LOUIS ISKRA
CAPTURES DREAMING' FINAL
Louis Iskra will soon
be off to the Santa Anita Derby.
Iskra’s handicapping
talents landed him top honors in the Fraser Downs’
California Dreamin’ Handicapping contest – and the trip to
the derby.
Iskra defeated eight
other challengers in the final last Saturday at the Downs.
Iskra was in command
from the gate and his total of $453 in earnings was good for
a $33 winning margin over Ron Prosnick. Bill Wachowicz took
third with $279 while Ronnie Goodey was fourth at $241.
An excited Iskra
admitted he had been to Santa Anita Racetrack before the win
was “very nice. It was very exciting and it is a nice
competition. And,” he added, “I was lucky too.”
However, Louis, who
lives in Surrey, is a regular patron of the Downs and he
said, “I play most tracks.
“I follow most
horses,” he said and, although he added he did not have a
system or a secret, “I look at certain trainers, I look to
see if they (the horses) are bred well, I check the jockeys
and watch for the distance of the races.”
After a pause, he
said, “I also use ratings and I look at the weight.”
His thoroughness has
landed him and his wife Irene a three-day visit to
California.
Other finalists were
Bud Ketcheson, Maple Lam, Sarah Day, Ray Hall and David
Porter.
The final this year
had a slight twist. Each of the nine finalists had a live
bankroll of $180 to wager. Six races from Santa Anita were
selected and each contestant placed a $10 across the board
wager on each of the races. The twist: if a contestant made
money for the day, regardless if he or she was grand
champion, they got to keep their proceeds.
