Need Help With Creating Database

[sq764]

I noticed there are several people on the list that have 10's of thousands of races in a database, and I was curious if anyone can offer some tips as to how to start from scratch.

I have come to 2 conclusions recentlys..

1 is that I am so busy with work and my wife and dog that I have limited time to handicap. 2 is that I will never stop playing the horses due to the fact that I would kill myself.

With that being said, I realize I must try to automate as much as possible.

So.. If anyone can offer a word of advice or where to start, I would greatly appreciate it.


Thanks,
Scott
(sq764@aol.com)

[GameTheory]

Don't think you'll be lessening your workload by "databasizing" -- you'll simply be shifting it a bit...

[Jaguar]

Mike, why bother? Michael Nunamaker did the definitive work on this several years ago. He used over 20,000 races.

All the best,

Jaguar

[Tom]

...are like children - you have to continually feed them.

But if you are serious, you need to decide what data you need/can afford up front- once you get into it, it can be really costly to swithc providers in midstream.
What do you wnat the db to do for you?
I never use mine to find plays, although I probably could.
What software do you have/can get? You need to learn how to use it.
I use HTR data in one, and it is very easy to care and feed and was a snap to start. The other one I use TM results charts - it too is easy to use and start. I use TM for collect race-specific data and make pars and variants from, as well as key races and trainer data. The HTR is useful for HTR specific things, but there is a lot of other data in there, like layoffs, trainers, etc. and coing in May, mucho-trainer data.
Whatever you decide, there is plenty of help availabe here- I will try to help any way I can.
Good luck,

[sq764]

Oh, let me clarify.. I do not want any data files, I want to build the database with results..

[Whirlaway]

Actually, Nunamaker's study was less than 13,000 races, which he claimed at the time (early 90's) was the largest thoroughbred database in the world. Now there are people with well over 100,000 races to work from.

Also, Modern Impact Values was harldy definative, and has become severely out of date. Top speed figure horses were only losing 10 cents on the dollar in his study; now it's more like 18 cents on the dollar.

I would have to say the cheapest and easiest way to build a database is to subscribe to HTR, which has unlimited downloads and an excellent export feature for $119 a month.

[Tom]

Originally posted by sq764
Oh, let me clarify.. I do not want any data files, I want to build the database with results..

What results files?
I forgot- I have a db based on the free charts parsed by GT's program. That was easy, too.

[hurrikane]

It really depends on how you are going to use the data and what data you are collecting.

I'm not sure why building a db of result files is going to reduce your handicapping time.

[FortuneHunter]

Is bigger really better?

What good is a database with races from Saratoga, Sunland, Santa Anita, Suffolk, Santa Rosa, Sam Houston, and Sportsman.

I contend you want a database for the Belmont Spring Meet Turf, for example.

I would take a 1000 races on the Belmont Firm Turf over the last 3 meets database, over 10,000 races from all tracks and surfaces all over the place spread out over 5 years database.

You can buy the Belmont Pack data for the last 3 Belmont Meets for a few hundred dollars, both PP's and Results.

Take it from the ladies, bigger is not always better. Right Ladies?

If you want to automate, think about automating your handicapping process. If you use the PP's, and can write down your handicapping steps, I or GameTheory or 20 other guys could write a program that generates a report for your handicapping method. Then you could handicap a race in a minute or two, play with the dog, hug the wife, and yell at the kids, and not kill yourself.

Attached is an example of a what we did for our handicapping method for tomorrow's Aqueduct Card.

More on Rapid Handicapping in the thread with that title, here is the link:
http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4843

But if you want to build a database, state exactly what you want to do with it, and maybe we can give you some ideas.

FH

[FortuneHunter]

The attachemnt didn't take, here is one more try:

[PaceAdvantage]

Attachments don't take until I review them....have to make sure they are clean....

[Tom]

Yeah, PA don't post no dirty stuff.
Send that crap to me!
<G>

[FortuneHunter]

PA, Is that a picture of Holy Bull by your name?

[kenwoodall]

Is it possible for you to make a program of 5 angles with wihixh to crenn out unsuitable races using subscription entry pp's like Brisnet Ultimate pp's? that would help me with my show betting system as i have to limit my per bet $.Please email me at kensav@webtv.net is so. I use msn internet on my Real computer! Ken.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally posted by FortuneHunter
PA, Is that a picture of Holy Bull by your name?


Winning the Travers over Concern.....

[cj]

Originally posted by PaceAdvantage
Winning the Travers over Concern.....

...future BC Classic winner, who is by my favorite all time horse, Broad Brush!!! (Shameless plug for Maryland racing!)

CJ

[PaceAdvantage]

Yes CJ, it is quite amazing how 90% of the horses beaten by Holy Bull went on to greater things.

At the time, Holy Bull was THE horse in racing...very popular, very talked about. However, it seems with every passing year, Holy Bull's name doesn't come up as much when talking about horses of that era. Cigar and Skip Away tend to get a lot of hype. History (at least to me) seems to have forgotten Holy Bull a bit, compared to when he was racing. In my mind, he was one of the greatest 3yos of that decade, despite losing the Kentucky Derby. I think perhaps Sunday Silence was his only superior as a 3yo from the era of the late 80s to late 90s.

And I only wonder what might have been had he not injured himself in his one and only matchup with Cigar.

I am now guilty of taking a thread completely off topic!!

==PA

[cj]

I agree about the 3yo part, I think he even accomplished more than Sunday Silence, destroying older horses 2 times.

CJ

[PaceAdvantage]

BTW, watching Trust N Luck win the Fountain of Youth was the FIRST time I have really every been reminded of Holy Bull while watching another 3yo run....I hope he moves onto bigger and better things....

This group of 3yos looks very exciting...I know it's still early and all...

Boy, now I'm REALLY off topic....

[Dave Schwartz]

PA,

I think you have invented a whole new concept... The "key horse." <G>

You should write a book. (Or, better yet, put it in system form and let Dave Powers sell it. Then Clint Tracy can write the book. <G>)


Dave Schwartz

[PaceAdvantage]

"Key Horse"...I LIKE that!! It sums up perfectly what Holy Bull was during his reign!!

[FortuneHunter]

Speaking of Holy Bull and the Travers, Holy Bull was the only horse that I have seen in the paddock before the Travers, the last 30 or so, that had people carrying signs and posters for them. He was a fan favorite.
FH