As far as the handicapping goes, there are three basic steps.  The first step is understanding if you can Expect Any Surprises in the race.  Surprises?  What am I talking about?  I’m talking about how much confidence we can have that our prediction will become reality and our analysis will not be wasted.  I’m talking about what factors in a race allow us to measure confidence.  I’m not talking about which horse is better than another horse.  We’ll talk about that in step number two.  But I’m talking about how much confidence we have that a horse will run Like We Predict He Will Run!  If we stare at the form for 45 minutes we want it to count for something positive. 

The second step is how to measure a horse’s ability on a given day.  That’s easier said than done, but the key phrase in that sentence is “On A Given Day.”  Anybody can look at a Daily Racing Form and tell the whole world how a horse has done in the past.  But you can’t make a bet today on a race that was run yesterday.  Every clubhouse has a guy (usually it’s a cab driver) who says:  “I told ya’ the 5-horse was gonna win.  His granddaddy used to love this track.  I told ya’ll.  I told ya’ll.”  Did the cabbie bet the 5-horse?  No!  

We will learn how to pick the right horse Before The Race!  We’ll learn how to define the “profile of the winner” for each and every race.  And we’ll learn how to create a perfect union between the Past Performances and Today’s Winning Profile, and we’ll use that union to accurately predict which horses have a chance to win and which horses do not have a chance to win. 

The third, and final, step is to combine the lessons from the first two steps and make a final wagering decision.  From step one, we’ll have a head’s up on what surprises we can expect in the race, and from step two we’ll know which horses fit the “winning profile” today!  And in step 3 we’ll learn how to make our final betting decision.  And we’ll use a basic, simple procedure to help us out. 

Once we’re done constructing our steps we’ll use them on a real life example right out of the Daily Racing Form.   Then you’ll be ready to tackle the races with an organized, efficient plan and a whole new outlook. 

And for you racing news-mongers out there, you can read the latest reports (with the occasional editorial from your author) on the hot button topics.  From engineered racing surfaces to the real scoop on the Kentucky Derby jinx, from a battle of wills between a popular horse owner and east coast race track operators to a history of the Maktoum family of Dubai.  And there is much more.  You can discover where a speed bias comes from, and how a rail bias dramatically changed the complexion of the Breeders’ Cup 2006.  You can even read a fictional story from your author based in a horse race setting!  It’s all here for your reading pleasure.  And all these extras are placed in between the horse race handicapping chapters to offer a change of pace.  

After you read the book, I promise you’ll be a better handicapper.  I can’t promise you riches, but then again no one can do that.  But you’ll be a smarter horseplayer, and a better educated horseplayer.  That is for certain.  You won’t handicap like Inspector Clouseau would, because you’ll be thinking like Sherlock Holmes instead.