Harness Race Handicapping

[trying2win]

I've been getting a few emails from harness racing fans asking me for advice on harness race handicapping, and also whether I use computer handicapping software in the process. Well, I've mentioned before some of the strategies I use at the harness races. However, sometimes things change. Some methods or angles that have worked in the past at the harness races for inexplicable reasons, just don't work anymore. That's why I like to do research on new ideas, methods, strategies, software etc. to improve my game. Since the last time I listed some of the strategies I use at the harness races, I've changed the odd thing.


--Now I'm mainly employing two main strategies while playing the harness races:

1. A selection of Al Stanley's methods and angles. A fair number of Al Stanley's methods and angles don't work anymore. However, there are a few gems that are about 15 to 20 years old and are still effective and profitable today.

2. Bob Pandolfo's Harness Diamond Software V.12.5.1. This latest revision in my opinion, is much better than the previous one I had. Especially OPTION K, that gives the last two ratings. The main components I concentrate on are DIAMOND SPEED, DIAMOND FINAL and the PFR rating. Pandy gives a detailed explanation of these terms of the Harness Diamond on his website. I'm sure other Harness Diamond users have their own favorite ways of using this software. As for myself, when looking for a key horse in exactors, I first look at the horse with the best DIAMOND FINAL rating and make sure it has very good plus PFR rating. Then I compare the PFR ratings for the best DIAMOND FINAL horse with the second-best DIAMOND FINAL horse. I look for the best DIAMOND FINAL horse to have a fair edge in this PFR rating over the second-best DIAMOND FINAL horse. This situation doesn't happen that often. Maybe once or twice a card. Sometimes none. Of course this is not an automatic bet to put the harness fan on the road-to-riches:

--First, I automatically skip races with certain classifications, and short-fields of 5 or 6 horses. Then, after I find a qualified horse, there are other factors I consider before making a bet, such as...last-race recency, post position, driver talent of the key horse. etc.

--I find that keying a horse and using a partial-wheel to three or four horses for second in the exactor, works out best for me.

--Using the Harness Diamond software in the method described in item #2 before, has worked very well the last few weeks at Mohawk Raceway, Balmoral Park and Flamboro Downs with real money bets. I haven't gotten around to doing extended paper bet tests at other tracks yet. I'm going to be realistic and not expect the Harness Diamond to be profiable at every harness track in North America using these strategies though.

--As for win and/or place bets using the Harness Diamond, I mainly look for longshot spot plays involving horses who have a positve PFR rating and are listed below the top 7 rated lines in Option K.

T2W

[trying2win]

If you're looking for a great book on harness race handicapping, I would highly recommend the following:

PROFESSIONAL HARNESS BETTING by Barry Meadow

--A very comprehensive book on handicapping the harness races. It goes beyond the basics of handicapping and offers the reader a lot of knowledge, insights, strategies and techniques, you won't find in other less expensive harness handicapping books. Success at the harness track isn't completely about handicapping. You must learn good wagering skills as well. There is an excellent section in this book that focuses on how to bet using betting lines and other strategies. After reading this book and learning what Barry is trying to teach you, your knowledge and skills at harness handicapping will take a quantum leap.


If you're into looking for some time-saving strategies at harness handicapping, but still have some hope of making a profit, I would recommend the following:

AL STANLEY'S BLUE CHIP STRATEGIES

--An excellent book of 7 strategies. This is for spot play bettors. I can attest to the profitableness of several of these strategies on the major large harness ovals like the Woodbine/Mohawk circuit, The Meadowlands and Balmoral Park. However, I haven't tried these strategies on 5/8 or 1/2 ovals, so I don't know whether they would be successful on those kind of ovals or not.

AL STANLEY'S HARNESS RACING ANGLES

--A very good book that contains 25 harness racing angles. You do have do some homework first, to determine which angles work on your favorite harness tracks. Some of the angles in this book, work well on minor 5/8 harness ovals, as well as the major 7/8 and 1 mile harness ovals.

AL STANLEY'S PROFESSIONAL METHOD (1991 Edition)

--An excellent book on methods of using a horse's recent performance lines, when looking for a bet. The book also contains some harness racing angles that are not found in Al's HARNESS RACING ANGLES book. This book in my opinion, is way better than Al Stanley's more recent PROFESSIONAL METHODOLOGY...for the New Millenium book. Only problem is, this 1991 edition is out-of-print. If you contact Al Stanley, you never know, he may still have a copy of the 1991 edition hidden away somewhere.

AL STANLEY'S INVESTMENT STRATEGY METHOD

--Gosh, this book must be about 20 years old, but some of the spot plays it contains are still profitable to this day. Again, this is an out-of-print book, so I don't know if Al Stanley has any old copies of this book lying around somewhere.


...Some final notes...I'm sure Barry Meadow could give you more info on his PROFESSIONL HARNESS BETTING book, if you were interested. He has his own website where you can contact him. As for Al Stanley, he doesn't have a website that I know of. However, I believe I listed his mailing address on an earlier thread. If you can't find Al's address and would like to know it to get more info on his books...or even want to talk to Al Stanley on the phone, just send me a Private Message and I'll round up Al Stanley's phone number for interested PA members.

Thanks,

T2W

[Tom]

T2W....excellant posts - thank you for sharing.

Question - is the newer Diamond software windows based, and what is the website where Pandy talks about the ratings?

[trying2win]

Tom,

Pandy's latest Rev 12.5.1 of the Harness Diamond software is not windows-based. It's the same style as before, just with some new and improved options and ratings.

Here's the link to Pandy's harness racing website:

http://www.harnesscapping.com/

Once you arrive at his homepage, just click on the 'DIAMOND PRINTOUT' button. That'll give you a page with an explanation of some of Pandy's newer ratings like the DIAMOND KICK and the PFR.

With this new, Rev 12.5.1 of the Harness Diamond Software, I prefer using Option K at the major 7/8 and one mile ovals. As for the new ratings, in my experience so far, I've found that a positive PFR rating is more important than a very good DIAMOND KICK rating at the major 7/8 and 1 mile harness ovals.

Pandy has two other Options in this latest revision of the Harness Diamond. The old option is still there. That's the one with the single line ratings (I think it's the best line of the horse's last 5 races). Sometimes using this oldest Harness Diamond option can produce some good longshot spot plays,
by just looking for a contender with a decisive DIAMOND PACE rating ...especially at some minor 5/8 mile harness ovals in the bottom 2 or 3 claiming or conditioned-claiming races.

The other newest Option in the latest Harness Diamond software, I believe gives you a horse's latest ratings of its last 3 races. I haven't really researched this option to any degree, so I can't offer an opinion on it.

Thanks,

T2W

[trying2win]

In a previous post in this thread I talked about using the Harness Diamond Software Rev 12.5.1, and choosing Option K. I mentioned about looking for exactor keys on the top choice with the best DIAMOND FINAL rating at the major harness ovals. There's another exactor key to look for at these major harness ovals using this latest editon of the Harness Diamond software, if the top-rated horse doesn't qualify. Look at the second and third best DIAMOND FINAL horses and check each of these horse's two rated lines. If only one of the 2nd or 3rd best DIAMOND FINAL horses has both of its rated lines with a positive PFR rating, I've found it can also be considered a good
possible exactor key.

T2W