Sidebar

[Speed Figure]

Originally Posted by NorCalGreg

Before computers, Taulbot had legions of followers with his slide-rule.

As with any point of handicapping--I always use as near the last race as I can get.
I hear some say they don't even look at the last race--doesn't figure into their handicapping approach at all. I say that's a bunch of hooey--if anyone can show me any stat, anything at all....that shows the last race is NOT the most important in the grand scheme of deducing a winner--I'll give them $100.
How can you note improving/declining form, speed, pace, trainer intent--without the last race?

Now having said that---with most of my mechanical approaches--I use the best of last two--almost universally. Going farther back turns what should be a pamphlet---into "War and Peace".

I really could care less about a horses last race. When playing minor tracks horses can lose there last two or three starts by 50+ lengths. I like going back into a horses pp's within a set about of days. I generally don't know the trainer intent and don't care. I may be able to see when a horse may be using a race as a prep, but I don't know the trainer intent of a $5000 claiming horse. I'm playing the numbers over everything else. I became a far better player once I stopped doing the best of last 2, best of last 3 and the best of this type of handicapping.