I've done something I've never done before

[JohnGalt1]

I spent the about 7 hours handicapping Thursday's Bay Meadows and Canterbury cards. I don't like anything anything enough to go. I'd skip at least half the 16 races and wouldn't play some others because I like the chalk.

I don't feel I've wasted the time because I went I might make some stupid bets I shouldn't.

Has anyone else not gone after spending a lot of time handicapping?

[SAL]

Wow, 7 hours for 2 cards? I've never spent that much time on two cards. If I committed that much time I think I would feel obligated to bet something. Though that might not be the best thing to do.

[BeatTheChalk]

In my entire existence on the planet...and in my prior lifetimes
I have not spent seven hours handicapping. But if I did .. I
would simply HAVE TO MAKE A BET OR TWO :) I congratulate
the poster .. for having the discipline and the courage. Wondering
if the handicapper uses pencil and paper .. or Computer ..?

[kenwoodallpromos]

I may have spent about as much time 1 day at school and not learned as much as you did.

[Zman179]

Man, ain't no way that I'm working for 7 hours on two cards and not betting anything.
Mind you that if I don't like the card, I'll just bet deuces all day and some $1 superfectas. After all, you never know when your "boat" is going to come in.

[BIG RED]

I am a pen and pencil guy, and 7 hours seems a lot, but to each his own. I can get up around two hours for a full card. And yes, I'll put that form away, and declare no bets. It is a little depressing when you spend so much effort and come up with nothing, but if you lose just for looking to bet, now you spent all that time and lost. Toss the day and do the lawn!

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by BIG RED
I am a pen and pencil guy, and 7 hours seems a lot, but to each his own. I can get up around two hours for a full card. And yes, I'll put that form away, and declare no bets. It is a little depressing when you spend so much effort and come up with nothing, but if you lose just for looking to bet, now you spent all that time and lost. Toss the day and do the lawn!

I don't care how much time you spend........if it sucks and there are no decent plays...........you made the right choice

[levinmpa]

Why on earth would you spend any time at all, let alone several hours handicapping Bay Meadows. With so many other options, Bay Meadows, with Russell Baze and its 5 horse fields should never even be a consideration. I grew up going to Bay Meadows and Golden Gate, and they are both such a far cry from what they used to be, that they don't merritt any of my handicapping attention. They should be running no more than 3 days per week with the depleted horse population that they draw from. The good ole days of full competetive fields are over for those 2 former major tracks. I'll take Tampa Bay Downs or any number of other tracks over Bay Meadows any day.

[JohnGalt1]

Thanks for the replies.

I handicapped Bay Meadows because I've usually done well there.
I'm ahead $10.000. I keep track at every track I've played and at other end of the extreame I'm behind $12,000 at Del Mar.

Bay Meadows starts here at 3 PM which would take me to Canterbury's live races at 7. I had plays in races 2,3,8 and they'd probably be too loww odds to worry about missing. And at Cby I might've played 5 races but two horses were 8-5 and 2 others were favorites so I would've passed those too.

And we finally have decent weather to sit outside.

The 7 hours were spent doing a worksheet on every race. I do the Scott PCR and my own pace figures, plus look up turf breeding for those races. I usually uncover a few long shots. A couple of weeks ago at Bay Meadows a horse that paid $21 was first in PCR and 3 ticks faster than all the horses. He was 10-1 in the morning line.

I spend as much time as needed before getting to the track because I'm betting real money and want to have as few "I shoulda seen that before I bet" moments as possible.

I wish I felt comfortable as most of the guys I sit with who can just show up grab a form and start firing away.

It took me too long to realize that even though there's a winner in every race sometimes I can't find it.

[Tom]

I would say, on average, for every 10 races I handicap, I bet on one of them. I have gone days and days at FL, there in person, without ever making a bet.

[Zaf]

I never have that problem. With the aid of computers, Pace / Speed figures at my finger tips, I can handicap a race in 2-3 minutes and constantly find action :cool: .

Degenerate I am.

ZAFONIC

[kenwoodallpromos]

I like BM and liked the favorites today.