuck to it!

Ken won $307,000 and change before Uncle Sam got his cut.  He didn’t just win it – he won it by accumulating more then 600 pts. over his closest opponent.  He was in the lead going into the last day and was feeling the pressure.  Horseplayers are superstitious and they freely admit it.  If you “Give them a winner” they’ll keep coming back to your window for some of your imagined luck and magic.  As the 10^th race at Tampa Bay was about to run Ken sauntered up to my contest window and said: “Linda, I need you to bring me luck!”  I ran his card through and gave his ticket a ceremonial “rub” and off he went.  A short while later he stood in front of me “Can I give you a kiss?” before I could react or reply he planted a wet one on my cheek and said triumphantly: “You gave me a $30 horse!”

We all know I didn’t give him that horse.  He found the “one reason” on his own and pulled the trigger.  The horse was “Grand Caesar” it was his third race off a layoff – that’s what Ken liked.

Ken had a week of extraordinary blessings.  Originally his girlfriend was going to accompany him to Vegas.  A few days before they were to leave she received some frightening news from her doctor.  She decided to stay home and wait for the results of tests.  On Thursday Ken learned that the news was very, very good.  She was OK.  As far as he was concerned, “winning this was icing on the cake”.

Ken has three grown children; a daughter and two sons.  “They’re all working hard – now I can make things easier.  They’ve watched me studying a racing form from the time they were little.  They never showed any interest – maybe now they’ll look at it differently and maybe go to the track with me.  I’d like that.  He admits it still feels surreal.  “I have an anecdote for you, Linda.   After 35 years of playing the horses, I’m finally out of the red in the black!”

In the course of our conversation we did find time to discuss sports.  There he was a born and bred New Yorker – a Giant’s fan – sitting across from a born and bred New Englander – a Patriot fan.  It was a week to the day of the “Big Game”.   The thought that kept reoccurring in my mind:  I hope my Pats perform exactly as Ken did – Don’t save the bullets, pull the trigger over and over again!