Top Trainer & Jockey Suspended + an Interview with Marshall Sterling!

We have a special interview for you today with none other than Marshall Sterling - a meteorologist best known for his horse racing and Twitter weather forecasts.  He first got into horse racing when his best friend Brett took him to Canterbury Park. His family owned horses so he was able to get a VIP tour of the facilities.  While he was in the paddock, he even got a winner circle photo with a multiple stakes-winning horse named Coconino Slim. From that day forward he was hooked.We pick his brain on a number of topics from handicapping, favorite tracks and even fighting... See below for the rest!   But first, let's cover some news.

Top Trainer and Jockey Facing Suspensions

The greatest head of hair in the horse training game, Steve Asmussen could be facing a 30-day suspension after drug positives were found in two of his horses in 2018.  The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission is currently considering it, you can read more here.

In other notable suspension news, top Mahoning Valley jockey, Luis Raul Rivera will begin a 30-day suspension on December 30 after stewards ruled he put forth a "very lackluster" effort in a November 19th race.  You can see the entire video here to judge for yourself if the stewards were correct in their assessment.  We kind of agree.

Other Digestible Horsey News

• Santa Anita Park is set to reopen on December 26th and the first 2,000 race fans in the door will get the chance to take home a Flightline Print.

• Does Turfway Park have the coolest bathrooms in racing? Take a look at the photo above and ask yourself which number you're choosing.

• Unfortunately, horse racing lost an amazing individual as Ray Kerrison - a horse racing columnist for the New York Post from 1977 to 2013 died Sunday after a brief illness.

• Colonial Downs is is changing their schedule. They were recently approved to hold 27 events Thursdays through Saturdays from July 13 through September 13.

We Pick Marshall Sterling's Brain on a Number of Things!

Hi Marshall, thanks for being the first to join us on our HorsePlayer Interview Series, the goal of our discussion is to get your personal and honest approach on a wide variety of horse racing topics. Some light, some serious... So now that people have a feel for who you are, let's jump into some questions!

Plenty of people have their preferences when it comes to horse racing data. What is your preferred past performance brand and why? Are you using anything else besides PP products when it comes to handicapping?

I started cutting my teeth on DRF Formulator. I have since added using Optix, TimeformUS, PaceSheets, and TripNotePros. I am a pace handicapper fundamentally so I use multiple products to understand how the race will be run. I will then use Beyer Speed Figures, TimeformUS Figures, and Optix Speed Figures to project and predict how the race will be run and which horse has the best chance of winning. Once I have that in my head, I use TripNotePros and Formulator to see if I can upgrade horses on the bubble or potentially single a horse that already had a good chance of winning.

When looking at past performances, what is the most important and least important thing you look for in any given race?

In order of use: Pace, Speed, Trip. I think looking at all factors are important; I just tend to favor pace over the rest.

What is your favorite type of bet and why?

I am a big pick 4 player. After many long discussions with @handi_capper, I use doubles and pick 3 to pay for my pick 4 tickets. If I have a very strong opinion, I will play a pick 5 sequence, but I tend to lean heavily on pick 4’s

Do you have an interesting story about your biggest hit or worst bad beat?

The biggest hit I had was a pick 5 ticket that I only hit because I accidentally hit the wrong number in a leg that ended up being a 45-1 shot that won. Due to this, I have absolutely no leg to stand on with any future bad beat.

Favorite track of all time? On that note, do you prefer to bet dirt or turf?

My favorite track is Saratoga. The atmosphere there is so vastly different than any other track I’ve been to that it easily is at the top. I like Belmont a lot as well, but I am hoping to get to a lot more tracks around the country in the next few years. I absolutely prefer turf racing. The parody in turf racing is much greater than that of dirt. The handicapping puzzle of turf racing is much harder, and detail-oriented.

There seems to be a common complaint amongst horseplayers saying the game could do better to grow its audience. Do you believe this is true and if so, what would your advice be on growing the game?

I do believe that horse racing can do better to grow. There has been a focus on the younger generations which has helped, but there still is a lack of available free data. The transparency in the sport needs to be better. There needs to be a reason for casual fans to watch beyond just the Kentucky Derby.

Who's your favorite, active race caller today?

Travis Stone, he is the future of race calling and will be around for a long time. I do think Paul Allen (Canterbury Park) is a hidden gem.

What is the biggest mistake the average horseplayer can make when betting?

Betting EVERY race. Pick your spots and bet more money on those spots. Action betting is fine but don’t spend $20 on every race equally.

Who's your favorite follow when it comes to horse racing Twitter?

My favorite Twitter follow: @PicksByDynasty

Is there a handicapping book that you'd recommend to our audience whether a novice or a veteran of the game?

Andy Beyer’s book “Picking Winners” is a fascinating deep dive into speed figures and understanding their intricacies. This is extremely important for those who are Speed or Pace handicappers.

Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck or 25 duck-sized horses?

1 horse-sized duck. Everyone knows you never want to mess with a gang of mini's…

Any final words?

Thank you so much for the interview! If anyone ever needs a weather forecast never hesitate to reach out, I am always happy to provide it. I always try to get forecasts out for big race days so always be on the lookout!Thanks, Marshall!  Please go give Marshall a follow @G1Handicapping!  If you're interested in being next, feel free to DM us on Twitter... better yet we might have a couple and slide into yours.  You never know with us.