TVG's Kurt Hoover

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
He's one of my favorite personalities at TVG.

Knows the SoCal racing circuit and talks like a horseplayer.

Hoover loves the use of videotape replays to find live horses.

Today, however, I must deduct several Beyer Speed Rating points from Hoover's overall rating.

He LOVED a horse on the opening-day card at Del Mar.

The horse's name was Poster Girl in a restricted stakes race.

"I'm all-in on this horse," blared the usually laid-back analyst.

Hoover declared Poster Girl was his best bet in two months.

"I absolutely love #3 Poster Girl in the seventh race," he went on.

"She's wheeled back in a month, has worked well since her last race and should get a good trip," explained Hoover.

Long story short, Poster Girl never fired, finishing dead last in a field of nine at odds of 5/2.

Okay.

It happens.

Not every selection wins.

But not every selection is presented like Hoover presented Poster Girl.

Here's my criticism: Lots of time was spent on Hoover making a case for Poster Girl, but there was little or no mention of Poster Girl after the debacle.

Hoover cost me an hour from my Friday afternoon because I heard his bold claim 30 minutes before the race and waited another 30 minutes after the event to hear the post-race analysis that never mentioned Poster Girl.

Tsk tsk.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Full disclosure: I did not bet a dime on Poster Girl.

After years of watching TVG, I'm immune from being swayed by their analysts.
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Understood, Arturo.

But I expected more from Hoover.

He's a straight-shooter.

Though he did fumble the ball last week when previewing the Breeders' Cup Classic.

Hoover told TVG colleague Dave Weaver that if you hit the exacta in the Classic, you're guaranteed to be rewarded with an overlay.

Someone needs to tell Hoover the exacta takeout in California is 23.68%.

If a race is graded/wagered properly by the betting public, every exacta combination will be an underlay, not an overlay.
 

blueline

EOG Master
she was 4th or 5th fastest going into the race was he thinking she was going to run even faster today? if she simply paired up her last it was likely to not get her across the wire in front
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Matt Bernier worked last week at TVG and performed well.

He had a funny response after he hit the all-button in the opening race of a Pick-5 sequence and watched the odds-on choice emerge victorious.

Bernier cried out, "A tradition unlike any other: Buy the race and watch the favorite win."
 
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John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
she was 4th or 5th fastest going into the race was he thinking she was going to run even faster today? if she simply paired up her last it was likely to not get her across the wire in front


She won with ease last time out at 8/1 and he thought she would improve.

Hoover even mentioned the gallop-out that day.

Of course, he wasn't referencing the gallop-out today.

Whoops!
 

blueline

EOG Master
bought a race at DED tonight ...double digit prices finished top 2....didnt matter as my 7/1 single finshed 2nd in all my PickX bets
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
The expression "all-in" is understandable in poker but why use the term in horse race handicapping?

Wreaks of desperation.
 
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Valuist

EOG Master
Hoover is one of the better on-air personalities at TVG, IMO.

I wouldn't put any stock into one race, right or wrong.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
bought a race at DED tonight ...double digit prices finished top 2....didnt matter as my 7/1 single finshed 2nd in all my PickX bets


Nothing better than a queer longshot winning a spread race.

Blue, here's my favorite PickX wagering strategy: ALL minus A, B and C.

Why include the top three favorites if you think chaos will dominate?

At the very least, ALL minus the favorite.
 
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Heim

EOG Master
I said it before...Hoover bets his opinions.

I wouldn't be surprised if he had a nickle win bet.
 
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blueline

EOG Master
I included the short-priced ones because my single wasnt going to be the chalk in race 6.....i rang myself up a winner turning for home in DED 6th...should have looked a little closer on the turn
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
Hoover is one of the better on air personalities at TVG, IMO.

I wouldn't put any stock into one race, right or wrong.


Agree.

I also like Jonathon Kinchen on FS1.

He had a good line the other day about turf races being decided in 8-10 strides inside the eighth pole.
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I said it before...he bets his opinions. I wouldn't be surprise if he had a nickle win bet.


Thanks for sharing, HEIM.

The computer groups corrected the market late in the wagering.

After Poster Girl was held at 2/1 for most of the betting cycle, she closed at odds of 28/10 while Excellent Sunset was bet to 13/10 favoritism.
 

blueline

EOG Master
Agree.

I also like Jonathon Kinchen on FS1.

He had a good line the other day about turf races being decided in 8-10 strides inside the eighth pole.

I dont know what price Hoover's horse went off at, but if he's handing out horses who are 4th or 5th fastest going in, they better have a decent price attached to them.
 
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blueline

EOG Master
I was too busy patting myself on the back to see that one in the middle of the track....the first call the winner recieved up the backside was is " is the trailer showing no speed tonight" sigh
 

John Kelly

Born Gambler
Staff member
I was too busy patting myself on the back to see that one in the middle of the track....the first call the winner recieved up the backside was is " is the trailer showing no speed tonight" sigh


Heard it.

Winner was taking some giant strides near the wire.
 
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