What did you learn this year?
 

Another year about to close. What is amazing about this sport of handicapping horses is you're always learning.

What handicapping angle did you learn or found useful this year?

For me it's how I apporach the PP's. Quite simply, starting at the bottom of a horses PP and working up as the first thing I do has shown to give me a real feel for what the horse will do today. It takes some time, but, it puts the horse's PP's into a perspective that I can work with. Only after doing that do I look at everything else. Because I'm usually looking for long shots, I find this way I see things I may not, even working down a horses form, instead of up.

What about you?

Concetrating on p3s and fours and avoiding going nuts on big exacta and win bets. Good Luck to all in 2009. KP

Mortys zodiac cypher ;) :{>:

I know this sounds really dumb, but I can't think of a thing I learned this year. It was an ok year, didn't win a lot, but didn't lose a lot either. The one thing I think I will try to do more is play more Pick 4's. Problem is, I don't have alot of confidence in doing so. I've played maybe 8-10 (normally play win and exata's), and haven't hit a one.

I learned that I am terrible at vertical bets. On occasion I managed to cash a couple of Exactas, but didn't cash a single Tri all year and eventually quit playing them.

Had a good year betting horizontally and learned to focus just about all of my bankroll on those pick-3 and pick-4 wagers. Can't count the number of times a pick-4 blew up on the first leg at Arlington but I managed to recoup it by seeing out the late pick-3.

Oh, and to stop wasting my money anywhere but Arlington...that'd probably help too.

Listen to more peoples selections or picks here.

Trip handicapping.

Much can be learned on this board and through personal observations about trip handicapping. If one can add the ability to understand trips, which goes so far beyond the surface, he/she can be successful and end up grabbing some nice scores.

NT

Complete opposite for me. P3 and P4 were a waste of money compared to the exacta's that you can cash at Belmont,Saratoga and Aquaduct.:$: :$:

A hard copy of the DRF is a must for me. I have started to supplement that with the BRIS TRACK BIAS/ RACE SUMMARY page. It is especially useful for getting a price or two.

Many times you can get BRIS pages for free at Thoroughbred Bred Bloggers Alliance.

i learned that you have to stop at every freaking toll booth on the highway in chicago, or they mail you a ticket and threaten you with a collection agency.

I think that's pretty much true at all toll booths...:rolleyes:

i don't have much experience with tolls...but it's the first place i've seen that you have to repeatedly exit TO PAY, not pay on exit when you are through driving on a highway--the penna turnpike for instance. in fla, you paid when you got on a tollway, and that was it.

dont trust whitey..:zz:

there is a place you can go on the internet to pay your toll so they don't send over the "collection" guys

I took the toll and didn't have the right change
got home, looked it up and paid it online. but remember where you didn't pay or you get stuck with the top rate plus Blogo's comission.

George Ryan wanted to get rid of the toll roadds and look what they did to him

George Ryan sold CDL licenses and one guy who got one ended up burning the Willis children. Damn Bush if he gives him a pardon.

Being a pic 3 and 4 player, like every year LEARN TO LAYOFF RACES

I learned to not sing Christmas Carols:wf


Seriously though, I echo alot of what BDub said. Horizontal bets on the only plays for me. I will throw in a Exacta bet every so often...but multi race plays (mainly pick 3's) are where my strength lies...even more so when there are 2 races that involve turf.

I learned that betting on the favorite doesn't always mean your a wuss. Just sometimes.

I learned that it cuts into your profit margin when you leave your voucher in the betting machine :o