One of the great things about playing the horses is the seemingly endless handicapping methods one can apply in order to try and come up with a winner. And for every one of the countless ways there are to play the races, there is probably a book extolling the virtues a particular methodology. I've read a ton of handicapping books over the years - some great, some not so great - and there are a few that I go back to time and again in order to re-fresh concepts or ideas, or to simply try and re-focus my skills. Or perhaps I simply want to read a book by a handicapper that takes a different perspective on playing the races than I do. I might not make my picks in the same manner but it's always good to be open to a different perspective on this tough, tough game. Specifically, I look for a couple of different things when I'm think about good handicapping books that I've read in the past. The first and most important factor in a handicapping book from my perspective is the book needs to be not about a system, but about an approach or an analysis of a race or races. I suppose it's a battle between tools and a system. I'm looking to learn about the different tools or methods of analysis used to unlock a race but I prefer the conclusions to always come from my decisions and not due to a rigid set of guidelines. I don't want to read 150 to 200 pages of someone telling me a rigid system that points me to a specified horse in each and every race. I like books that present some ideas but also cause me to think about the game differently and lead me to developing my own successful strategies. ![]() The second thing I'm looking for in a handicapping book is simply a book that's fun to read and well-written. Handicapping books can become a bit stale or repetitious because many follow a pretty basic formula of explaining a concept or idea and then running through some historical races that illustrate in more concrete terms. Of course, one of the pitfalls of this kind of analysis is that you can pretty much find a race to fit any kind of handicapping concept, regardless of the rarity or absurdity of the premise. So, at a minimum, I'm looking for a book that can engage me from start to finish and not just run through a host of old races where anyone can pick one to make their picks or concepts look good. Okay, so here are my top 3 personal favorite handicapping books: I think Andrew Beyer's books are probably the most fun to read given his writing style and ability to relate his personal experiences, but I think Davidowitz's classic Betting Thoroughbreds is simply the best I've read. This is probably not a book you want to pick up if you're just starting out betting the ponies because most of the concepts require a pretty good handicapping foundation (especially the section on betting strategies). Well, I should re-phrase that: you should definitely pick it up but if you're just starting out it's probably most beneficial after you've developed your own handicapping ideas and style. ![]() ![]()
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March 2018
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