Dutching the Book by Ritch Gaiti

About the book

A man needs a reason to take on the system -- and beat it.

Ben, a fireman and an expert horseplayer, put it all ont he line as he tried to move up in class, beat the system, and be the best handicapper in the business. Based on actual people and events, Dutching the Book is about four friends who take a lifelong journey through unique betting schemes, risky adventures and sometimes-humorous capers.

Ben sat in Lincoln High School calculating the same premise over and over -- he had something good and he knew it. Whenever Ben Gaines had a plan, he would always have partners and they would be known as the Syndicate -- adding just the right amount of credibility, anonymity and mystery. The Syndicate -- four high school boys: Ben, the quiet leader; Sandy, the charismatic ladies man; Willie, the dumb but loyal friend, and; Al, the fighter -- took on the racetrack.

Ben had the unique ability to see through the system -- to see cracks and aberrations that he could exploit. In high school in the 1930's, he figured a way to beat the track -- a way of never losing a bet. Never. They called it: dutching the book. It was an annuity for a few years but then he faced the difficult choice between his fiance and the track -- he chose her.

Now nearing forty, Ben lived the conventional life without gambling. But he bailed out his good friend, and brother-in-law, Willie -- who once lost a finger for Ben. Suddenly Ben was deep in debt to a bookie, Charlie Imperatore. He took some uncharacteristic risks and jeopardized everything including his home and family. The only solution was to go back to gambling -- but it wasn't gambling the way Ben did it, it was business.

He carefully calculated the holes in the system and exploited them. He developed schemes that skirted the rules and beat the track in the simplest, move obvious, way. In the process, Ben had become a skilled handicapper and could pick the horses with the best. He reformed the Syndicate and together they pooled their resources to take on Charlie and his three hundred pound side of beef, Beefy Leonard.

But there wasn't enough time -- the hole got deeper and the Charlie threatened to take his house -- or burn it. His wife Julie, who was unaware of the severity of Ben's problems, was conflicted and left him. He kept her away until he could fix the situation -- if he could. Caught between the bookies and his renewed passion for handicapping, Ben was inspired to create unique solutions on the track and off. Several sure things went awry at the last moment -- pushing Ben into deeper trouble. Reawakened by the tragedy of Al's death and the discovery that he had betrayed them, Ben refocused and stung Charlie -- at his own game.

Ben went on to win the biggest handicapping tournament in the country.

About the author

Ritch Gaiti is a veteran of technology and Wall Street. An ex-executive from Merrill Lynch, he now dedicates his entire time to creative endeavors - a shift to the right brain.

He is an emerging author, screenwriter/filmmaker and artist. He has just completed his first manuscript for a fiction novel based upon his father's unique and successful adventures in gambling and horse racing. The story is about an ordinary guy taking on the system to accomplish his life's dream.

Additionally, Ritch is an active filmmaker and has written several scripts in a variety of genres. He operates a small film production company which is focused on producing feature films. His short films have been exhibited at the New York International Film and Video Festival and the Metro/Angelika Film Festival. He has sold projects to cable television. He is also on the Board of Directors of Manex Entertainment, an Academy Award-winning visual effects company (The Matrix, American Beauty, What Dreams May Come, etc).

As an emerging self-taught artist, has been painting for over fifteen years. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Ritch became visually attracted to the Native American subject by the warm colors and the spiritual nature of the people and the land. Inspired by the works of the legendary photographer Edward S. Curtis and his contemporaries, who chronicled Indian life in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Ritch became sympathetic to the Native American culture, their history and their fallen journey. As he paints the people, the land and the spirits, he tries to recapture the ethos of a civilization lost. He is currently exhibiting his works in several galleries across the country. His works may also be viewed on his website

Prior to the above disciplines, Ritch had a long and accomplished career as the Senior Director of Advanced Office Technology at Merrill Lynch where he successfully implemented creative technology and built highly innovative organizations. He was responsible for planning, developing and delivering one of the largest technology projects in the industry for Merrill Lynch.

In addition to the above activities, Ritch enjoys tennis and is a private pilot. Ritch and his wife, Virginia, live in Hopewell, New Jersey. Their two children are grown and live in New York City.