If, like me, you spend hours of your day wondering what former Nationals/Mets/Marlins/Dodgers catcher Paul Lo Duca is up to, good news! He’s been found, and it turns out he’s still active in the sports world, albeit not on the baseball diamond.
The former All-Star was all over the Santa Anita Racetrack this past weekend with the Breeder’s Cup races going on, gathering gambling information for TVG’s — a television network dedicated to horse racing that allows viewers to place bets via its website — coverage of the races.
“I’m really trying to give people a handicapper’s view, because, let’s be frank, most people are watching the shows to make money and I’m trying to give them value and find the angles,” said Lo Duca.
Long a horse racing fan, Lo Duca in 2002 first bought into the ownership game, with a horse he named The Weej after his father’s resemblance to Super Mario’s Luigi character.
“And that horse couldn’t run a step,” Lo Duca said.
He doesn’t have any ownership connection with this year’s Breeder’s Cup fields, although Mike Smith who rode Zenyatta to victory in the Classic is a good friend.
“I’m a comfort-level guy, and if I’m out of my element, I get into panic mode. But face it – I’m a gambler and I know the horses,” Lo Duca said, “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t have knowledge. The sport is fascinating, and there’s so many similarities with the competition. It’s neat to do this. Every time I go to the track, it doesn’t feel like I’m working.”
Lo Duca, 37, still thinks he has some MLB years left, although it appears the rest of baseball disagrees.
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