Books for a beginner

[thew92]

I a previous thread I ask a bunch of question for a newbie. One of them was about books to read I got the following suggestions. Can you rank your top 3 out of this list and add any that might be left out.

Handicapping 101 by Brad Free

Beyer on Speed by Andrew Beyer

Picking Winners by Andrew Beyer

RECREATIONAL HANDICAPPING - by James Quinn

FIGURE HANDICAPPING - James Quin

The odds on your side – Cramer

Ainslie's Guide to Thoroughbred Racing. Tom Ainslie

Betting Thoroughbreds. Steven Davidowitz

[superfecta]

PACE MAKES THE RACE.1st edition.
Not just for the methodology,but the psychological mindset.

[Edward DeVere]

Of the ones listed I would go with Ainslie, Davidowitz and Beyer, but the Beyer I would recommend would be "The Winning Horseplayer", as it incorporates trips and pace with speed figures.

I would also recommend Beyer's "My $50,000 Year At The Races" for pure pleasure. "The Thrill Of Victory and The Agony Of Defeat" should be its subtitle.

[Johnny V]

1. Ainslie's Guide
2. Betting Thoroughbreds/Davidowitz
3. Beyer On Speed

I would also add Pace Makes The Race as another choice not on your list.

[Some_One]

Dave's New Pace and Basics of Winning course.

[Robert Goren]

Winner's File by Henry Kuck is very good book although it predate the daily variant speed ratings such as Beyers SR. I recommend it . A daily variant SR book Figure Handicapping is as good as any. Brohamer's book is pretty good. You read those 3 and you will get most of what is done today in handicapping.

[exiles]

I a previous thread I ask a bunch of question for a newbie. One of them was about books to read I got the following suggestions. Can you rank your top 3 out of this list and add any that might be left out.

Handicapping 101 by Brad Free

Beyer on Speed by Andrew Beyer

Picking Winners by Andrew Beyer

RECREATIONAL HANDICAPPING - by James Quinn

FIGURE HANDICAPPING - James Quin

The odds on your side – Cramer

Ainslie's Guide to Thoroughbred Racing. Tom Ainslie

Betting Thoroughbreds. Steven Davidowitz

#1 my a mile THE ODDS MUST BE CRAZY, Len Ragozin
# any book by DAVIDOWITZ
#Any BEYER BOOK.

[GatetoWire]

I was a serious harness player my entire life and switched to Thoroughbred only about a year ago. The learning curve is pretty heavy but these books will help.

All of these books have really helped me in the last year.


Betting Thoroughbreds (make sure you get the new 21st Century edition) - Davidowitz

Handicapping 101 - Brad Free

All 3 Andy Beyer books (Picking Winners, The Winning Horseplayer, Beyer on Speed)


After you finish those I would recommend Extreme Pace Handicapping by Randy Giles as a good first start on Pace Handicapping


Anslie is great but only if you need the very basics (Rich Eng's Horse Racing for Dummies also good)

[Edward DeVere]

Anslie is great but only if you need the very basics

Ainslie IS very good on the basics but there is MUCH more to his book than that. I have revisited portions of his book time and time again over the years.

I would, of course, recommend that a new reader obtain the most recent revised edition.

[Uncle Salty]

Ainslie or Brad Free's Handicapping 101 to get a broad spectrum beginners overview. Then read Davidowitz Betting Thoroughbreds once the basic stuff has set in.

Read all of Andy Beyers books. And I liked James Quinn's Condition Book for an elaboration of contenders at each class level, although the book will point you to a lot of chalk.

I wouldn't jump into Brohamer or Sartin stuff until you got the meat and potatoes down. That can be a little much for a beginner and it can start putting you in the habit of just looking at a set of pace numbers instead of the whole picture.

[RunForTheRoses]

Merk Cramer-Kinky Handicapping, amongst others

The Dick Mitchell oevure

[jasperson]

1. Winning At The Races by Dr. Quirin
This gives you the knowledge of which factors are important and how important they are.
2 Picking winners by Andy Beyers
This gives you the background in how speed figure are made. You don't have to make figures but you should understand how they are made.
After that read all the rest.

[Some_One]

Ok, I'm going to go extreme and say do not read any of these books, simple just play as many races as possible, look over as much form as possible. With an unlimited data plan, you can always load up other tracks you might not play and play them on paper and see how you do. Most of the people who have replied to this post probably aren't long term winning players, so why would you have want to follow their advice, also I'm sure you've see the advice on 2p2 that poker players should spend less time watching videos and more time playing, that's is the best way to learn.

[gm10]

Betting Thoroughbreds by Steven Davidowitz.

No doubt about it. If there's one handicapper that I admire it's Davidowitz. No one else is as comprehensive as he is.

[offtrack]

I have found the Breeders Guide, by C Marx to be an interesting read.:)

[GatetoWire]

Ainslie IS very good on the basics but there is MUCH more to his book than that. I have revisited portions of his book time and time again over the years.

I would, of course, recommend that a new reader obtain the most recent revised edition.
It's been few years since I read it. Maybe I need to go back and pick it up again for a refresher.

Thanks for the insight Edward.

[crestridge]

Go to JCapper's web site, look at some of the ideas, concepts, the factors page, etc. Then think about starting a data base, locate/identify patterns of your own. Not only is it useful, but it's lots of fun to attempt to put the "pieces of the puzzle" together, with your own "spin" to it. Maybe read Steve Fierro's "The Four Quarters of Horse Investing"; some good advice.

[Mr Saratoga]

Tom Ainslie co authored a book years ago called "The body language of horses" I have found it to be a valuable tool, If you are in a position to veiw the horses in the paddock or anytime prior to the race, and know what to look for you can get some nice payoffs, and, or eliminate false favorites.

[mishka]

Don't let the title fool you. How to Make Money in One Day at the Track. With the subtitle of Everything The Occasional Racegoer Needs to Know To Come Home from a Day at the Races a Winner. By Charles Romanelli.

Tom Ainslie is quoted on the cover recommending it. The book covers both handicapping and betting. And how does the occasional racegoer win? By considering speed, class, pace, owners/jockies/trainers--really fundamental stuff. But more than that at the end of each chapter he provides a process and checklist for new people to follow as a starting point. It was updated in 1989 so a bit dated mostly on the frequency of how often horses now run--in his day they apparently ran 2 times month. I followed the steps and did find the strongest horses in most races. But putting them into a wager is another thing. Which leads to the second book recommendation.

Using Romanelli's steps I practiced and finally decided to bet and handicapp a few races at Del Mar. I bet $2.20 (.20 OTB fee) on one race and really nailed it. Winner paid 2.10. Romanelli has good chapters on betting, provided a good handicapping foundation, but I did not really understand the word "overlay" until I made those bets.

I then stumbled on Money Secrets at the Racetrack by Barry Meadow. Meadows does not talk handicapping and assumes you have done that. He writes about using that knowledge to make profitable bets. I made winning bets, but not profitable bets.

So for me, I would recommend Romanelli for the basics of handicapping, and then Medaow on how to use your new found skills to make profitable bets.

Oh, here is what Ainsle wrote about Romanelli: "An extraordinary creative handicapper who has packaged his considerable knowledge of the game in just about the neatest, simplest, and most logical selection procedure ever offered to new racegoers."