As Managing Editor of DanonymousRacing.com, John Piassek is responsible for creating and producing content, as well as managing a staff of 12 handicappers who post their picks and analyses of a wide variety of racetracks all over the United States. The site also features articles about racing from a variety of different perspectives among racing fans.
John is also the columnist for Mid-Atlantic Musings, which is featured on DanonymousRacing.com. The column represents John’s passion for horse racing and an interest in ways to improve the industry from a fan’s perspective.
In addition to handicapping the races at Laurel Park, John was a Horse Racing Analyst for TheRacingBiz.com, providing picks and analysis of Monmouth Park racing throughout the 2015 and 2016 racing season. He also served as a Racing Ambassador at Monmouth Park, specializing in fan education from May to September 2016.
John shared his thoughts regarding his passion for the Sport of Kings in a recent interview.
What attracted you to the horse racing industry?
I go to college in Maryland, but I’m originally from Cranford, New Jersey. My dad is a big fan of horse racing and, when I was very young, he’d take me to Monmouth Park and Saratoga. I really liked it. As I got older, I would watch racing on TV. There was a Monmouth Park replay show in New Jersey that I watched every day. I actually recorded all the shows and watched them over and over again. I’ve been watching racing on TV and going to the track ever since.
How did you become managing editor of danonymousracing.com?
DanonymousRacing.com was founded by Editor-in-Chief Dan Tordjman. He founded the site about four years ago. It’s basically a place where people can share handicapping opinions and post other articles about racing. It’s a fan’s voice for horse racing.
I started writing for DanonymousRacing.com in December 2015. I write about Monmouth Park over the summer and Laurel Park the rest of the year. A few months ago, Dan said he would be too busy spearheading Equestricon in Saratoga Springs, New York to run the site every day. He asked me to take over. So, I said, “Yeah, absolutely.”
What aspect of horse racing do you enjoy the most?
I like that it’s so multifaceted. You can be a fan of the sport, bet on horses, and it’s a lot easier to get involved in horse ownership, such as with the Wasabi Ventures Stables Co-Owner Club. The sport allows you to be much more of an active participant, as opposed to just being a fan. It’s interesting how you can get involved in so many ways, and that’s not something you see in any other sport.
What issues in the industry would you like to see addressed?
There are two types of people in horse racing that really matter — the owners and the bettors. I think the sport does a good job of taking care of its owners, but I don’t think it does a good enough job taking care of the bettors.
Since there’s so much gambling competition out there, the sport needs to make sure that it’s a) taking care of its current customer base, and b) trying to create a new customer base.
How did you find out about Wasabi Ventures Stables Co-owner Club?
While working at Monmouth Park over the summer, I met Emmy Lin, who is a partner at Kenwood Racing. Through her, I met Wasabi Ventures Stables Founder Tom “TK” Kuegler. We met for lunch in Baltimore, and he started telling me about the Co-Owner Club. I think it’s an absolutely fantastic idea.
Who is your favorite horse?
My all-time favorite horse is Rachel Alexandra, who won three races against male horses as a filly.
I also like Honor Code, who won the Whitney Stakes in 2015. I think he could’ve won the Kentucky Derby if he hadn’t gotten injured. He was a fun horse to watch.
I’ve always liked horses that have stuck it out for a long time and who’ve won a lot of races. They’re a lot more fun.
You can follow John on Twitter at @theyreoff.