Anyone You Might Know Program Methods to Software?

[NorCalGreg]

I'm looking for a trustworthy programmer, who is able to program a method I'd like converted. Should be rather simple, has to do with last 3 races, bris SR's, calls, positions, lengths behind/ahead of those 3 races, and date of last race (last must be w/in 30 days).
I've had a bid of appx $500...but don't know the guy...and he seemed a little shady, for some reason. Anyone that any board member can recommend is good enough for me. Hoping to spend around the $500 range...

My E-Mail: NorCalGreg@Usa.Com

Thanks

[Pensacola Pete]

Ray Baker might be able to do it in Excel. He goes by raybo here.

[NorCalGreg]

Ray Baker might be able to do it in Excel. He goes by raybo here.

I'm sure Mr Ray Baker is a decent guy, and darn fine programmer, Pete. Unfortunately, I believe I'm on his ignore list, darnit.

Thanks, anyway :ThmbUp:

[upthecreek]

I'm looking for a trustworthy programmer, who is able to program a method I'd like converted. Should be rather simple, has to do with last 3 races, bris SR's, calls, positions, lengths behind/ahead of those 3 races, and date of last race (last must be w/in 30 days).
I've had a bid of appx $500...but don't know the guy...and he seemed a little shady, for some reason. Anyone that any board member can recommend is good enough for me. Hoping to spend around the $500 range...

My E-Mail: NorCalGreg@Usa.Com

Thanks
I know Joe Zambuto does custom programming:
http://www.beatthepublic.com/Custom%20.htm

[mikesal57]

Do you anything about Excel?

[raybo]

I'm sure Mr Ray Baker is a decent guy, and darn fine programmer, Pete. Unfortunately, I believe I'm on his ignore list, darnit.

Thanks, anyway :ThmbUp:

LOL, why would you think you're on my ignore list? There's only a couple of people who are on that list, and all are no longer posting. :lol:

From what you mentioned in your OP, the work, in Excel, would be minimal, and no where near $500. if you don't have Excel I can even help with that. PM or email me.

[raybo]

Do you anything about Excel?

I could add his stuff to the free "AllData J1" workbook from the sound of it. He would be able to import data files, process that data, produce his display, etc., all completely automated.

[raybo]

Examples of what is possible in Excel:

[mikesal57]

I have added so much to your Alldata its a god sent...lol

[raybo]

I have added so much to your Alldata its a god sent...lol

Thanks! Yeah, once you get familiar with Excel, and the workbook, you can create anything you want, and if you can't, an email will usually get you going.

That was my original goal for the "AllData Project", to enable non-programmers to create their own racing programs. All the heavy lifting is already done for you in the workbook, the customizations are easy in Excel.

[Capper Al]

Have fun Ray. This sounds right up your alley.

[raybo]

Have fun Ray. This sounds right up your alley.

Yeah, it sounds like something that can be done in a few minutes. All the data is already there, just a case of referencing that data, writing some rules formulas, maybe some calculations, and creating the actual final display. No biggie.

[Greybase]

I'm looking for a trustworthy programmer, who is able to program a method I'd like converted. Should be rather simple, has to do with last 3 races, bris SR's, calls, positions, lengths behind/ahead of those 3 races, and date of last race (last must be w/in 30 days) ...
Sounds like mainly you're parsing and re-formatting text, with a few simple calculations. What is your Input/ Output here? BRIS single file format? Are you looking for a GUI or just a command line utility? Or you're doing this entirely in Excel?

Anyone who works in Visual Studio should be able to knock this out in VB or C#. I was employed for years as programmer doing this kind of stuff. But I've never gone out seeking work as a freelancer. You might toss this out for bid on Slashdot or ELance dot com? Yes a horse player would know the format, but any VB developer could give you a time & cost estimate if you could supply a detailed job description? Get the source code as I've found these projects tend to expand, a month later you'll want to add another feature :p good luck!

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/4113-19-Sites-to-Hire-a-Developer-or-Designer

[raybo]

Sounds like mainly you're parsing and re-formatting text, with a few simple calculations. What is your Input/ Output here? BRIS single file format? Are you looking for a GUI or just a command line utility? Or you're doing this entirely in Excel?

Anyone who works in Visual Studio should be able to knock this out in VB or C#. I was employed for years as programmer doing this kind of stuff. But I've never gone out seeking work as a freelancer. You might toss this out for bid on Slashdot or ELance dot com? Yes a horse player would know the format, but any VB developer could give you a time & cost estimate if you could supply a detailed job description? Get the source code as I've found these projects tend to expand, a month later you'll want to add another feature :p good luck!

http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/4113-19-Sites-to-Hire-a-Developer-or-Designer

That's true. Over time, almost certainly, you will want to make changes. That's the beauty of Excel, making changes, adding, recalculating, deleting items, reformatting, etc., is extremely simple, and no coding ability is needed unless you are using macros for automation.

[NorCalGreg]

That's true. Over time, almost certainly, you will want to make changes. That's the beauty of Excel, making changes, adding, recalculating, deleting items, reformatting, etc., is extremely simple, and no coding ability is needed unless you are using macros for automation.

Thank you Mike, Creek, Greybase, Pete for your help. And raybo, my apologies to you for my boorish behavior. Never ocurred to me you just never had anything to say to me--could only be one reason, you simply have me on ignore! :lol:
Anyway, glad we cleared that up. I actually heard from a board member who was kind enough to offer his services, so will be taking him up on that.
Thank you for your generous offer, ray :ThmbUp:

-NCG

[raybo]

Thank you Mike, Creek, Greybase, Pete for your help. And raybo, my apologies to you for my boorish behavior. Never ocurred to me you just never had anything to say to me--could only be one reason, you simply have me on ignore! :lol:
Anyway, glad we cleared that up. I actually heard from a board member who was kind enough to offer his services, so will be taking him up on that.
Thank you for your generous offer, ray :ThmbUp:

-NCG

No problem! Here to help.

[upthecreek]

I'm looking for a trustworthy programmer, who is able to program a method I'd like converted. Should be rather simple, has to do with last 3 races, bris SR's, calls, positions, lengths behind/ahead of those 3 races, and date of last race (last must be w/in 30 days).
I've had a bid of appx $500...but don't know the guy...and he seemed a little shady, for some reason. Anyone that any board member can recommend is good enough for me. Hoping to spend around the $500 range...

My E-Mail: NorCalGreg@Usa.Com

Thanks

Tried sending you a PM says you chose not to receive them? I tried answering the 1 you sent anyway I sent an email with the info i have so far

[mikesal57]

I'm looking for a trustworthy programmer, who is able to program a method I'd like converted. Should be rather simple, has to do with last 3 races, bris SR's, calls, positions, lengths behind/ahead of those 3 races, and date of last race (last must be w/in 30 days).
I've had a bid of appx $500...but don't know the guy...and he seemed a little shady, for some reason. Anyone that any board member can recommend is good enough for me. Hoping to spend around the $500 range...

My E-Mail: NorCalGreg@Usa.Com

Thanks


Greg...

Here's some advice...

Unless you have done some pencil and paper on your ideas and it has worked out over time...then go ahead a get someone to code for you..
or
If you need time off and have lost 20 races in a row(lol) ..then why don't you challenge yourself and learn Ray's Alldata project...

It will take a little time but the satisfaction is worth it...
I am no Excel genius but Googling can work wonders...
Also , there's guys here to ask for help and a site called Mr. Excel that can help with macro's and give answers too..

your call

mike

[omar2]

Save your $500 for battle. The best of 3 does'nt work. If it did everyone would be a winner!!! Pace line selection is an art, fore if it were a science it could be reduced to a formula and always work whereas an art is a talent or knack for doing a particular thing, in this case the correct pace line.
I refer you read Dick Mitchell and Howard Sartin. Sartin will tell you that 3 different handicappers look at the same race, 3 different ways and come up with the same horse that wins.Why? because they're all coming up to the right pace line. Mitchell will tell you that 3 different people,all using his program,allinone,one guy is losing money,another is slightly ahead but winning,whereas the 3rd guy is a big winner.What's the caveat?the big winner is picking the correct pace lines, whereas the loser is using the machines picks while the break even guy thinks he knows what he's doing but really does'nt. Mitchell says pace lines are a function of form;Sartin says pace.Answer: they're both right!! I'm pretty good at it but sometimes i rush through a race and overlook the winner;i have a bad hip and if i stand too long my knees stiffen and i have to sit on the bed a couple of minutes.can't sit on the chair because it's hard to get up.
I look at maiden races differntly than regular races. Look at lrl on 10/25/15, 3rd race #7.i had the winner ($91.20,$29.20 to place).Look at his last race,look at his last 4 races,incl. the odds he went off. i used his 4th race back in my program, comes up the top closer,which my model was telling me to look for. horse was 5/2 on my line. Now ask yourself this question: why is he going off at 45-1 today and is he wortha bet???
Later,Omar.

[raybo]

Save your $500 for battle. The best of 3 does'nt work. If it did everyone would be a winner!!! Pace line selection is an art, fore if it were a science it could be reduced to a formula and always work whereas an art is a talent or knack for doing a particular thing, in this case the correct pace line.
I refer you read Dick Mitchell and Howard Sartin. Sartin will tell you that 3 different handicappers look at the same race, 3 different ways and come up with the same horse that wins.Why? because they're all coming up to the right pace line. Mitchell will tell you that 3 different people,all using his program,allinone,one guy is losing money,another is slightly ahead but winning,whereas the 3rd guy is a big winner.What's the caveat?the big winner is picking the correct pace lines, whereas the loser is using the machines picks while the break even guy thinks he knows what he's doing but really does'nt. Mitchell says pace lines are a function of form;Sartin says pace.Answer: they're both right!! I'm pretty good at it but sometimes i rush through a race and overlook the winner;i have a bad hip and if i stand too long my knees stiffen and i have to sit on the bed a couple of minutes.can't sit on the chair because it's hard to get up.
I look at maiden races differntly than regular races. Look at lrl on 10/25/15, 3rd race #7.i had the winner ($91.20,$29.20 to place).Look at his last race,look at his last 4 races,incl. the odds he went off. i used his 4th race back in my program, comes up the top closer,which my model was telling me to look for. horse was 5/2 on my line. Now ask yourself this question: why is he going off at 45-1 today and is he wortha bet???
Later,Omar.

You are right! Picking an individual paceline that represents each horse's current form/current pace/current speed ability is very difficult. Part of the reason is that, often, there is no such paceline that exists in the past 10-12 races, which is what is available from most past performance sources. Another thing that is a big reason for picking the wrong paceline is one's ability to determine current form, for each horse in each race. Trainer intent is a big part of that, and that is not something that most players can determine well enough to make a difference to their bottom line..

So, if choosing a representative individual paceline is a daunting task, is there a better way? Consider this: the Brisnet prime power number is generally accepted as having the highest hit rate percentage, in North American racing. That includes all races run, where prime power ratings are available.

Big deal, right? Well, when you consider that the prime power rating is based on each horse's "body of work", rather than a single chosen paceline, yes, it probably is a big deal. If the best hitting factor in North America is NOT based on individual paceline selections, then why in the world would we choose to do that? Maybe, if we happen to be an expert at choosing a representative paceline, there might be a reason to do so, but then you still have the problem of not having a representative paceline to choose from, at all.

What I'm getting at is that individual paceline selection is probably NOT the best way to go. "Multiple pacelines" is probably a much better approach. General surface, surface conditions, and distance criteria is a good way to select multiple pacelines, and if you then throw out those that were due to abnormal performances and/or conditions (pretty easy to do), you are left with pacelines that more similarly represent the contender horses' "body of work", regarding today's race surface, surface condition, and distance. You then can either average those pacelines, or use them as a "range" of possible performances today, worst to best. If a horse's best can't compete with another's worst, then that horse can probably be eliminated, outright. This method works very well, when your focus is on long term profitability. Yes, you will lose many individual races, but in the long run you have an excellent chance of being profitable. Making a score or two in individual races over the short term (unless they are worth thousands of dollars) probably won't go very far regarding the long term. General racing variance will make sure of that.

[omar2]

send me a race or two for sat 11/21 at either lrl, gp, cd or dmr. aqu may be muddy and off turf. give me some tough race or races. let me know tonite by 9 pm edt.
dirt or turf,sprint or route,does not matter.
Later,Omar(nickname)

[mikesal57]

Hey Omar..

How about these from Sat CD....5-9-11
We got a claiming, stakes, and a maiden...


thxs

Mike

[mikesal57]

I look at maiden races differntly than regular races. Look at lrl on 10/25/15, 3rd race #7.i had the winner ($91.20,$29.20 to place).Look at his last race,look at his last 4 races,incl. the odds he went off. i used his 4th race back in my program, comes up the top closer,which my model was telling me to look for. horse was 5/2 on my line. Now ask yourself this question: why is he going off at 45-1 today and is he wortha bet???
Later,Omar.


Kudos to your software on having that horse as top closer...
Couldn't get him anyway near the top with either line 2 or 4..

Mike

[raybo]

send me a race or two for sat 11/21 at either lrl, gp, cd or dmr. aqu may be muddy and off turf. give me some tough race or races. let me know tonite by 9 pm edt.
dirt or turf,sprint or route,does not matter.
Later,Omar(nickname)

And, just what is that supposed to prove? If you lose all of them you'll probably justify by saying that "anything can happen in racing", and if you win some or all of them then that "anything can happen in racing" won't even be mentioned. One day or 10 days means almost nothing long term, win or lose.

If picking individual pacelines works for you, then use it to make money for yourself, by all means. But, for almost everyone, basing analysis on a single past performance, is probably a sure way to lose long term.

[whodoyoulike]

... But, for almost everyone, basing analysis on a single past performance, is probably a sure way to lose long term.

I agree with you here because the person is expecting the horse to perform in a similar fashion or exactly as the previous race which I find highly unlikely.

Btw, I also agree with your consideration of a horse's performance will be in a range rather than an exact # as some expect to occur. Handicapping horses doesn't happen this way.

It took me a long time to realize these things and several others which you've mentioned in other threads. But, you seem to have come up with these ideas a lot sooner than me since, you have started your handicapping later in life compared to mine. I was beginning to think you just may be so much smarter than me.

Nah, that can't be it. So, it must be something else.

[omar2]

just got home. give me about an hr or so to look at the races. Omar

[raybo]

I agree with you here because the person is expecting the horse to perform in a similar fashion or exactly as the previous race which I find highly unlikely.

Btw, I also agree with your consideration of a horse's performance will be in a range rather than an exact # as some expect to occur. Handicapping horses doesn't happen this way.

It took me a long time to realize these things and several others which you've mentioned in other threads. But, you seem to have come up with these ideas a lot sooner than me since, you have started your handicapping later in life compared to mine. I was beginning to think you just may be so much smarter than me.

Nah, that can't be it. So, it must be something else.

Yeah, I didn't start messing with horse racing until the age of 29, after getting out of the USAF and going to work in the custom millwork industry, where I met my eventual mentor.

Nope, I'm no smarter than you, or most here, just am fortunate to have a decent degree of common sense. The chances of a horse performing within a range, is much higher than performing relative to a single paceline. Every race is different, so unless a horse just coincidentally runs exactly the same as one of his past races (which one?), then you're better off, long term, expecting somewhere slightly north or south of its average, non-toss, generally qualified races from the relatively recent past (6 months to a year or last 10-12 races)

[Capper Al]

I say write the program. If it does something for you good. If it doesn't just make sure you figure out why. Failure toward success, it's the only way there. Losing doesn't matter if you're not overspending, having fun and learning something on the way.

[omar2]

#1 ran as expected 3rd off l/o but liked the way he finished.switch back to Rocco. Even though he hasn't won at this level recently,his return to racing this year shows he can compete here.figured to bounce after 1st start plus he got shuffled back. I don't usually go back this far on a cheap claimer, but the 9-14-14 race makes sense to me.whenever he gets an inside post he boogies to the front.
#2 A router/shipper from tdn, 3rd off a claim. if they're making the 7 horse ml fav,then you have to respect the best closer in the race. i'll use his 3rd back.
#3 been protected since claimed on 7-13-15.ran bang up race 2 back when in a lot of trouble. use the 8-22-15 race.
#4 a router who got claimed 2 back, stepped up in last and dropped into a sprint. normally that would be a w/o race for me, but he's back again at 6f-10 claimer and trainer does good 2nd off a claim. use last race.
#5 claimed 2 back, rose in $$ last, now drops 40% below clm price. Use 2nd back. note he beat a horse that came back and won 3 back, that's probably why he was claimed.
#6 Another router. He did beat the #4 2 back,but that was in the mud and look where he closed from. Use last race. this has to be a w/o race for this horse.
#7 Another router and this one's the 9/5 ml favorite???? won last race which was his 2nd off a l/o, as could be expected. now figures to regress off that effort. Will the real sprinter please stand up. Use last race.
#8 Hasn't beat indiana statebreds all year,except by dq and now returns to ky where he's 1/1 at cd- a horse for course right??? I doubt it seriously, but they pays the entry fee and gets to run. Use 3rd back. Did i metion he never raced at 6f- that last eigth is a killer.
#9 in his defense this is his 2nd off a l/o. i don't like using races preceding a l/o. He's taking a drop in class. I know 6-19-15 was sly, but he did show good speed before the l/o. Use the 6-19 race.
#10 claimed off his 9-25 win,i'll use his 2nd race back.
I'm leaning towards #5, but i want to see the opening odds on #1. the lower he opens and the longer he stays there could be a mitigating factor for me. #2 could close if the race falls apart. the #4 could be a threat to steal if the other speedsters back off of him early.
i need to sit for 10 min before i lok at next race.

[omar2]

#1 outclassed by at least the 2 horse. Use last race.
#2 use last race
#3 use 2nd back. 4/4 itm at cd. now that's a hfc!!!
#4 likes syn /turf and c.d. good spd in return on my track. use the 7/26-14 race at wo.
#5 use last race.
#6 use last race.
#7 throw out last 2. already beat the top horse. use the 5-30-15 race.
#8 use 2nd race back.
#9 use 2nd race back. last was on my track.
I'm looking at the 5-2-7-8 in this race.

[omar2]

#1 benefited off fast pace in last.Did get beat by 2 & 10 2 back.
#2 and #10 rose in class last out and now back where they belong. 2nd back on both.
#3 lightly raced;good prep race in slop for this. Last race.
#4 2nd off a l/o; been sprinting; stretches out again.
# 5 drops in class. O
ff last race.
#6 been turfing well.Use 4th race back.
I'm leaning towards #2,but #10 is also dangerous.the 6,5 & 8 can mix it up on front end.
#8 use 2nd back.
#7 with 2nd lifetime start would have to use in exotics.
the rest of horses just use the last race.
Goodnight from Omar.