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sq764
08-09-2006, 10:04 PM
Let me pre-empt this by saying I have zero desire to learn or cap with Thoro-graph, nor do I have the time or desire to delve into the whoel theory.. BUT, I was just looking at a few sheets today that I found and have always been curious how to even read them..

Anyone have a quick 2 minute exaplanation on how to read them?

If not, no sweat. They look too much like my senior year geometry tests, so I am very weary to even try to learn.. :)

bigmack
08-09-2006, 10:10 PM
Sq - Geometry causes weariness & Gravity causes plastic surgeons

http://www.thorograph.com/How2Use/intro.pdf

http://www.thorograph.com/introduction.php

Dave
08-09-2006, 11:03 PM
well, I'm actually a Sheet player, but since t-graph bears an amazingly coincidental similarity to The Sheets, which happen to be put out by brown's old boss, I'll try to give you a quick idea that's hopefully not as complicated as high school geometry.

each race is assigned a number, just like the beyer #'s you're probably familiar with, but lower is better, and they get kind of graphed for easier reading and they're a little more involved than the simpler beyers.
lower (better) being towards the left, w/the higher (slower) being slightly to the right.

these series of races/#'s are presented in columns by year, w/several years fitting on one page, and a slot for where today's race would go -- and I should mention that as they are plotted on this column, they are spaced out according to how far apart each race was.

brown uses a somewhat faster scale than Ragozin, but to give you some reference, a triple crown race winner would run somewhere between 0-5 on The Sheets, w/horrible maiden claimers running in the 30's and up.

oh -- also, different distances are denoted by the various fonts.

that's the gist of it -- for all the notations you can reference the site.

if you're interested in how Sheet players actually use the #'s you'd probably get a ton of answers on either site's board.

edit ps

I should probably add that when a friend of mine first showed them to me I felt about exactly as you do --- I didn't have a clue how anybody could read that stuff.
but, pretty quickly it becomes as easy as reading english.
if you showed someone the form for the first time, they'd probably feel the same.

Tom
08-09-2006, 11:08 PM
The thing I like about the Sheets or Rags is the layout - spaced out to make layoffs easy to spot, a couple or more years all on one page, easy to see past patterns, tops, etc. Lots on info on a page.

Dave
08-09-2006, 11:14 PM
the funny thing about that (to me) is that all those years using the form I used to make these little marks and notations about spacing, and now if I go back to the form, after using Sheets for years, that's probably the main thing that frustrates me -- that I don't have the built in spacing.

didn't know you were a Sheet adept, Tom.

Tom
08-09-2006, 11:23 PM
Don't use them, but have studied them and look at freebies when available.
I like alot of the patterns.
HTR has three sheet style screens, and of course, CJ has it, but no one has the neat layout of the sheets themselves. But then, for $35 a day, I would expect something extra!;)

I was actually mulling over buying a set this week at the SPA for the heck of it. I think they sell them on track.

Dave
08-09-2006, 11:27 PM
psshh...the winner of every race is included in each set -- you can't beat that.

think I'll be playing sar and ap off Sheets on saturday if you want to compare notes the night before or after the card.

edit ps

according to their site: Belmont, Saratoga, and Aqueduct - Clubhouse Binocular Stand

and


Albany Teletheater - 711 Central Ave., Albany, NY (518-438-0127)
The Racing Forum - 690 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge, NY (516-853-1000)
Nassau County - Race Palace. 1600 Round Swamp Road, Plainview, NY

you can also d/l them and print, or possibly via e-mail.