Trip Notes Etc.

[TravisVOX]

Who here takes daily trip notes? If so, do you go into massive amounts of detail? I know some who take notes on all area tracks for each race, and have something on each horse. I find that hard to believe...that's time! I've considered noting just eventful trips, but I feel at the same time I'm shirking my duties there. I used to be pretty good with it, but that time issue. Does anyone else manage?

[Buddha]

I don't take notes like most might. I just try to remember what has happened to some horses, or will write a horses name down for some reason, and have to try to remember what caused me to write it down.

I think writing down notes for all horses is a bit much. I think that you can get by with just the "bad" notes or extreme instances which cause you to give the horse extra credit next time out.

[so.cal.fan]

Travis,
If you invest in the replay DVDs, I believe they are about $15 a week, you can review horses running that day that you are interested in, see how they ran in their last race, if you are proficient at this, it is very helpful. You can slow down the tapes and see how the horse was striding, etc. It is time consuming, but with the new DVD players, it's much easier than it used to be with the old VCRs.
My own personal opinion is that trip notes on every horse are too much work for what you would get back.
The review of DVDs is too much work for me, I don't do it, but I know a few others that do, and it pays for them.
At the So. Cal. tracks, one can pick up patrol judge notes in the racing offices.....these are pretty good trip notes, as a rule.
The DRFs Simulcast Weekly also gives a track observer's trip notes, I have seen some useful comments here.
I think it pays to read them.

[Fastracehorse]

This horse would have won a turf route at Gulfstream last week if she had room in the stretch.

So, maybe I get 7:2 on her next time ( single in a p-3 ).

I look for the obvious. Don't want to make it too difficult.

fffastt