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Bill Cullen
08-02-2008, 02:14 PM
What books are the best collections of spot plays from a creative point of view? Here I'm looking more for originality and uniqueness of the methods than just number crunching. A book where after looking at the spot plays therein you find yourself saying a number of times, "Hey, I never thought of that before."

Thanks,

Bill C

RaceBookJoe
08-02-2008, 03:58 PM
What books are the best collections of spot plays from a creative point of view? Here I'm looking more for originality and uniqueness of the methods than just number crunching. A book where after looking at the spot plays therein you find yourself saying a number of times, "Hey, I never thought of that before."

Thanks,

Bill C

Jim Adkinsson (sp?) had an interesting one called " The damndest, craziest, longshot getting book" or something like that. It was a nice slant. I used to lean more on spot plays that made sense from a logical point of view, then some of the "bet the grey horse" type things. rbj

ranchwest
08-02-2008, 05:00 PM
What books are the best collections of spot plays from a creative point of view? Here I'm looking more for originality and uniqueness of the methods than just number crunching. A book where after looking at the spot plays therein you find yourself saying a number of times, "Hey, I never thought of that before."

Thanks,

Bill C

If you haven't read Quirin, I'd recommend starting there before moving on to other spot play books. Quirin doesn't match your uniqure requirement, but I think he sets up a reader for understanding and evaluating other books.

RichieP
08-02-2008, 05:46 PM
What books are the best collections of spot plays from a creative point of view? Here I'm looking more for originality and uniqueness of the methods than just number crunching. A book where after looking at the spot plays therein you find yourself saying a number of times, "Hey, I never thought of that before."

Thanks,

Bill C

Bill
Calibration Handicapping by Jim Lehane is what you are looking for. Quite possibly the BEST book ever written on how to make money at the track.

The last part about making your own value line instead of relying on ml odds maker is worth 10 times the price of the book and that's just a small piece of it man.

Get it
Richie

tribecaagent
08-02-2008, 05:53 PM
What books are the best collections of spot plays from a creative point of view? Here I'm looking more for originality and uniqueness of the methods than just number crunching. A book where after looking at the spot plays therein you find yourself saying a number of times, "Hey, I never thought of that before."

Thanks,

Bill C

Bill,

"Inside the Claiming Game" by Steve Collison is unique and far from a number crunch approach. I really got a handle on which trainers know how to play the game.

Hank
08-03-2008, 12:15 AM
The Mark Cramer stuff like hardcore research for X rated horseplayers would fit the bill.

shoelessjoe
08-03-2008, 12:40 AM
Second the motion on CH,Jim's red scan technique is very good.

gl45
08-03-2008, 07:00 AM
Ray Taulbot "Lessons in Handicapping" and "Lessons on Racing Angles"

The Judge
08-03-2008, 08:28 AM
The old Systems and Methods which evaluated systems that where mailed in or otherwise gathered up ala Phillips Newsletter (which may be another source). Check Gamblers Books

offtrack
08-03-2008, 09:27 AM
Olmstead's Complete Handicapper- lists "50 systems that work".

Bill Cullen
08-03-2008, 05:14 PM
Jim Adkinsson (sp?) had an interesting one called " The damndest, craziest, longshot getting book" or something like that. It was a nice slant. I used to lean more on spot plays that made sense from a logical point of view, then some of the "bet the grey horse" type things. rbj

Sounds just what I'm looking for!

Thanks,

Bill C

Bill Cullen
08-03-2008, 05:16 PM
If you haven't read Quirin, I'd recommend starting there before moving on to other spot play books. Quirin doesn't match your uniqure requirement, but I think he sets up a reader for understanding and evaluating other books.

Thanks for your response. I've read Quirin and I still have his "Winning
at the Races" book.

Bill C

Bill Cullen
08-03-2008, 05:17 PM
Bill
Calibration Handicapping by Jim Lehane is what you are looking for. Quite possibly the BEST book ever written on how to make money at the track.

The last part about making your own value line instead of relying on ml odds maker is worth 10 times the price of the book and that's just a small piece of it man.

Get it
Richie

Thanks, Richie.

I'll try go get it.

Bill C

Bill Cullen
08-03-2008, 05:18 PM
Bill,

"Inside the Claiming Game" by Steve Collison is unique and far from a number crunch approach. I really got a handle on which trainers know how to play the game.

This sounds like what I need to be reading.

Thanks,

Bill C

Bill Cullen
08-03-2008, 05:20 PM
The Mark Cramer stuff like hardcore research for X rated horseplayers would fit the bill.

Thanks, Hank.

I've read Cramer before and he's pretty unique.

Bill C

Bill Cullen
08-03-2008, 05:22 PM
Olmstead's Complete Handicapper- lists "50 systems that work".

I want to get Olmstead's "Complete Handicapper."

Thanks,

Bill C

Tom
08-03-2008, 07:31 PM
James Quinn's Best of Thoroughbred Racing is good - it reviews a lot of different author's works and has plenty of stuff you can work into you normal methods.

Irish Boy
08-03-2008, 10:04 PM
Jim Adkinsson (sp?) had an interesting one called " The damndest, craziest, longshot getting book" or something like that. It was a nice slant. I used to lean more on spot plays that made sense from a logical point of view, then some of the "bet the grey horse" type things. rbj

Bet the grey horse is the closest thing to an eternal truth that this game has. :D One would be wise never to ignore it. :D

Bill Cullen
08-04-2008, 09:57 AM
James Quinn's Best of Thoroughbred Racing is good - it reviews a lot of different author's works and has plenty of stuff you can work into you normal methods.

Yes, I've got that one and I agree: it's good.

Thanks,

Bill C

jjflan
08-14-2008, 04:43 AM
The best material I ever read about handicapping was by Dan Pope -- not a book but a series of angles called "Million Dollar Moves" written way back in the 70's I think I went my own way after that but Pope (who many have dissed as just another system seller) taught me a concept that stuck with me ever since. That concept is that a trainer will sometimes race his horse as a prep for the next race in a way that hides his emerging form. There are a lot of other angles to look for of course but the prepping concept is for real. This was all new to me at the time but it has served me well over the years in finding a good price here and there. A week ago Monday I found a gelding in a maiden claimer at Del Mar that had run evenly in the middle for his debut (the jockey kept him in 6th position for all four calls and didn't vary more than three lengths in his distance behind whoever was leading) -- by itself not exciting but the thing that got me to the windows was that the trainer had his charge working out the day before today's race! A hungry "1 for 23" barn ate caviar that day...

08/04 Dmr (3) 2-Brinson 12-1 57.60 18.60 27-1

Boxcars like this come along once in a blue moon of course but I believe that learning to spot the "send" when a horse doesn't look that great to most of the bettors is the only way to stay in the black in this tough game. Dan Pope got me on to this and the work of Tom Worth was a great help as well.

trying2win
08-14-2008, 06:14 PM
I like reading the works of Mark Cramer. I've read many of his books, methods, and angles over the years. If I remember correctly, he had some great ideas on topics like the automatic bet, wager value, plus the strategy of when doing paper tests, to cross off the highest-priced winner in any test before making conclusions about possible profitability on certain angles.

I subscribed to his C & X Reports for a year awhile back. Really interesting stuff to read.


T2W

Doug3312
08-15-2008, 05:13 PM
You might try Jerry's Pro Pace book and software. He points out trainer intent and hidden form, workouts within races etc. He is also good at answering questions. He has been ill lately, but check him out. He is also good friends with Jim Lahane.