The lack of a harness racing book

[jeebus1083]

It's been years since the late Tom Ainslie published his "Complete Guide to Harness Racing" and nobody seems to have gone out of their way to bring his work or an explanation of the sport to a new generation.

Judging by the available data online and in print, harness racing is a game that is a relative virgin to information overload compared to its thoroughbred cousin. Whereas anything you want to know about a thoroughbred is available in the DRF or on Formulator, anything you want to know about a trotter is limited and the yeoman's work is left to the handicapper.

For this simple fact, I feel that if someone were to write an accurate treatment on harness racing, it would make the game more appealing to those who are looking for edges that have been exhausted in thoroughbred racing. Since harness is widely ignored compared to the thoroughbreds, edges not available mainstream can be created by individual hard work, like the thoroughbred game was before the speed figure boom of the mid-1970s.

One major problem that harness needs to address: the availability of incremental and elapsed times in hundredths. A horse losing by one length to a 2:00 flat winner does not necessarily pace a mile in 2:00 1/5. If the winner paced in 2:00.00, the one length translation of one length equals .18 seconds would mean the loser paced in 2:00.00, thus still within the realm of 2:00 flat. Both horses might have paced 2:00 flat, but the timing of the race in fifths makes the time glaringly inaccurate. It makes it hard to really generate a precise set of feet-per-second Sartin pace ratings (which I believe to be useful in harness as they seem to be used sparingly).

If there is a modern book on the trotters out there, let me know!

[Heuer]

Hello jeebus1083,

There are just a few good books about harness betting.
1. Professional Harness Betting - Barry Meadow
2. Bettor's Guide to Harness Racing - Steve Chaplin
3. Selecting the Standardbred - Robert A. Perosino

You have probably read these books.
If not, I can recommend them.

See you at trackside,
Heuer

[cj]

I seem to remember Tom Ainslie also wrote a harness racing book.

[Tom]

Bill Heller and Ron Roblin have decent books, old, but good, out there.
Roblin's book works very well at small tracks - Batavia, Buffalo, to this day.
I think he is from Buffalo - many examples in the book are from Buf and Btv.
The method doesn't use time at all.
Aaron Bernstein has a good one out there - very old, but still sound principles.

[harnesslover]

I have yet to read a decent harness racing book. Not to say there isn't one out there.

I think the way harness racing has changed is hard to keep up with. It's gone from horses breaking 2:00 as a feat to sub 1:50 miles have become all too common.

[jeebus1083]

Originally Posted by cj

I seem to remember Tom Ainslie also wrote a harness racing book.

The trouble with Ainslie's book is that the original was published in 1970, with an update published in 1980. The majority of the drivers and trainers and tracks mentioned, not to mention the equipment, rules and class restrictions have changed dramatically since then.

While I have no doubt that Ainslie's work is a strong base for understanding the basics of the game, it is completely out of touch with the modern era of harness racing. Horses of all gaits race faster than ever before, sulky technology is at an apex, raceways have made tracks safer by eliminating hubrails in favor of stryofoam pylons, the modern medication factor (as displayed with the Ledford bans in NJ and the Cobra venom case at Saratoga Harness last year), and the boom caused by alternate gaming at once comatose tracks.

Compared to thoroughbred racing and the endless amount of available data for analysis, harness racing is still in the neanderthal ages.

[harnesslover]

Originally Posted by jeebus1083

Compared to thoroughbred racing and the endless amount of available data for analysis, harness racing is still in the neanderthal ages.

There is everything you need out there, you just have to look a little harder. This is a good thing, as there is a little bit of an edge left.

[headhawg]

Originally Posted by harnesslover

There is everything you need out there, you just have to look a little harder. This is a good thing, as there is a little bit of an edge left.

Totally agree. Just ask the average t-bred 'capper how much the wealth of extra information has helped him/her.

[jeebus1083]

Originally Posted by harnesslover

There is everything you need out there, you just have to look a little harder. This is a good thing, as there is a little bit of an edge left.

Which makes it an inticing game for the intellectual.

Whatever happened to the Harness section of this board?

[jeebus1083]

Originally Posted by headhawg

Totally agree. Just ask the average t-bred 'capper how much the wealth of extra information has helped him/her.

The wealth of information is a double-edged sword. It has made today's modern t-bred player more sophisticated, but at the same time, the sophistication has transformed $10 winners into $6, $6 winners in $3, etc.

Serious students of t-bred racing still have to be astute about trips and pace, but really have to think more outside the box than ever before to chase that elusive thing known as value.

[melman]

Jeebus---It's not in book form but a series of articles by Bob Pandolfo that I think you will find are VERY interesting. Click the link "Pandycapping" on the home page of ustrotting.com. Up to date info and "Pandy" knows his harness. He had been planning a new book but I'm still waiting.

[jeebus1083]

Originally Posted by melman

Jeebus---It's not in book form but a series of articles by Bob Pandolfo that I think you will find are VERY interesting. Click the link "Pandycapping" on the home page of ustrotting.com. Up to date info and "Pandy" knows his harness. He had been planning a new book but I'm still waiting.

Pandolfo is a good writer. I enjoy his articles. If you go to Saratoga Raceway's website (www.saratogaraceway.com), Mike Sardella, the track's announcer/handicapper writes a weekly column on the website that is syndicated to The Troy Record and The Saratogian newspapers. He's a young man, about 27-28 years old, but he's very knowledgable about the sport.

[harnesslover]

Originally Posted by jeebus1083

Which makes it an inticing game for the intellectual.

Whatever happened to the Harness section of this board?

Seems to be flooded with people that think harness racing is about as corrupt as boxing.

Often happens when people cannot figure out how to win, they have to assume it's fixed.

It's certainly not easy to profit with harness racing, but if you put the time in, you can do it on a consistent basis. One HUGE advantage, IMO, over t-breds is that horses generally race every week, so with all the replays and charts available, you can catch some opportunistic plays.

[Tom]

You Bet also has some harness columns - the one by Mark Cramer is good.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by jeebus1083

Whatever happened to the Harness section of this board?

Whatever do you mean? It's where it's always been....