The biggest revolution in modern handicapping is over course Beyer Speed Figures. I don't think a newbie can just go straight to Beyer's books. I think the best foundation for a new player is still Ainslie's Complete guide. If you start there you can get a better grasp of Beyer. From this point you can move onto pace data and other modern data. This is my history of development and I don't think a Handicapper can put data in proper perspective unless he understands the evolution of the data. Along with the understanding of data a player needs to develop a working knowledge of training methods. The person who had the most influence on my development always told me to learn how train and own a runner. This knowledge leads to knowing whether a horse is capable of winning today along with distinguishing whether he's fast enough to win. I don't play often enough to win trying to outsmart other speed handicappers. My method of winning these days is to use my knowledge of data to know when to bet against it.
Last edited by bisket; 10-31-2017 at 11:44 AM.
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