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View Full Version : My pet peeve: pre-1992 Beyer Bashers who are now converts

RaceIsClosed
02-21-2006, 08:48 PM
I remember when I started doing speed figures with Beyer's published method before 1992, and most horseplayers just laughed at them, used the DRF speed ratings/variant formula, or said that figures were useless. Three *weeks* before the figures appeared in the form, Dave Litfin even trashed the figures and said that the SR/TV model was suffiicent if you tweaked it (he converted fast enough for sure).

Did anyone here make figures before 1992 and have this happen to them? Did they notice that the same people who were Beyer-Bashing are now the ones who pound double-advantage figure horses down to 1-2?

Just curious.
schweitz
02-21-2006, 10:14 PM
I dreaded the day that Beyers would be in the DRF. Had to change the way I handicapped after their availability. Had to change a few times since then, too. :)
mainardi
02-21-2006, 10:33 PM
Still not converted... I'm one of those that was able to succesfully modify the DRF SR/TV. The only reason that I don't embrace Beyer numbers is that they are not a mathematically sustainable calculation for pure speed analysis. Rather, they are a class-based speed par, and I prefer to separate my speed and class analyses. :)

Not that there's anything wrong with them being used... it's just that they are so popular with those that don't use anything else when they handicap that decent mutuels are hard to find. :(
RaceIsClosed
02-21-2006, 10:38 PM
Still not converted... I'm one of those that was able to succesfully modify the DRF SR/TV. The only reason that I don't embrace Beyer numbers is that they are not a mathematically sustainable calculation for pure speed analysis. Rather, they are a class-based speed par, and I prefer to separate my speed and class analyses. :)

Not that there's anything wrong with them being used... it's just that they are so popular with those that don't use anything else when they handicap that decent mutuels are hard to find. :(

Smart handicappers stopped using the figures in 1992. I didn't make money for five years after that, and had to slowly rebuild my edge. The last few years I've been profitable and improving my results year over year. Hopefully I can break through again.

The Beyer figures are actually not based on class once they get going. The par-times method is used to kick-start the set of figures, but once horses have an established record, the previous figures become the basis for the new figures.