What is the best modern handicapping book out?

[The Gambler08]

Looking for the best handicapping book out? Any thoughts?

[Dick Schmidt]

Take a look at the post Dave Schwartz started a couple of weeks ago asking more or less the same question. Most of the good ones are listed.

Dick

[andicap]

I love reading handicapping books.

I enjoyed Handicapping Magic, even if I don't use Pizzolla's methods. Some good advice in there although I disagree with using raw times. he's a real longshot oriented handicapper, happy to win 15% of the time and collect big mutuels.

I liked Ragozin's Odds Must be Crazy even tho i don't use the Sheets because I think form cycles are important and there's a good discussion in there on using them. His method for evaluating young lightly raced 3 and 4 year olds is the best I've ever seen and I use it with Beyer figures. One caveat: Horses seem to be bouncing less these days than they used to, especially younger horses, possibly because of drug use.

For all around handicapping any of the Quirin books are first-rate, "State of the Art" or "Winning at the Races," or "Winning By Example." Very good primer on handicapping. Davidowitz's book "Betting Thoroughbreds" is also excellent if you're looking for an all-encompassing look at handicapping.

Mark Cramer's books are fun, but offbeat. I enjoyed them although I don't his methodologies. It is unconventional.

I just finished reading "Blinkers Off," but am not sure what to think. I'm not going to pay $28 a track to use the sheets, and the author says his form cycle methodology is not transferable to other figures, like BRIS or HTR.

I would avoid Dick Mitchell's books. they are a rehash of what everyone else has written although his advice on betting might be unique. He's a salesman/engineer who's good in math, not a great handicapper.

My next purchase will be the Steve Fierro book, looking forward to reading that one.

[The Gambler08]

I enjoy reading handicapping books as well, even though I have just started recently.

Appreciate the advice, especially on the Dick Mitchell books. I was almost prepared to pay some serious money for a used edition.

So far, I have read: Ainslie's Complete Guide, Picking Winners by Beyer, the turf pedigree book by Mikey Helm, and Betting Thoroughbreds.

My next reads are going to be Modern Pace Handicapping, Handicapping Speed, Winning Horseplayer, and possibly Bet With The Best (although i heard it was terrible).

There really seems to not a be a current book that incorporates in the internet side of our game (ie information services, and online wagering). Maybe that is too soon.

[so.cal.fan]

Actually, if you read the threads on this PA board, it is more informative than anyone person's book.
There are some interesting discussions, you can decide for yourself.
Another fan forum that has some very clever folks posting is the
Del Mar Fan Forum, if you follow So. Calif. racing, it is a must read.
I read things on both these boards, that I read in the DRF or other publications days later!

[modred]

Speaking of books ...I just received the latest version of the Gambler's Book Club Catalog and did see several new books in the T- Bred section. Gambler might want to take a look at http://www.gamblersbook.com -- I know they are online, but I still like to hold books and catalogs in my hands and then fall alseep ... :D

[rrbauer]

andicap wrote:
"One caveat: Horses seem to be bouncing less these days than they used to, especially younger horses, possibly because of drug use. "

I disagree. The propensity to "bounce", that is, regress off a forward-moving effort has always been subdued with young horses.

The exception would be what I call the "kiss of death" effort. A huge fig (sometimes in its debut) that is never repeated or even come close to again. In most cases it precedes (causes?) physical problems that are never overcome. Other than that, so long as there is reasonable rest between races, I always look for a young horse to move forward until it establishes a top that it can't sustain. Only then do you know its limits. And, only then can you begin to place a window on its form cycle.

Also, I think that it's important to know which trainers can get their horses to maintain their condition and matchup tops without bouncing. Unfortunately, given the context of this thread, most of that stuff is not in books!

[ranchwest]

rrbauer,

I basically agree with you.

Look at the PP's of great horses and often you will see that they came along slowly in their first few races. Many did not even run in the money in their first outing.

Then, you can see some trainers who win a lot with 2 yo sprinters and never have winning older stock. There's a reason.