What handicapper/author influenced you

[Robert Goren]

Besides Ira S. Cohen that I mentioned before, a magazine called Turf and Sport Digest.

[Trotman]

Belmont 6-6-09 what is so amazing is how handicapping has evolved. Ray Taulbot was 51 when he was the Managing Editor of American Turf Monthly in 1946 and right from the beginning he wrote about pace and speed handicapping which indicates to me anyway he was the original which eventually everyone followed with their own twists.

[Hedevar]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Besides Ira S. Cohen that I mentioned before, a magazine called Turf and Sport Digest.

I was an avid reader of Turf and Sport Digest and still have some have some bound years.

[Robert Goren]

Originally Posted by Hedevar

I was an avid reader of Turf and Sport Digest and still have some have some bound years.

You are a lucky person.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Brohamer / Sartin / Beyer / James Jasper (not many know who he is)

I have a book written by a Jim Jasper - called, "Sports Betting"...in which he discribes his baseball and football betting systems. His baseball system is excellent BTW...

This baseball betting system is responsible for getting me involved in sports betting, 25 years ago.

He was one of the first computer programers to utilize the computer for sports betting purposes.

Is he the one you mean?

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by thaskalos

I have a book written by a Jim Jasper - called, "Sports Betting"...in which he discribes his baseball and football betting systems. His baseball system is excellent BTW...

This baseball betting system is responsible for getting me involved in sports betting, 25 years ago.

He was one of the first computer programers to utilize the computer for sports betting purposes.

Is he the one you mean?

Yup...back in 1985, he wrote a book entitled More Basic Betting: Programming to Win where he laid out the BASIC code to a horse racing system that was and still is fairly unique in terms of how it sets its value line. He also stressed betting overlays...he was right up my ally back then...

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Originally Posted by Trotman

Belmont 6-6-09 what is so amazing is how handicapping has evolved. Ray Taulbot was 51 when he was the Managing Editor of American Turf Monthly in 1946 and right from the beginning he wrote about pace and speed handicapping which indicates to me anyway he was the original which eventually everyone followed with their own twists.

Back in his times when the game was win/place and show and THE DAILY DOUBLE he was ahead of his time with his pace, current condition factors and his angle play.

[Cardus]

I don't know if it has been mentioned, but the "Trips and Traps" segments are immensely helpful tools. Is anyone else among current race day analysts doing this?

[Trotman]

Belmont 6-6-09 many people don't realize that Taulbot's angles we're a direct result of the mail he got for his articles and books when the readers had problems understanding what he was teaching. Taulbot figured if he labeled them as an angle just the mystique alone would get the readers to better understand what he was trying to teach because calling them an angle they would believe they really had something special.Many of his angles could be linked to his books and articles. Taulbot did not like writing the angles, it upset him because he felt he wasn't getting through to his readers in fact he claimed that only a handfull of the so called Taulbot Angles we're actual Angles.

[BELMONT 6-6-09]

Originally Posted by Trotman

Belmont 6-6-09 many people don't realize that Taulbot's angles we're a direct result of the mail he got for his articles and books when the readers had problems understanding what he was teaching. Taulbot figured if he labeled them as an angle just the mystique alone would get the readers to better understand what he was trying to teach because calling them an angle they would believe they really had something special.Many of his angles could be linked to his books and articles. Taulbot did not like writing the angles, it upset him because he felt he wasn't getting through to his readers in fact he claimed that only a handfull of the so called Taulbot Angles we're actual Angles.

You are a wealth of info, my friend...this is did not know. It was a sad situation that they recycled his articles when he passed.

[thaskalos]

Originally Posted by PaceAdvantage

Yup...back in 1985, he wrote a book entitled More Basic Betting: Programming to Win where he laid out the BASIC code to a horse racing system that was and still is fairly unique in terms of how it sets its value line. He also stressed betting overlays...he was right up my ally back then...

Did you dabble in sports betting at all?

[Steve 'StatMan']

Originally Posted by castaway01

How is Scott these days Steve? Living in the east, I don't know much about the guy, but from what I have read he certainly sounds like a sharp handicapper.

Scott's doing really well. Still has his newsletter, and occasionally writes for Horseplayer Magazine. He moved his seminars to Arlington and their OTBs. He holds a seminar and hosts their on-track handicapping contests every two weeks (and does the same for their select IL OTBs during the off-season.) He's also switched, at Arlington's request, to making commentary in the AP Track Program, also available on their website. Plus he's still there everyday betting - wish I was there nearly everyday like long ago, I'm now living near the lake, so a long bus and infrequent train ride to get there.

Scott, in my mind, definitely built his Handicapping House out of Bricks! He really helped me add to my knowledge and understanding of the horses form cycle, building on what I learned from Steve Davidowitz & Bill Quirin. When I'm handicapping to seriously wager, I follow his guideline on using speed figures (preferably his own figs) to project how fast each horse will run today, and compare them against one another, to determine the most likely result of the race - his definition of Handicapping. One throws in projections in the form cycle, adjust for trips (he keeps notes). Personally, I like to add estimated chance (percentage if possible) to those projections, to give me a better feel in how to split (if need be) the harder to split horses among figures alone.

Steve Davidowitz is coming to AP this weekend to join Scott for a Visiting Experts seminar! July 23rd & 24th! That's this Friday & Saturday! Scott reccomends very few handicapping author's works, and Steve Davidowitz is one of them! Steve will be sigining his books, and AP will be selling his latest work. The public is welcome to attend!

[Johnny V]

Originally Posted by Robert Goren

Besides Ira S. Cohen that I mentioned before, a magazine called Turf and Sport Digest.

I always enjoyed Turf and Sport Digest and was sorry to see it go. It was always better than ATM magazine back then IMO.

[Kevroc]

Lurked here for awhile and I have a racing thread on another board but, I'd like to make my first post here if I may.

My main influence was my grandfather RIP. He was a regular at BEL and AQU for many years. His brother still works for the NYRA (been there a zillion years). I learned how to read the form at age 15 (i'm 35 now). I remember cutting out from school, hopping on the train and going to the track. I'd sneak up the escalator to the 2nd floor clubhouse because my grandfather would always stay on the 1st floor and I didnt want to get caught. I also remember my first 4 digit score was at AQU. We would put in our bets for the last race and then leave to pick up my grandmother who worked at Brookdale Hospital. We would listen to 1010am radio to hear the results. I'd had the trifecta and it paid ~1200 for $2. I yelled "I got it, I hit the triple!". He said "For $2?". I said yeah and showed him my ticket. A four horse $2 box. He shook his fist at me and explained how I should have made two $1 tickets. My first lesson in taxes!

We strayed apart over the years, and we weren't talking much when in 2006 I hit the HOL pick six for $61k. I visited him in the hospital the next year and told him about that score and he told me "Horses lose". I interpreted that to mean "don't get cocky kid, take it easy."

As for books, I loved the Beyer books growing up and when people ask what they should read to start, I recommend Brad Free's Handicapping 101 (I think it is an excellent primer for today's game) and Crist's Exotic Betting (How to wager is just as important as how to h'cap).

Thanks for listening, I enjoy the forum.

[facorsig]

Initial: Andy Beyer

Subsequent: Dick Mitchell

Lasting: Dave Schwartz