Fans will be getting some extra insight into the popular Pick-4 at Cal Expo, as noted handicapper and author Dave Brower will be lending his expertise beginning Friday night as he puts up sample tickets and interacts with track announcer Gary Seibel on the simulcast.
“I’ve been an avid harness racing fan since age 10 and I suppose I’ve worked in just about every aspect of the sport in the 34 years since,” Bower related.
A 1991 journalism graduate of St. John's University, Brower has groomed and trained horses, operated the race teletimer, been a public relations intern, morning-line oddsmaker and track handicapper for the Meadowlands Racetrack for 16 years from 1996 to 2011.
In the realm of television and radio work in racing, Brower served as a featured host and co-host of the nightly ‘Racing from the Meadowlands’ television program on SNY, Fox Sports New York, and MSG Networks, including in-house duties of analysis and handicapping.
He also provided on-site analysis and interviews during TVG's Drive Time with Gary Seibel on race nights for three years. He’s joined Dave Johnson and Bill Finley on their eclipse award-winning program ‘Down The Stretch’ on Sirius/XM satellite radio.
“I’ve really enjoyed co-hosting the Hambletonian live broadcast on CBS Sports Network the last two years, where I had the chance to re-unite with Gary Seibel,” Brower noted.
Since leaving the Meadowlands in 2011, he has become a social media consultant.
In addition to the above work in the sport of horse racing, Brower also wrote ‘Harnessing Winners: The Complete Guide to Handicapping Harness Races,’ which was published by Daily Racing Form’s press division in 2009.
In the book, he featured an in-depth interview with the sport’s top driver, Brian Sears. He also guided the reader through the excitement at some of harness racing’s major events, like the Hambletonian and Little Brown Jug, while providing useful handicapping hints and angles to help the everyday horseplayer.
(Cal Expo)