Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board

Go Back   Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com - Horse Racing Message Board > Thoroughbred Horse Racing Discussion > Handicapping Software


Reply
 
Thread Tools Rate Thread
Old 08-20-2022, 02:00 PM   #1
wiretowire68
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 283
Importing Results Charts from Equibase

I know these are coded: Can these files be downloaded into Excel or Google Sheets?
wiretowire68 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-20-2022, 02:37 PM   #2
headhawg
crusty old guy
 
headhawg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Snarkytown USA
Posts: 3,909
The short answer is no. There was a free program available years ago that parsed the pdf files and then allowed for importing but Equibase put a stop to that pretty quickly. And I believe that Equibase changed the file format so even if you have the program it doesn't work now. An enterprising Java programmer could probably fix that issue though.
__________________
"Don't believe everything that you read on the Internet." -- Abraham Lincoln
headhawg is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-20-2022, 02:48 PM   #3
Augenj
Top Horse Analytics
 
Augenj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Posts: 12,303
I've used Post Time Solutions for years to download charts into ".txt" files. You'll have to pay though.

https://posttimedaily.com/download/charts/
Augenj is online now   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-21-2022, 09:31 PM   #4
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by headhawg View Post
The short answer is no. There was a free program available years ago that parsed the pdf files and then allowed for importing but Equibase put a stop to that pretty quickly. And I believe that Equibase changed the file format so even if you have the program it doesn't work now. An enterprising Java programmer could probably fix that issue though.
If memory serves, it parsed the charts when they were HTML. Equibase then shifted to PDF to stop it.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-22-2022, 08:11 AM   #5
headhawg
crusty old guy
 
headhawg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Snarkytown USA
Posts: 3,909
No, it definitely parsed the pdf results charts. Equibase sent the creator a cease-and-desist letter and he obliged, for obvious reasons.
__________________
"Don't believe everything that you read on the Internet." -- Abraham Lincoln
headhawg is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-23-2022, 07:50 PM   #6
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by headhawg View Post
No, it definitely parsed the pdf results charts. Equibase sent the creator a cease-and-desist letter and he obliged, for obvious reasons.
There was definitely one a bunch of people here (myself included) used that did the html files, Game Theory maybe. If anyone can parse pdf charts into something usable, they might be one of the 10 greatest programmers in history. Not saying it can't be done, but I've never seen one that was close to usable.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-23-2022, 08:19 PM   #7
headhawg
crusty old guy
 
headhawg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Snarkytown USA
Posts: 3,909
Here are a couple of threads discussing it. Some trustworthy people made comments. Also some goofballs. I never used it but apparently the program worked. Draw your own conclusions.

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...d.php?t=145714

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...d.php?t=146529
__________________
"Don't believe everything that you read on the Internet." -- Abraham Lincoln
headhawg is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-23-2022, 11:33 PM   #8
DanBoals
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 67
Quote:
Originally Posted by cj View Post
There was definitely one a bunch of people here (myself included) used that did the html files, Game Theory maybe. If anyone can parse pdf charts into something usable, they might be one of the 10 greatest programmers in history. Not saying it can't be done, but I've never seen one that was close to usable.

Try https://www.pdftoexcel.com/


Get your pdf file and upload it.


Tell it to convert.


Download it.


Open it with Excel.


You should see a spread sheet like the one I am attaching.



You might want to adjust the columns to make it pretty, but it seems to work.

Attached Images
File Type: jpg PaceAdv.jpg (288.4 KB, 32 views)
DanBoals is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-24-2022, 02:29 PM   #9
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanBoals View Post
Try https://www.pdftoexcel.com/


Get your pdf file and upload it.


Tell it to convert.


Download it.


Open it with Excel.


You should see a spread sheet like the one I am attaching.



You might want to adjust the columns to make it pretty, but it seems to work.
That is better than most attempts I've seen, but the format would take a lot of work to make the data consistently accurate and usable IMO.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-24-2022, 02:35 PM   #10
cj
@TimeformUSfigs
 
cj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Moore, OK
Posts: 46,816
Quote:
Originally Posted by headhawg View Post
Here are a couple of threads discussing it. Some trustworthy people made comments. Also some goofballs. I never used it but apparently the program worked. Draw your own conclusions.

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...d.php?t=145714

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...d.php?t=146529
Thanks, I'm sure I read that but had forgotten. The charts went to PDF because people were easily parsing the HTML files. Looks like Robin figured out how to do it with PDF.

Side note, I hate how the charts open in a frame and you have to click another button to get them full size. I'm sure there is a reason (deterrent?) for it but it is annoying.
cj is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-24-2022, 03:11 PM   #11
wiretowire68
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 283
I got it

to work with google sheets as well. Change the PDF if you do not have adobe which I do not and change it to a csv.file notepad and downloads it.. You do have to tinker to make it fit right in terms of centring columns etc. I wanted to thank you Dan B. The question I have to do now is I have made all these handicapping books with Google Sheets. I am not a programmer. I have Bris/Beyer #s whereby I take best figure depending on the pp at the distance and best # at distance/closest to the distance/or surface. or best route possible, take the last 3 starts if applicable and average out to come up with two #s and check into trends or forecast in terms of cycle( i.e.) trending up or down. I then rate accordingly..(Ends up for the most part-typical prediction usually fav. M/L but there are horses with higher M/L or contention that make it into the top 3.
I then take Form based on some of Ray Talbot works and my own basic angle experience and score it. Then Pace Handicapping i.e. Fractional Charting or Sartin..(issue always is which pace line or pace lines to choose) I do a Querin method for speed or upfront leaders using Ken Massa and the Skeptical Handicapper work to come up with a points score again if applicable(avoiding 2 year olds or young 3 year olds without a large enough sample size. I have created my own Speed/Class Rating that I am trying to make as fair as possible using a formula both combining Speed Rating and Track Variant and my own formula which is still in the works and have make my own class system/Speed Rating chart which is part of the Professional Handicapper's association base on class and tracks. This is still very fresh and still comes up with basic Fav/2nd choice. the ambigueties are sitting in the middle of the pack. I am in the testing faze in terms of what I call a SR-(Speed Rating) CR-(Class Rating) is similar to Euro racing using a number compared to the class levels here and again working on adjustments in terms of #s adjusted to level and the distance etc.
It takes a long time to do one race even with formulas and not being a programmer. I like what Ray did with Allways Excel whereby he programmed it all being able to use Bris and allowing the data to be manipulated or disected to what you see.

I like where the AI is heading in terms of prediction and google sheets has fuctionality which will ask questions about the data and analysze it. I am still learning in terms of programming my own statistical functions so I am able to fix the data. It is too bad, the best book I have read in terms of Excel and mathematic Statistics is by an asian fellow who wrote teaches methods of all the probabilities etc. I am not concerned about so much the odds at times and making my own odds line..which may come but more about being able to input past performance which just is not about pace, but form cycles and workouts and allow a user to be able to take the numbers and look at alternatively. It is a massive undertaking.

CL
wiretowire68 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-24-2022, 03:20 PM   #12
wiretowire68
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 283
The paying for data these days is nuts and handicappers should be allowed to be able to decipher numbers the way they like..Mike Pizzolla has always been right in terms of the public makes the odds or the gambler after morning line is set, but in terms of pure data towards form i.e. whatever pp whether its BetMix or DRF or Equibase/Bris Post Time et. The handicapper should be allowed to formulate his own opinion based on past performance data supplied. DRF and Formulator is excellent in terms of being able to look at breeding and all other figures. however, they do not allow a user to purchase and to be able to make it compatible with the spreadsheets that are part of the software community. You want to make the game interesting to those... who love it, allow hanicapper to have the choice and moreso..THE COMPATIBILITY OF HIS COMPUTER AND HIS SOFTWARE TO DO WITH THE DATA WHAT HE/SHE WANTS.
wiretowire68 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-24-2022, 03:35 PM   #13
headhawg
crusty old guy
 
headhawg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Snarkytown USA
Posts: 3,909
Wow. I stopped reading that jibber-jabber after three sentences. But if you want to do more with the data then invest in software that lets you export into a comma-delimited format. HTR, for example, has an export feature. Geroge/MikeSal promotes that feature all of the time here. Other software may have the same capability, I don't know.
__________________
"Don't believe everything that you read on the Internet." -- Abraham Lincoln
headhawg is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Old 08-24-2022, 09:10 PM   #14
wiretowire68
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 283
I own Valuecapper
wiretowire68 is offline   Reply With Quote Reply
Reply




Thread Tools
Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

» Advertisement
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:32 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 1999 - 2023 -- PaceAdvantage.Com -- All Rights Reserved
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.