trip handicapping

[anotherdave]

I have been using the comments from the charts extensively in my handicapping with some very nice results (especially looking for horses who ran 3 or 4 wide in sprints). They are much more detailed than the comment line on the past performances (my least favorite from the pps- second best - that tells me a lot!). Problem is I am looking back for most horses last race or two and althought I'm getting quick, there must be a better way. Anybody out there doing this? Any tips on doing this more efficiently?

Much appreciated!

Dave

[andicap]

One suggestion:
Get DRF's Simulcast Weekly (if you can find it -- I finally managed with help from Marc at DRF here) and go over each chart at the tracks you play daily, writing down horses with bad trips. Should take about 5-10 minutes a day/track and you'll have a notebook of these horses to look at when you handicap.

Alternatively, you can use the free BRIS fast charts on line and do it from there.

[PaceGuy]

I think that the best way to do this might be to narrow one's focus down to a smaller number of circuits and take the time to watch race replays yourself. Then take notes. I trust my own eyes more than those of the chartmaker. I am looking for specific things during a replay that the chartmaker is not. I have found that bad trips (as well as clean trips) are not always noted in the charts. Sometimes, all of the starters are not even listed in the chartmaker's comments below the charts.

[JimH]

Chart comments can be useless in trip handicapping sometimes. I own a horse who ran in a race at Monmouth Park on June 16. He finished ninth and the comment line was "no rally". Here's what REALLY happened:

When the gate opened, the horse's head was turned and he hit the gate coming out. After breaking last, he tried to move up as they passed the finish line the first time and was pinched back because the jock tried to go through a hole which wasn't there. The horse then went to the hedge, in dead last, and checked four times in the run up the backstretch. When the field turned for home, he was stuck behind a wall of horses six abreast and the jockey didn't waste any energy in trying to make a move. Thus the comment of "no rally".

The next time this horse ran, he won (easily) and paid $19. Apparently, the handicappers saw the jump up in class (from claimers to nw1x allowance) and a seemingly very dull effort in his last start and tossed him.

If you watch the film, you'd see that the horse's race resembled my description much more than that of the chart caller.

[smf]

Jim H,

Well written post! Your example was perfect as to why I don't pay much attention to trip notes in pp's. I've taped races at home for 3 years now and find it the biggest advantage I have, or could hope to have.

[anotherdave]

Thanks for the input. The BRIS comments are usually fairly short, while the charts are longer. (Obviously the quality of the comments varies track to track). Case in point yesterday I was looking over a crappy maiden race with no real decent opinion. One of the horses had run an ok last race and the bris comment was wide. When I looked it up on the official chart it said pushed pace 3 wide, 4 wide on backstretch and 3 wide through stretch . He still gained to close within a length at the finish.

I got excited, but only got 3-1 on him. Still, I'll take that. He won handily by 2 1/2 lengths. If all I looked at was wide, that could have meant anything, and I would have passed a good bet.

Lately I've had so much luck with reading the charts, it feels like I could specialize in it. I've had some amazing pays on horses who should have been 2-1. But this is horse racing, who knows if this will last!

[Tom]

I recently bet a horse at the track and watched the running of the race with great dismay. Coming out of the Two hole in 1m70 race, my jockey somehow managed to get outside well before the first turn and be four wide the entire turn. Up the backstretch, he continued 4-6 wide and appeared to drift out more.
But the turn for home, he was so wide I could only assume he was heading to the grandstand for a hot and a Coke. I almost yelled to warn the railbirds that they were in danger when he finally straightened out and ended up fourth, well beaten. The chart comment
a few days later read "Inside rally!"
I remember once, a few years ago, a horse was gate scratch yet in the chart comments, he got a comment
"No Factor!" Duh???


Tom