Tony Bada Bing began his lifelong quest of finding winners more than 35
years ago as a fifth grade student. This is when his grandfather first
took him to the many Off Track Betting facilities sprinkled throughout
Long Island, NY. While many kids his age were clamoring to hit the beach
or an amusement park during summer vacation, Bada Bing was spending it
in stuffy, smoked-filled rooms filled with retirees and reprobates
listening to Marshall Cassidy on tape delay calling Saratoga.
This passion was further lit by his father, who took Bada
Bing to East Boston's Suffolk Downs, only after Bada Bing learned to
read the Racing Form. For most of his young adult life a summer rotation
of NY OTB, Suffolk, and the now shuddered Rockingham Park in Salem, NH
filled his betting days.
Notable winners along the way: Willow Hour's and
Runaway Groom's Travers wins as well as Derby winners Grindstone,
Thunder Gulch (which he called in print the day before) and Super Saver.
His latest quest is to hit the Kentucky Derby superfecta.
Bada Bing plays tournaments at Derby Wars, bets
through several account wagering sites and has blogged about
Thoroughbred racing for the past four years. He prefers the bigger meets
of NYRA and California as well as seasonal meets of Gulfstream,
Churchill and Oaklawn. He likes vertical, multirace wagers like Pick 4s.
He has produced several Horse Racing Nation videos,
in addition to blogging. He can be found at Twitter @tonycbadabing.
While away from the track Bada Bing enjoys time with his wife, who
tolerates and supports his passion, and his two children.