The Art and Science of Picking Winning Horses
 

This book ought to stir the pot in this forum -- The Art and Science of Picking Winning Horses by James Hillis. It's probably a rewrite of an old Gamblers Book Club book. Why it should stir the pot here is because it is a Form Handicapper's method with a point of view from the old school of handicapping. No adding second call to final time and calling it Pace that makes the race stuff. It's hardcore Form handicapping. And in today's handicapping literature, it is quite refreshing. It will make real handicappers out of you computer types. (My weakness also. So I'll re-read later.)

The book can be read at many levels from beginner to advance. The advance reader will have to read between the lines and correlate their experience and knowledge to what is being said. The author stays focused and gives simple but sage advise.

Although I will not allow this thread to devolve into a discussion on this (there are plenty of others that exist), it's this sentiment that I was talking about the other day...kind of offensive actually...for as much as one can be offended by something related to handicapping... :lol:

I don't know what you mean by "today's literature"...because I haven't seen anything new printed in this game -- which could be called "worthwhile" -- since 2004, when Brad Free's HANDICAPPING 101 was published.

"Hardcore form handicapping"...you say.

I wonder if that's anything like Tom Hambleton's book FORM POINTS...from some years back. That too was a rather exhaustive treatise on the complexities of "form"...

I paid $49.95 for it years ago, as I recall...and I have been regretting it ever since.

Did you miss that I said that I was a computer type also? The book is out dated. The reader must re-interpet 10 days to 21 days rest for claimers, etc. But the book does work the form. I am not saying this is a great book. What I am saying is that it deals with an understanding of the game lost in the modern era.

Extreme Pace by Randy Giles was a breathe of fresh air also. This book in no way compares to something like Hambleton's work. It just brings us back to an era when form was most everything in handicapping.

Greg Wry wrote a book somewhere around 2006ish, not bad especially for beginners. He goes through his process of analysis/breaking down a race..class,speed,pace. Very easy reading, may not be help to more advanced players, but for someone new, it was a decent read.

Book is called " How to turn any racetrack into your own money machine "

days of rest in not example of an understanding of the game lost in the modern era. factors that contribute to a strong understanding of the game transcend time.

Here's why the book works for me. One needs to get a feel for horse racing outside of the numbers. Many times our software leaves us floundering between two or three top numeric picks. Then the capper must use their understanding of the game to fish themselves out and make a final selection. This book, while aimed at beginners, does cover the essential methods for comparing horses on the form. It reminds me of the dot method, if you remember that one.

...Except for the fact that horses coming off a layoff now outperform horses coming back in 14 days or less.

i'm sure that this is THE key factor.

i'm still trying to get over the link between 'understanding the game' and the dot method. :bang:

The game went downhill after the Alphabet System died.
All you needed to win was copy of the NY Post.

You know the game did seem a lot more fun back then when it was the most attended sport.

You're right Dave. There is a lot of translating to do with this book to bring it up to date. Matter of fact, I don't recommend the book. It fit the bill for me because I am in need for what to do with the final 2 or 3 contenders in my selection process.

Bet the two at the highest odds.

That's the rule of thumb, and it has seemed to work. I'm just wondering if I can understand these final few a little better.