The Last Horserace
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2020-05-20
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Goucher College MFA in Creative Nonfiction
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MFA in Creative Nonfiction
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This work is restricted for 10 years from the date listed above. No access will be permitted until the embargo has expired. Once the embargo expires the work is available only on Goucher College's campus.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States
Abstract
Brandon Arvesen’s creative thesis, “The Last Horserace,” follows the author’s father, James, as he attempts to conjure up one last win. James, a semi-retired statistician and professional gambler, finds a new and altogether complicated target: pick six horse races held daily via simulcast at New York State’s Belmont park. The piece—part memoir, part biography—chronicles James’ past achievements and present conflicts as he, at seventy-seven years old, searches for relevance in a field he once dominated. Over the course of a year, James struggles to find a win while his son searches for meaning in their relationship—trying to understand what motivated his father back to the races when their family faces a looming crisis no amount of money can solve.