The friends I grew up with are gamblers.

Racing is full of competing interests, but when it comes to campaigning a superstar three-year-old colt, there are two clear sides to the argument. To race or not to race? That is the question.

Don't miss our ­fictional odds comparison of the 90 horses still eligible (as of February 16th) for this year's North America Cup.

Learn from talented professional ­handicappers, who dish out their thoughts on everything from considering outside posts to ­questioning the myth of the best bet.

There's no ­question that wagering on horse racing is decreasing. But not only is the distribution of gambling money shrinking... it's ­simultaneously changing.

The most recent survey conducted by the Horseplayers Association of North America highlighted some startling statistics about the needs and wants of what appears to be an aging demographic.

Sure, winning money is nice. But there's something to be said for the social aspect of betting as well, and Ontario's first handicapping league is doing its best to ­capitalize on that camaraderie.

Thanks to the promising sophomore pacer BP Chimo, Newfoundland native Kerry O'Keefe may appear to be an overnight success. But his luck, it seems, has been decades in the making.