Handicapping Books discussion
 

Headed on vacation in a couple of weeks and wanted to see if anyone has a book they would recommend to help me pass some time. I have about 15 handicapping books currently in my library and love to explore new ideas on the sport. Like many, I started with the basics in Ainslie, Beyer, and moved on to the more detailed works of Quinn, Davidowitz, and Brohamer, but I've run into a few dead ends lately shopping on my own...

SIRE RATINGS 2006-2007
An Update to Exploring Pedigree
By Mike Helm

I just started reading a good one...

Handicapping 101 by Brad Free of the DRF.

I read the Stich book "Pedigree Handicapping" and was really a bit disappointed. I guess I'm a little beyone where that was much help as it was more or less introducing pedigree analysis into maiden and turf handicapping- something that may have pointed me in the right direction 10 years ago, but seems pretty elementary now. What is Helm's approach to making pedigree a useful tool?

Horseplayers by Ted McClemmond or something like that

It isn't a handicapping book, but it is about life at Arlington Park and Hawthorne, it is VERY comical

Anybody read that Exotic Betting by Steve Crist? I'm tempted to get it.

I was just going to post about this book. I strongly recommend it. Instead of a " handicapping " book it focuses solely on betting strategies for exotic wagers. I think it is a terrific and helpful book for anybody who plays exotics and wants to improve their betting.

I think I'll be purchasing it, I have read some of the exerpt from the site and it looks like a good read. Thx.

six secrets of the successful bettors....
winning insights into playing horses ...that the title...
by frank r scatoni..a good read..drf press..

And Pete Fornatale.

Another good read.

Not a capping book but Three Strides Before The Wire is great. It's about Charismatic and all the people surrounding hime (i.e. Chris Antley, D. Wayne Lukas). I've read part of the exotic betting book and it seems pretty good. . .

Been thinking about the Crist book as well. I've read all of the DRF short series they have put out in the last few years on elements of handicapping. Some were winners- Illman's work on maidens was terriffic and Joe Cardello's work on using Beyers to find patterns and back class is another great piece of work. Also, the Klein book about early speed is an amazing research project. The others fell short of expectations. Stich's "Pedigree Handicapping", Heller's "Go For the Green", and Borg's "Off the Charts" would have made good chapters if condensed into a more comprehensive book, but didn't really offer anything that hasn't been covered in comprehensive books.