Beginning handicapper - books to learn? - Horse Racing Forum - PaceAdvantage.Com

AceInTheHole · 07-29-2012, 08:46 AM

I am a beginning handicapper who has had some luck in turf sprints especially with fillies and mares. I have no formal learning but i have been moderately successful in picking a few trifectas based around horse I think is undervalued. Thats the extent of where I'm at now. I'd like to learn more and am looking for either a couple good books or web resources to learn what some of the people on thsi forum know! I am just about to pull the trigger on this book:Betting Thoroughbreds for the 21st Century: A Professional's Guide for the Horseplayers . Would this be a good book to read to become a better handicapper and more importantly I think to learn more betting strategies and money management. I'm a quick learner and appreciate any advice for a novice such as my self. Thank you!

RaceBookJoe · 07-29-2012, 09:21 AM

For a beginner, I guess my top 3 would be :
1. The Davidowitz book you are getting
2. "Beyer on Speed" by Andy Beyer
3. " Modern Pace Handicapping " by Tom Brohamer

I'm sure others here will give you great ideas also. Lots of smart minds here in this forum, do a few searches and you will find some good info. Welcome to the room.

Capper Al · 07-29-2012, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AceInTheHole

I am a beginning handicapper who has had some luck in turf sprints especially with fillies and mares. I have no formal learning but i have been moderately successful in picking a few trifectas based around horse I think is undervalued. Thats the extent of where I'm at now. I'd like to learn more and am looking for either a couple good books or web resources to learn what some of the people on thsi forum know! I am just about to pull the trigger on this book:Betting Thoroughbreds for the 21st Century: A Professional's Guide for the Horseplayers . Would this be a good book to read to become a better handicapper and more importantly I think to learn more betting strategies and money management. I'm a quick learner and appreciate any advice for a novice such as my self. Thank you!

Hi Mike,

Betting Thoroughbreds would be too advanced for you at this stage. It's a good book. You might be better served with Picking Winners by Andy Beyer because one needs to know what a speed figure is and it is a fun read. Follow that with the late Danny Holmes' Ten Steps to Winning because it shows one the breathe of the game(race conditions) and how to put a system together. After that you'll need the classics, and I'm sure others will posting these for you.

Greyfox · 07-29-2012, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AceInTheHole

I am just about to pull the trigger on this book:Betting Thoroughbreds for the 21st Century: A Professional's Guide for the Horseplayers . Would this be a good book to read to become a better handicapper and more importantly I think to learn more betting strategies and money management. I'm a quick learner and appreciate any advice for a novice such as my self. Thank you!

Davidowitz' book is an excellent choice.
But whether you are a quick learner or not, it has to be studied over and over as if you are preparing for a college examination.
When you've mastered that, your next step would be betting strategies.

With respect to betting strategies, the late Dick Mitchell wrote a very good read entitled Common Sense Betting. If the Gamblers Book shop in Vegas is still open, pop in there. Otherwise, they are also listing quite a few books on line at
http://www.gamblersbookclub.com/Cate...e___dog_racing

AceInTheHole · 07-29-2012, 10:28 AM

Thank you all very much and I promise not to be a PIA asking alot of questions. You have all given me alot to start on. Thank you very much for helping me out of the gate! I will be reading all these before anymore questions. Thanks again!

Itamaraca · 07-29-2012, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AceInTheHole

I am a beginning handicapper who has had some luck in turf sprints especially with fillies and mares.

What most handicappers have in common, and this includes the 'experts' who write books, is that they struggle with turf sprints. Look around this forum for proof of this.

Thus, you're probably not going to be well served reading the books of these 'experts'. I don't know how you handicap these turf sprints. If you're handicapping them based on trips/setups, that is, by watching replays or based on an understanding of why some horses run well in these types of races -- this would entail understanding how even small deviations in distance can have profound effects on results -- you won't find anything of use in these books. You're already better than these authors.

My suggestion is taking what you happen to use in turf sprints and trying to expand this to turf races in general. From there you can move on to POLY. The method, what it may be, should carry over nicely. If you can handicap turf sprints and turf in general, you can play all year round, at various tracks. It's a good way to go.

thaskalos · 07-29-2012, 11:41 AM

If you are an absolute beginner...then Brad Free's book HANDICAPPING 101 might be the best book for you.

It is written in a beginner-friendly writing style...does a good job explaining the fundamentals of handicapping...and also includes useful advice on betting.

I would then recommend that you read William Quirin's book HANDICAPPING: STATE OF THE ART...which will take you further down the road to mastering the basics of the game.

And by then...you should be ready for Andy Beyer's THE WINNING HORSEPLAYER...where Beyer will provide the finishing touches to round out your education in the art/science of handicapping.

In any case, I think Beyer's PICKING WINNER'S is not an appropriate choice for you at this stage...because it will unnecessarily confuse you.

Beyer's handicapping opinions have changed a lot since that book...

Bullet Plane · 07-29-2012, 12:41 PM

It's a bit dated, but Ainslie's Guide to Thoroughbred Racing is a classic that stands the test of time. I highly recommend it.

For a more modern introduction, the Richard Eng book Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies is also very good.

crestridge · 07-29-2012, 04:23 PM

Calibration Handicapping--Four Corners Of Horse Investing

JustCoolGene · 07-29-2012, 06:57 PM

Horse Racing Logic "A Guide for the Serious Horseplayer" by Glendon Jones is one of the best books on General Handicapping that I have ever read.

Gene

Maximillion · 07-29-2012, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thaskalos

If you are an absolute beginner...then Brad Free's book HANDICAPPING 101 might be the best book for you.

It is written in a beginner-friendly writing style...does a good job explaining the fundamentals of handicapping...and also includes useful advice on betting.

I would then recommend that you read William Quirin's book HANDICAPPING: STATE OF THE ART...which will take you further down the road to mastering the basics of the game.

And by then...you should be ready for Andy Beyer's THE WINNING HORSEPLAYER...where Beyer will provide the finishing touches to round out your education in the art/science of handicapping.

In any case, I think Beyer's PICKING WINNER'S is not an appropriate choice for you at this stage...because it will unnecessarily confuse you.

Beyer's handicapping opinions have changed a lot since that book...

I agree and would add Quirins book "handicapping by example" as an example of a statistical mind also able to apply common sense techniques
to actual "live" play.....Calibration Handicapping also highly recommended.

Uncle Salty · 07-30-2012, 03:00 AM

Brad Free's Handicapping 101 is my recommendation to start. It's current, written for beginners, and he covers the basics of thoroughbred racing soup to nuts.

I would wait on Davidowitz and Brohamer (Modern Pace Handicapping) until you get a feel for the sport first.

Good luck to you and welcome!

RunForTheRoses · 07-30-2012, 02:07 PM

Commonsense Handicapping by Dick Mitchell (as well as Commonsense Betting)
Kinky Handicapping by Mark Cramer (appears to be out of print but I think you can get a copy through edbain.com)

Profiler8 · 07-30-2012, 02:39 PM

I am with Gene. Horse Racing Logic is a really good book about the game. I also like Handicapping Magic, when you have some knowledge about the game.

AceInTheHole · 07-30-2012, 06:17 PM

Here's the books I have ordered and are on the way for initial reading.

1 HANDICAPPING101: A HORSE-RACING PRIMER 1

2 THE WINNINGHORSEPLAYER - AN ADVANCED APPROACH TO THOROUGHBREDHANDICAPPING AND BETTING 1

3 Horse Racing Logic "A Guide for the Serious Horseplayer

After these I'll be coming back to the reading list in this thread. I just want to thank everyone again for taking the time to offer these recomendations! I decided to wait on the Davidowitz book based on all the advice given here.