Trip Handicapping - Watch List

[pandy]

I'm curious, this is directed at those of you who keep a list of horses to watch, such as on the drf.com website, where you can be notified if the horse is entered...

Do you automatically bet the horse next time out?

Or do you handicap the race and decide whether the horse is worth a bet in that field?

I'm wondering how many of you think that keeping a watch list is a good thing.

[EMD4ME]

Originally Posted by pandy

I'm curious, this is directed at those of you who keep a list of horses to watch, such as on the drf.com website, where you can be notified if the horse is entered...

Do you automatically bet the horse next time out?

Or do you handicap the race and decide whether the horse is worth a bet in that field?

I'm wondering how many of you think that keeping a watch list is a good thing.

No.

Of course, all variables are looked at.

YES.

[cnollfan]

Originally Posted by pandy

I'm curious, this is directed at those of you who keep a list of horses to watch, such as on the drf.com website, where you can be notified if the horse is entered...

Do you automatically bet the horse next time out?

Or do you handicap the race and decide whether the horse is worth a bet in that field?

I'm wondering how many of you think that keeping a watch list is a good thing.

I handicap the race. Even if I don't like the spot for the horse on my watch list, I will usually put a token bet on him as a sanity saver unless the price is short. But the main point of the list is to find a horse with darkened form who is in a good spot.

Some of the horses on my watch list are bet-againsts. I won't automatically bet against them but will make a point of handicapping the race if the bet-against horse is short.

I like having a watch list very much.

[pandy]

I wonder if a lot of people have a watch list.

It's odd, but for some reason, one of the "trips" that looks great to me never seems to win for me. That is, a maiden who in its first or second start makes a huge middle move then flattens out late. Logic says that this horse should run big next time but I have not done well with these the past few years.

[Robert Fischer]

when i first started the watch list stuff, i had multiple full accounts of every horse who ran against the grain or had some kind of significant trouble.

After a while I kept a watch list strictly for my bread and butter plays.

you still have to handicap, you just have extra information that may not be accounted for by the public.

E.g. 'Dancing Lion' who just ran 9/27 at The Mountain. He figured to run a race that would contend for the win. I had him in one of my wagers, and he was fractious in the gate to such an extent that I cancelled that wager. (The chart doesn't mention the fractious-gate comment.) He broke and engaged into a speed duel that had a fast pace for that class, and the race collapsed, w/ DL finishing 5th by 15. To a lesser extent Ruhl Paul (not sure if Mark P. selected Ruhl Paul based on value), also ran better than his running line.

Unless Dancing Lion unexpectedly placed up in class next out, he's pretty much an auto-use, in some form.

[Cice]

Agree with END4ME!

[classhandicapper]

I go back and forth between keeping a list and not keeping one. The upside of keeping it is that you won't miss any horses, especially if they happen to ship out of town. You'll get an email notification. The downside is that you have to actually maintain a list of horses, delete them when they become irrelevant etc.. I only bet back some of the horses that make my list. So sometimes I wonder if the added time could be better spent somewhere else as long as I have trip notes in my PPs.

[rsetup]

Originally Posted by pandy

I wonder if a lot of people have a watch list.

It's odd, but for some reason, one of the "trips" that looks great to me never seems to win for me. That is, a maiden who in its first or second start makes a huge middle move then flattens out late. Logic says that this horse should run big next time but I have not done well with these the past few years.

Can you provide a few examples? Interested in seeing what these race charts look like.

[pandy]

Originally Posted by rsetup

Can you provide a few examples? Interested in seeing what these race charts look like.

I don't have any of this type of trip right now. I'll try to post one the next time I see one.

[steve1904]

no

no

i use it to keep track of horse i think will be useful in the future. I just use all the information on them as another tool when handicapping. The more exposure the more informed.

[no breathalyzer]

I have about 100 horses in my stable mail atm... but i don't automatically bet them when they are entered tho.. some trainers are clueless or are playing games... either way they have to fit to bet them.. I hardy never delete a horse if has conditions left.. some of the best paying horses are the ones that re find their form that i confirmed watching replays in a nl2/nl3 race.

[rsetup]

If you bet NYRA, a watch list would be a fulltime job. On the one hand, NYRA trainers aren't in a hurry to run their horses back; on the other, they do like to enter their horses, alot of times in spots that make no sense, and scratch them. Only conclusion I can draw is some kind of unofficial entry quota requirement.

[mikesal57]

Originally Posted by pandy

I'm curious, this is directed at those of you who keep a list of horses to watch, such as on the drf.com website, where you can be notified if the horse is entered...

Do you automatically bet the horse next time out?

Or do you handicap the race and decide whether the horse is worth a bet in that field?

I'm wondering how many of you think that keeping a watch list is a good thing.

Yes I bet if horse was at long odds last race...most likely he will be a decent odds this race..

I do look at PP's but I believe trainer will get horse back into a race as soon as he sees a good opportunity and doesn't want horse to go off form

Mike

[ultracapper]

What EMD4ME said.

[appistappis]

i got one of these tues at id......country dreamin in r5