Stretch Run

[GR1@HTR]

http://stretchrun.home.attbi.com/

[Vinnie]

Sweet link GR1,

Have you tried this software out by chance?

[andicap]

I know the guy who put this out -- an excellent handicapper who was involved in ThoroVision. It's a tool not a black box, but if you're speed figure-oriented it's a very nice tool.

[Vinnie]

andicap,

Thanks a lot for the background info.. I had always heard of Thorovision, though personally I had never used it before.

[GR1@HTR]

No never used or seen it before today. Just saw one of the posters here has it as him home page.

[andicap]

This isn't a full copy of Thorovision by any means, it was,however, one of the features with some enhancement.

[sq764]

I checked it out, and no offense, but it seems like it just extracts certain data from the PP files and puts it in a more organized format. I do not see a lot of original ideas and/or useful new data.


Scott

[Dick Schmidt]

Andy,

I knew most of the people who helped Michael with Thorovision. Who is behind this new effort? He's not named on the website.

Dick

[andicap]

see my email.

[Vinnie]

I don't think it is quite fair to criticize anyone's program or offering before it has been thoroughly run through the paces or tested out extensively. By looking at the site for "Stretchrun" it looks like it may be a very interesting tool. Any tool with database capabilities that is designed by someone who appears to be an excellent programmer and who andicap said was a superb handicapper in his own right, though not exactly in those words, sorry andicap :>)) is deserving of a fair look in my opinion. My gosh, for the cost of a haircut or two the program can be had currently for a meager $25. Additionally, it also comes with free upgrades for the life of the program. By the by, I have no connections to this software in any form or fashion.

As Jennifer Tilly said in the movie "Let It Ride",

"Nothing Ventured, Nothing Ventured"!! <g>.

[stretchrun]

Just a few details about StretchRun:

1. Primary unique information is the speed number analysis, the formulas for which I created. I generate a unique "dynamic" par for the race and compare all speed numbers to that par. The numbers display as a percentage of that par, because I think it's important to view every race, claimer or graded stakes, on the same scale. I believe it's easier to spot the patterns that way. The speed analysis screen also includes recency, overall, and total speed percentages.

2. I create similar pars for all BRIS pace figures. I don't have screens that display them in the same way as the speed number screen (yet), but you can see the dynamic pace figures in the past performances rather than the raw pace figures.

3. The program also calculates a Workout Power Number, which also is a unique number. We did something similar in ThoroVision, but this is a new way of doing it based on generating a workout "par" for the track. Workouts are the great underrated handicapping factor. There is also a workout screen that let's you quickly see which workouts are the fastest (in feet-per-second) and when they were run in days before today's race. Obviously, it works best at tracks where horses actually work out, but you can find some amazing longshots at even cheap tracks using these workout tools.

4. Visual display is important in StretchRun, even if it's the same data that other people are looking at. Some people won't see the benefit to it, but that's my method. (As a side note, although I haven't used EquiSim, I think the concept of graphically showing how the race sets up is awesome.)

5. It's shareware. I created StretchRun for me, and it won't be everyone's cup of tea (or Kool-Aid). It can be easily expanded, and will be as time goes on. If you try it and like it, great! If you don't, like Scott in the message above, thanks for trying it.

After the ThoroVision experience, I had no interest in getting back into the commercial software handicapping market. I spent the last three years at various Internet start-ups with virtually no time to handicap on a regular basis. And when I got back into it I didn't want to be at the mercy of someone else's programming.

Mike Showalter

[sq764]

Mike, although your software is not my 'cup of tea' right now, I want to add:

1) I commend anyone for setting out a plan and completing it.
2) I am sure many horseplayers will find your software useful and enlightening.
3) I think it has enormous potential, and its a good start.

Like they say, you can only please some of the people some of the time..

Scott

[kitts]

Mike-
I remember that workout power number from Thorovision days. That number was very powerful and dependable then and I presume it still works for you. Good luck and keep the faith.

[wes]

Vinnie


As Jennifer Tilly said in the movie "Let It Ride",

"Nothing Ventured, Nothing Ventured"!! <g>.


Can we bet with your money?


wes

[Vinnie]

Wes,

I was simply being a bit silly in my post. I don't exactly understand what you mean by your comment.

[Vinnie]

Wes (EE),

The more I think about it, I really don't appreciate your sucker punch type of post that you threw in a bit earlier. Why don't you take your miserable self back to those doggie boards and your "pen and pencil capping methods" which you have always professed to be the "Real Deal"!

Save your sorry comments for someone else "Voodoo Man"! By the way, how have you been doing with that STK2000 Software lately?







Less Than

[stretchrun]

For those interested, I built a utility that converts BRIS or TSN single files to BRIS multi files for use with StretchRun. Of course, the TSN files don't include the trainer angle stats, but the speed number and workout analysis works fine. These converted multi files may work with other applications that use them, but don't know for sure.


Mike