Handicapper's Condition Book by James Quinn

[MarquisMark]

I bought this book after reading great reviews from many different sources.

It is a book about class and how to determine the contenders by the eligibility conditions of the race, i.e certain types of races are won by certain kinds of horses, or rather, what type of horses are the best bets are in each type of race condition.

This book is very good, although it is a little over my head in parts (especially the NW2X+, stakes races, non-claiming 3 year olds) and I've had to read parts of it over and over for them to finally sink in. It is very well written...the guy is obviously very intelligent and knows volumes about the sport.

This has been most helpful for me in eliminating the non-contenders from the races, which was a part where I needed a little help. I could find the horses I liked, but there were always more in the field that I didn't know what to do with and didn't know what to make of.

I'm still getting my head around all the information in this book and trying not to get overloaded by it all. But there were a few things he mentioned that I am not sure about...

For instance, he seems to be a bit tough about the number of workouts that claiming horses should have in between races. Horses without enough workouts since the last race should be eliminated as contenders, but in the races I've looked at, I've seen some nice priced winners who are otherwise in good form but just didn't make it past the workout requirement.

He also advises to consider any claiming horse that is dropping in class, the higher the drop the better. I was under the impression that a huge drop in class in claimers is not a good sign, especially if the performance has been less than spectacular. If trainers keep unloading a horse at increasingly lower prices that would say to me that something is wrong...

I'm sure I could just disregard these pieces of advice. I just wanted to see if anyone else out there had read this or uses it in their handicapping and if there are any parts to particularly pay attention to any parts that can be overlooked.

Thanks.

[098poi]

This is my favorite handicapping book. I had it many years ago and it didn't sink in but then got it again and after a reread things seemed to sink in. Some may say certain "angles" no longer apply but I don't know. It was the first time I really got the notion of the life of a race horse, Maiden/Nw/Stakes/Claim etc..
I use basic points extracted from the book as far as handicapping the conditions

At first glance

Maidens, look for 2nd time starters, horses who finished 2nd or 3rd last out, MSW dropping into MCL for the first time

Claimers, 30% or more drop in class from previous, horses that have won 2 out of the last 6 or 3 out of the last 10.

NW1x Focus first on lightly raced younger horses especially as the year progresses.

If there are 3 or more that share these characteristics I try to pass unless there is something strong I like about one of them. Let me rephrase, I should
pass but usually don't.

These are things I look at first, not automatic selections. He has some seminar stuff posted on Youtube.

[jhilden]

This was one of those handicapping books that I bought when new to the handicapping world, learned some things, put away for a few years, picked up again, and learned A LOT MORE. There are some things outdated in the book like the posted workouts for claiming races. Strictly using this rule, you would miss a lot of good horses. Implement your own form analysis for horses who do not meet the requirements.



As to the dropdowns, I am currently analyzing my db to see how potent these drops really are in the long run. So far, generally, the public bets these horses down if they show a hint of speed and are dropping a few levels.

[BIG49010]

Only book he ever put out that was decent. IMO

[barn32]

Originally Posted by BIG49010

Only book he ever put out that was decent. IMO

I liked his, "Best of Thoroughbred Handicapping," and "Bet with the Best."

[jhilden]

Originally Posted by BIG49010

Only book he ever put out that was decent. IMO

I'll disagree, Figure Handicapping is a gem.

[46zilzal]

It is woefully out of date

[Tom]

Figure Handicapping and Condition Book were two of the best ever written, IMHO. Both are still very much useful. The Condition book is still the foundation of my handicapping - I always start with the type of race and how the horses meet the conditions.

[so.cal.fan]

I agree with Tom. The Handicapper's Condition book is the best.
However, it was written long time ago, so you need the updated version and you need to keep up with changes in purses and conditions.
Jim is a very good handicapper who gives free seminars on Sundays at Santa Anita when they are running live.
I haven't been in years but plan to attend during Oak Tree, to get updates and Jim's take on the new synthetic tracks.
We have a few new conditions in our races here, I think I've figured them correctly, but want to see what Jim has to say.

[MarquisMark]

What kind of things in the book would you say are out of date and need refreshening, other than the posted workouts for claimers?