in Triple Crown Articles

Claiming horses make up the meat and potatoes of most racing cards daily. The guys that train these horses are the infantrymen of the game, as they stay in the trenches and do all the dirty work. When bettors are looking at a normal racing card at their local track, it’s always a plus to have a refined clue about the under appreciated guys of the circuit.

Enter Nick Hines, whom I conversed with rather recently. When one has a sense of history about this great racing game, it can only serve to help him at some point later in his career. Hines has been weaned on the game and he got his toughness from his dad, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marines.

“My dad had horses years ago.” Hines said. “I grew up in Las Vegas. My father was an attorney and owned and bred horses out in Nevada and he had horses with Charlie Whittingham at one time. So, I was basically born into it, breaking yearlings and working on young horses. I went to UNLV for a year, transferred and played Division 11 college basketball at St. Mary’s in Kansas and came out to California in the late 1980s. After that, I graduated from California Polytechnic University Pomona with a degree in Agricultural Business and minored in music, since trumpet paid the bills.”

Hines has seen the best of both worlds and finally went back to basics and the bottom rung.

“I started as a hotwalker for Bob Hess, Jr., worked as a groom, and stepped up as an assistant trainer. Bob always treated me well, taught me respect and also gave me the feeling there is a sense of dignity in this game.

“I took out my trainer’s license in March of 1994 and my first winner was my third start with a horse named Chief Brody that I claimed for $32,000. He got beat double digits the day I took him and came back six weeks later on the jump for $40,000. We shortened him up to seven-eighths and he paid $83.40.”

‘The Sarge’, as Hines is affectionately known as, got a break when doing a great job with a $10,000 claim. His first legitimate stakes winner, As We Know It, was bought for 10 large and he won 5 of 7 races, including the Cal Cup Starter Handicap. Sarge consistently wins at a double-digit figure clip and in his career his starters have banked nearly $5 million in purses.

Currently, bettors should watch the following runners trained by Hines: In My Life is sitting on a win. He was recently second in a $40K starter at 16-1 under Richard Migliore. Slew o’ Platinum fits in this same league and is fresh from a solid try in a $75K stakes at Turf Paradise. Finally, Don’t Jinx It, who gets very brave with a lonely lead. Double up if he shows up for $16K.

Hines is having fun playing the claiming game, but sticks to his own set of strict guidelines to come up with the best possible claim.

“I look for consistency,” Hines explained. “My theory is that it depends on what level you are claiming at. If you are claiming at $40,000 or $50,000, I think you look for class and a horse that hasn’t tried turf, that hasn’t tried routing or one who maybe hasn’t been exposed in all areas.

“You want to claim the soundest horse you can. You want there to be longevity. Speed is a must: it’s like the sun coming up in the morning. Without it, you can’t succeed. I don’t mean :21 type speed, but just a horse that has tactical speed. Downtown closers you will find will get beat more often than not.

“My basic philosophy is putting a horse on a table and analyzing what will make them better. First and foremost it’s patience. If a horse has any ability, with patience, it will come out.”

Hines is always looking for new clients and maintains a basic premise on how to keep his owners happy.

“First off, training horses is not just a job; it’s a way of life. It’s my livelihood. I’m dedicated and will do this forever. I think if you can be honest, patient, persevere and be persistent in what you do, you can roll.

“There is a major communication failure in this game. Through the interest, through telecommunications, hopefully I can change that. I want to get owners more aware of their animals. It’s not just business-- money in, money out -- I want them to understand where their money is going and how it’s working.”

Hines is obviously passionate about the game. He has been around some good horses, as he was with Bob Hess when River Special was third in the 1992 BC Juvenile and was with Craig Dollase when Reraise took the BC Sprint six years later. Hines has gotten some publicity working with TVG of late and all he really needs is an honest chance with some quality stock.

horse betting action.