"The Coach" has been handicapping thoroughbreds since 1970, and used his acquired knowledge to help pay the expenses while earning a BA at Rutgers University in 1975. "I used to hop on a train into New York City, then go to Belmont, Aqueduct or the OTB betting parlors to play. I'm sure I studied the pages of The Form more then I did my accounting books."

In 1987 he got into ownership through American Thoroughbreds, LTD, and ultimately ran the operation in South Florida for the Pennsylvania based company. "We brought many new people into the game, and the time I spent on the backstretch, with trainers like John Lenzini, really opened my eyes as to where you can find the important information as to a horse's readiness, those key elements you cannot find in the pages of the racing form."

Auricchio has combined his two loves, horseracing and basketball, over the past 20 years and uses the equine sport to relax and get away from the rigors of coaching basketball at the professional level. "The day to day involvement with professional athletes makes you astutely aware as to why simply looking at the Racing Form, and what a horse has accomplished, is not enough in predicting the outcome of a race. You learn that one great outing doesn't necessarily mean a repeat is in the offing. You need to see the signs."

Those signals are some of the things he will share with you in his selections. "I don't have one scenario in handicapping the races. I use pace, class, patterns and stats like everyone else but my experiences help me isolate horses who are ready to go."

And that should help you increase you bankroll and joy of the sport.