I want the best three books to start off with - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

masterpeg · 08-13-2004, 06:03 PM

Ok..I've been playing and losing (had one winning run a year ago) for 3 years...you've seen my threads asking for help with various things already. I am heading back to work now (teacher) and am planning to spend the better part of next year learning as much as I can about the game in hopes of having a winning summer next year. This is one of a few hobbies of mine and I have fun with it even while losing a little so I will spend ample time reading and testing theories.

I have modern pace handicapping and use the system, but it mostly just finds favorites and doesn't recognize form cycles (which I am clueless about). I need major help on the finance end of the game too. And if possible, is there anything out there that will take you inside the mind of the typical trainer so I can make educated guestaments on why they are doing such and such. I am always wondering why? I know certain trainers have tendencies, but I would like to know what some of the strategies are.

I have read this forum and have put "money secrets at the racetrack" and "speed to spare" in my cart. I am hoping those are the two best to take care of the above deficiencies. If there is any better for form cycles and money strategies please let me know, but I still need one for identifying trainers strategies, tendencies if there is any.

Speed Figure · 08-13-2004, 06:37 PM

Try reading this. Lots of books were talked about.

http://www.paceadvantage.com/forum/s...&threadid=2048

First_Place · 08-13-2004, 08:37 PM

Only three books, eh? Hmmm...I'll give it a shot. But remember, this is strictly subjective.

(not necessarily in order of importance)

1) Ainslie's Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing by Tom Ainslie (since you've been losing, I highly recommend you brush up on the basics).

2) Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz

3) Handicapping Magic by Michael Pizzolla

Also book(s) by Tom Brohammer (which you have), James Quinn, Dr. William Quirin, Andy Beyer, Dick Schmidt & Tom Hambleton, Jim Lehane and "The Guru" (go ahead, laugh) are highly recommended. It would've been great if Doc Sartin authored an in-depth book on pace handicapping but we know what would've happened as a result (even lower mutuel prices) if he did.

These are the only books, thus far, in my collection. I'm sure I've missed some other good ones.

Any recommendations, anyone?

FP

JimG · 08-14-2004, 01:41 PM

3 books...ok

(Mathematics) Money Secrets at the Racetrack by Barry Meadow

(Overall) Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz

(Trainers) Inside the Claiming Game by Steve Collison which I happen to by currently selling at ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ADME:B:LC:US:1

Jim

hurrikane · 08-14-2004, 03:01 PM

ok,

gone with the wind

Tale of 2 cities

Any Michner book.

by the time you finish those you will have saved a ton of money.

Pace Cap'n · 08-14-2004, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by hurrikane@HTR
ok,

gone with the wind

Tale of 2 cities

Any Michner book.

by the time you finish those you will have saved a ton of money.

A Michner fan myself, read a bunch of them. He can be wordy, though.

Someone once suggested an opening sentence for his books:

"The Earth cooled."

Pace Cap'n · 08-14-2004, 04:59 PM

would be "How Will Your Horse Run Today?" by William Scott. Perhaps the most boring book I've ever read, but lots of good info.

I have ordered "Investing at the Racetrack" by the same author.

Have gotten some good deals on e-Bay, search "handicapping".

formula_2002 · 08-15-2004, 07:57 PM

FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE DATA,B.fABRICAND'S "HORSE SENSE"

ranchwest · 08-15-2004, 11:21 PM

The best 3 books you could buy would be 3 spiral notebooks.

masterpeg · 08-16-2004, 11:30 AM

have those already...with plenty of blank pages left.

I went ahead and bought the top three in the poll. left out the odds must be crazy. Looked at the site given in here, some were a little bit cheaper, but one was like 30 dollars more and amazon had free shipping and 30 bucks off after applying for their credit card.......so I got handicapping magic free. Thanks to all who helped.

I had a good day yesterday, had 3 of 4 in Delmar pick 4, naturally Pico killed me on an 80 dollar ticket which he was singled. But my first choices on the others came in 8-1, and 4-1 and I still made 180.

I will be lurking around for the next 7 months, but not playing much as I hit the books while going back to work. Good luck to all, thanks and see ya in a while.

MooseDog · 08-16-2004, 01:46 PM

Only my opinion, but before anyone gets involved in handicapping I believe that the following three book must be read and fully digested. These form the basis of Handicapping 101, if you will:

1) Ainslie's Complete Guide...

2) Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz

3) The Handicapper's Condition Book by James Quinn

Once you have these mastered, I would go on to:

4) Thoroughbred Cycles by Mark Cramer

5) Picking Winners by Andy Beyer

6) The Best of Thoroughbred Handicapping by James Quinn

7) Winning Thoroughbred Strategies by Dick Mitchell

kenwoodallpromos · 08-16-2004, 04:25 PM

Books:
Beat the track
Recreational Handicapping
Speed books by Quirin
________
Book sellers:
Abebooks
Cynthia
Gambler's Bookstore (Good book info).

BIG RED · 08-16-2004, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MooseDog
Only my opinion, but before anyone gets involved in handicapping I believe that the following three book must be read and fully digested. These form the basis of Handicapping 101, if you will:

1) Ainslie's Complete Guide...

2) Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz

3) The Handicapper's Condition Book by James Quinn

Once you have these mastered, I would go on to:

4) Thoroughbred Cycles by Mark Cramer

5) Picking Winners by Andy Beyer

6) The Best of Thoroughbred Handicapping by James Quinn

I have read all of the above, and most, if not all, I got from my local library system! In Boston they had a lot, and if they didn't, they reach out to other towns and find what they can. Lots of times they shipped it right to my local library. Love the library, saves a lot of dough, if you poke around.

7) Winning Thoroughbred Strategies by Dick Mitchell

BIG RED · 08-16-2004, 06:15 PM

Cut my whole message off. Putting it simple, got and read most, if not all, these books right out of my library for free. Check it out, save a lot, unless I want to keep it, then I'll buy one for myself

masterpeg · 08-16-2004, 06:54 PM

I too read a lot of those from the library when I first started, but when you need to go back to refresh (as I do now) you like it to be right there when you think about it...when I get an itch I need to scratch right away. I know I learned a lot from those books, but I dont remember what I learned from what book, so it would be nice to have my own library...Im only 33 so I will probably read them all again about.........oh.........5 times before I gone (god willing).