Favorite Factor Poll

[Secretariat]

Which factor is your primary consideration in approaching handicapping?

[Overlay]

No factor stands alone, of course, but I weight speed a bit more heavily than other parts of the picture. (Whether those other aspects will be conducive to allowing the horse to perform to full speed potential is another question to be answered, however.) And, in the final analysis for me, it comes down to whether, after all those factors have been considered, the overall relative risk in betting the horse against the competition in today's race is adequately compensated by the odds.

[Ponyplayr]

I would have to go with a combination of both form and condition.

It's hard to separate the two. A horse who's form is in the decline or condition is suspect will never run to the numbers.

[Vegas711]

Race Shapes , the visuation of how a race is to be run is the only factor I look at.The mix of contenders will dictate which horse has an advantage.

[kenwoodallpromos]

With my public handicapping I am primarily using class, but I have alsways liked looking at the running lines and comments so I call what I do "situational handicapping".

[JustRalph]

not listed.............Form or Form cycle

[michiken]

What kind of poll is this when you forgot to mention BEER? :lol:

[Jeff P]

Discipline - IMHO it's the most important factor of all - and the one factor I see almost universally ignored by bettors everywhere.

-jp

.

[Bruddah]

I suppose that is Connections in this poll. You could be running Secretariat against Allowance types. If the trainer is pointing the horse to something more specific (better), the horse is not going to perform at optimum today. To me, this is where the value is to be found in handicapping. Each meet serves a trainers purpose for the year. Meets early in the year may be for conditioning etc. Knowing trainer intent at specific meets equals profits.

[thoroughbred]

Races are won, obviously, by the horse that finishes the race in the shortest time.
So predicting the finish time for each horse has to be included.

[mikeb]

Races are won, obviously, by the horse that finishes the race in the shortest time.
So predicting the finish time for each horse has to be included.

Not knocking your opinion, but i was always under the impression that "time" don't mean nothing unless your doing it.

hwnn:)

[Ponyplayr]

Not knocking your opinion, but i was always under the impression that "time" don't mean nothing unless your doing it.

hwnn:)
:lol: :lol: :lol:

[098poi]

My first post here. I go with class first, maybe not class so much as conditions. James Quinns "The Handicappers Condition Book", is the best handicapping book ever. First I try and identify who best fits in the race then I go with all the other factors. For example the lightly raced three or four year old in a NW1X over an older horse with higher speed ratings, but who has been unsuccessful at this level. Maidens, looking for 2nd or 3rd last out and/or 2nd time starters. I have my own pace formula (a continual work in progress) which I use in conjuction with Beyers (UH-OH) recency, surface, distance etc.. For those who don't have Quinns book I highly reccomend it. It has been around for a while but it still holds up.