Before you start…A Note to The Reader

It may be hard to believe that a new set of individual numbers can make such a significant difference in your results, but till now we know of no one who has been able to successfully analyze the differences in tracks and apply them to the handicapping process so that horses’ total performances can be compared to their competition on an equal basis from track to track.

With this Manual, we will show you a more successful way to approach handicapping.  You have seen old results on our web site. If you have this book, you can look inside and see 2008 examples of how we have produced a more reliable  way to choose a winner.

There are some things you need to know before you begin:

1. Our Track Distance Equivalent Chart is the core of our exceptional success rate. Do not substitute any other numbers than the ones (TAG’s) we show you if you want  to come out with the same results we would.
2. Our Beaten Lengths Chart is also our own development.  Although there are many available, ours is more relevant and specific to the process we use. Do not substitute any other Beaten Lengths Chart in our handicapping process.
   
3. Past Performance and Race Results charts from The Daily Racing Form are included at the end of each chapter where we show you how to handicap a race:   Chapters 12-22.  As previously mentioned, we are grateful to The Daily Racing Form for allowing us to use this copyrighted data.

Finally, fight the inclination to add your own twist to our process.  If you add into your decision any of the things you may be accustomed to adding—like the weight of the jockey, the color of the horse, or what the trainer is telling you—well, there may be times that it seems you discovered another important angle.  There may also be times when you have to use  your own senses to factor in such things as whether a horse has demonstrated they like to run in the mud or, of course, whether they're rising or declining in Class. But there is no crystal ball to tell anyone what unpredicted factor may influence the possible outcome of a race, as we recently saw when the favored Barbaro broke his leg right out of the Gate in the 2006 Preakness.

We have tested and refined our method rigorously for several years, and the more often we have the confidence to stick with the formula and avoid mental telepathy, the closer to accurate our choices are!