For Hollingsworth handicapping is a passion

said. “I’ve had people say ‘I do like your picks,’ or ‘I do like that you don’t pick favorites,’ so that’s kind of cool that I am recognized for that.

If you’re not picking the winners, it’s not going to matter.”

He has also had to adjust his selections for the Pink Sheet front page from his start four years ago.

“It’s probably the biggest challenge, not worrying about ROI (return on investment), not worry about not picking a favorite, focus on picking the winner,” Hollingsworth said. “I’ve learned that over the last few years. In the beginning I was picking 10-1, and 8-1 and try to make money, but you can’t really do that if you are looking to win a handicapping contest.”

There is also the challenge for the non-Pink Sheet prognosticator to make 400 selections over a 40-day meet.

“Even if I wasn’t doing it for the paper I’m still going to do it, maybe not 400, but 350,” he said. “You might miss a day or two, you’re not going to miss a day or two.

“With this you can’t miss any days. It’s an added responsibility, you have to make sure you have time come out, I leave 90 minutes, two hours for each card.”

The Mechanicville native also gave us a peek inside his own handicapping system.

“My main thing I like is the trainer, I like to look at owners and of course jockey. I think those are the three most important things,” Hollingsworth said. “Of course blood lines and past experience, past races, they all go into play. The first place my eyes go to is the trainer because I have trainers that I follow.

“Obviously (Mechanicville native) Chad Brown, but George Weaver does a great job, (Todd) Pletcher in the dirt with the young horses has always been good,” he said. “Same with jockeys, I have jockeys that I really like, the Ortiz brothers are great, Joe Bravo, Edgar Prado has one or two and he’ll break out.”

Saratoga offers its own set of challenged, huge stakes weekends and then young horses often making their first time out and the handicapper is looking for the top finisher.

“The bigger race are always tougher because they are the best horses it’s the top quality whereas you are talking about a twoor three-year old maiden race it’s going to be a lot tougher to call it, but you have a better chance of hitting long shot more consistently,” Hollingsworth said. “In a maiden race it’s more common that the favorite doesn’t win.

I like those races better, it’s a lot harder, but there is a good chance to make a couple of bucks.”

Sometimes those bucks do come along.

“Last year I had a $5,000 trifecta straight, that was my biggest win I ever had, beating the heavy favorite,” Hollingsworth said. Syndergaard was a heavy favorite, he won here twice, never won since. Everyone thought he was going to win here again and he was off the board. I had a 26-1, an 11-1 so that was nice. The winner that I picked was in the Pink Sheet.” big