Peter T. Fornatale
Peter Thomas Fornatale is, first and foremost, a horseplayer.
He fell in love with the game in the mid-90s, drawn in by the Triple Crown series, Cigar's streak, Saratoga, and the Breeders' Cup.
He started off betting at the OTB across the street from the Simon and Schuster offices in Rock Center and when he had a big day at the '96 Belmont Stakes, the hook was in. A trip to the Spa that summer lifted him fully into the boat.
His first crossover into working in racing came via DRF Press when he published a book (co-authored with Frank Scatoni) called Six Secrets of Successful Bettors. Soon after, he got two jobs in Saratoga -- one as the initial handicapper (along with Scatoni) for the Saratoga Special, and the other as DRF's "stage manager" for the legendary Harvey Pack seminars. Pack, along with the famed racing writer William Murray, became mentors and friends.
More racing books followed, as did a full-time gig writing for DRF, where in 2014, along with Matt Bernier, he launched the Players' Podcast. In late 2018, he left DRF to found the In the Money Media network with Jonathon Kinchen and reigning Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge.
He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife, Susan, daughter, Perrin, and handicapping Labrador, Mugs.