February 22, 2011 6:00 AM by Eileen Di Rocco in Gaming Today

The horses were coming around the bend into the stretch. The three in front were part of the four-horse trifecta box the late Chuck Di Rocco had bet. It was two lengths back to the nearest contender, his fourth pick. He felt comfortable with his imminent win and turned to make his way to the window to cash, pulling his tickets out of his pocket as he went.

At the window, he glanced up at the monitor for the satisfaction of seeing his horses cross the finish line. But as they approached the wire, from seemingly out of nowhere, a jockey in the middle of the pack made a last second surge.

Win and place were a lock, but the photo sign went up for the show.

Minutes ticked by. The crowd grew restless waiting for the official result. Nearby bettors argued over which horse came in third. Chuck closed his eyes and re-ran the finish in his mind.

Then he heard the unmistakable mix of groans and cheers and knew it was official. He opened his eyes, looked at the monitor and sadly confirmed his trifecta loss by a short nose to a long-shot no decent handicapper would have included in his calculations.

This story came to mind after hearing about the new “Bad Beat of the Week” radio show debuting Monday at 9 a.m. on KSHP 1400 AM radio. The show’s audio will also be streamed over the Internet at ngsemedia.com.

A product of NGSE Media, Bad Beat is sure to entertain as hosts Ralph Siraco and Rich Rose let listeners in on some of the crazy stories gamblers have to tell. They’ll take callers, too, so everyone will have a chance to share and commiserate on those bad beat losses known to anyone who has ever bet horses, played blackjack or poker, or wagered on sports.

Do the names Siraco and Rose sound familiar? They should. Ralph has been the host of “Race Day Las Vegas” for the past 11 years. The popular show, which he also created and produces, covers all aspects of horse racing, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. In addition, he is a contributing writer to the Daily Racing Form, and has more than 30 years’ experience in the sports media business.

Rich is probably best remembered as president and chief operating officer of Caesars World Sports back in the 1990s. During his 10-year tenure (1988-1998), Rich was instrumental in putting Caesars on top in the boxing world, among other accomplishments. But since then he has also made his mark with AllSport Productions, a sports consulting firm with an A-list of clients, including Time Warner/HBO, Madison Square Garden, Fox Sports Net, the Arena Football League and World Wrestling Entertainment.

The two of them teamed up with Lou D’Amico and Joe Hipple to form NGSE, The Network for Gaming, Sports and Entertainment. Their mission is to “launch a network dedicated to all aspects of gaming, including professional and college sporting events, poker, horse racing, slots, blackjack, craps, roulette and other casino games,” explained Rose.

“NGSE will syndicate quality, 24/7 programming for the sports and gaming enthusiast across a broad array of media platforms, including the Internet; mobile, terrestrial and satellite radio, and broadcast and satellite television,” added Siraco.

D’Amico, who will be a regular guest on Bad Beat, has a long history in the bookmaking world of Las Vegas. He started his career at the Rose Bowl Race and Sports Book, which used to sit on the northeast corner of Spring Mountain Road and the Strip, under the tutelage of the late John Bennett, one of our town’s finest bookmakers ever. Lou learned quickly and was in demand. He has plied his trade at several major casinos, including the Dunes, Las Vegas Hilton, Caesars Palace and M Resort.

Lou is cutting edge when it comes to linemaking. He has posted odds on every NFL game for the entire season four months before opening day, put up lines on soccer matches outside the World Cup, and is well-known for his Kentucky Derby Future Book.

Hipple, the fourth leg in this tower of race and sports knowledge, is a relative newcomer to Las Vegas having been here only seven years. But, he has over 33 years of experience in the broadcast, wireless, cable television and satellite industries, and has worked for some of the biggest operators in the business, including People’s Choice TV, Comcast and CBS.

Together, these four are forging a 24/7 gaming network that will fill an important niche in the worldwide gaming market. They hope to educate and inform their listeners, while also entertaining them.

“Yes, we know, it’s not a new idea. It’s been tried by others who failed,” said Siraco, “But we think we have the right combination of knowledge and experience, along with personalities that fit well together, to make this work. We’re going to build this network up one show at a time. Bad Beat is just the beginning.”

Be sure to tune in Monday morning to check it out. And make note of these phone numbers – 221-7283, for local listeners, or 888-391-7360, if you’re out of town – in case you want to call up and share a bad beat of your own. If you’re too shy to talk on the radio, you can email your tale of woe to bbow@BadBeatOfTheWeek.com

Bad Beat of the Week may be about losers, but we think it’s going to be a winner.

See you around town.