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[GMB@BP]

I finally finished the book....what can I say, I am busy.

One thing to note, I would consider myself an expert at handicapping, as close to being professional level, without being professional. I am sure some would not agree but I have been doing this a long time and have been around some of the best handicappers in this country. So my views are from that perspective.

I do love reading handicapping books, the subject itself is entertaining enough that just about any book I will enjoy. If you like handicapping you will enjoy this book, I have no doubts.

Mike is great, and having listened to him many times over the years, he relates handicapping and his time at the track very well. His stories are great and provide the book more enjoyment than just a pure numbers and data analysis type of handicapping book.

That is a strength of the book, that it ties real track experience and handicapping. Telling it with actual stories provides context that we can often relate to, in our own handicapping story world.

The books strengths are the sections on Bias, Trip Handicapping, Performance Figures, and activism chapter at the end. I would like to see a more expanded Performance Figure discussion, it’s a concept I played around with but have never implemented in any real fashion. I feel with Timeform figures adjusted for pace, adjusting them further in his Performance Figure concepts would provide the best possible data point to use.

The one thing I think is tough, and while he mentions its not easy, the Bias and Trip work, at the level he is talking about is not possible for the non-professional player. I am a working professional with 2 kids. I tried doing trip/bias work for Saratoga this summer, then SA and Del Mar in the fall. Its just too tough. Not enough hours in a week. I think the only way one gets this done is to team up with 2-3 people and share data, or purchase it.

I was taken back though that while Mike bets through Keeneland, he is open about the fact he gets a rebate, but what I didn’t know was that Kee provided the rebate. So when he bets on Keeneland and say gets a 5% rebate he effectively is given a different takeout rate by Kee, that doesn’t not sit well with me. This is not an ADW playing with their own margins, this is the track that sets the takeout rates. Maybe I am splitting hairs but just doesn’t feel right.

The past posting is beyond disgusting, but not a surprise.

Anyways, good book, worth the read.