May the Horse Be with You: Pack at the Track
Harvey Pack has been a legendary fixture on the New York Thoroughbred scene for more than a quarter century. Whether talking about horse racing on NBC radio (1972-74), hosting the Thoroughbred Action and Inside Racing shows on the local New York television (1980-1998), analyzing the Breeders' Cup races on the NBC/ESPN telecasts (1985-1999), Pack's persona has been that of a dyed-in-the-wool racetracker squarely aligned with the beleauguered two-dollar bettor.
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If there were a picture next to the word horseplayer in the dictionary, odds are it would be the familiar visage of Harvey Pack, the legendary and curmudgeonly face and voice of racing to generations of New York racetrack denizens. In May the Horse be with You: Pack at the Track, Pack reflects on over a half century of racing's most memorable people, places and moments. From his seat in the grandstand as a childhood fan, to his decades of dedicated work behind the microphone and in front of the camera, Pack recalls a lively life at the track amidst millionaires, busted-out bettors, and ever-changing crew of wagering compatriots. Pack, with the help of author Peter Thomas Fornatale, tells Runyon-esque tales from his seven decades as a racing fan, highlighted by the characters he was fortunate (and unfortunate) enough to meet. In the end it wasn't the celebrities or racing superstars that Pack connected with best, but the regular racetrack Joe. Whether one finds himself lumped with the hundreds of fans who risk the rent money or just a casual $2 across-the-board bettor, it's the everlasting comradeship associated with being a horseplayer that Pack and so many others are drawn to day in and day out.
