Picking Winners: A Horseplayer's Guide

Beyer first introduced his speed handicapping concept in this book, and he shows how to compute the now famous Beyer speed figures. Even though they're available in the Form, its still good to know how they were derived.

At the time Beyer wrote this book, he focused most heavily on speed handicapping, and he would more thoroughly embrace other factors such as pace or trip handicapping later in his career. But he does at least touch on all facets of handicapping in this book, and either a beginner or expert will find it a informative and amusing read.

Enjoy!


Priceless Education in Analytical Methodology   November 16, 2005
Nicholas Fifield (Overland Park, KS USA)
24 out of 28 found this review helpful

The last time I went to the races I was five or so, and went to a track just outside Chicago on a beautiful, sunny day. I placed three bets on two races, cashed on none of them, and was thoroughly bored for all but about 2:22 1/5 of the afternoon. As I often did any time I wanted something, I began to pout; knowing I would get what I wanted. I wanted, more than anything else I could imagine at that time, to leave that awful, boring place, and never return.

Almost twenty years later, the writing of one man, published 30 years ago, has done what, just yesterday, seemed impossible, and completely reversed my perception of this sport.

Until reading this fascinating account of horse racing and it's amazing intricacies, I was among those to criticize nearly every facet of the "event" (never one to dignify it as a sport). You name it, I probably disagreed with it: the physical treatment of the horses both during training and races, the drugs that were unquestionably prolific in use, the jockeys' voices becoming unnaturally high as a result of their ghastly profession, the addict gamblers wasting what should be productive lives in the grandstands at some racetrack, and those same gamblers who seemed to care more about horses than people. Nothing about it impressed me and everything about it disgusted me. And when Tony Kornheiser, on both his radio and television sports shows, openly considered and argued Secretariat to be one of the 50 top athletes of all time, well, that was, to me, the most laughable, offensive comment I had ever heard from a sports analyst, on any previous topic. When ESPN dignified his opinions by naming five horseracing-related athletes in their Top 100 All-Century list, including Secretariat (at No. 35, just ahead of Oscar Robertson, Mickey Mantle, Ben Hogan and Walter Payton), I could only shake my head in disbelief. I was appalled. I simply could not understand how anyone, let alone any group as respectable as ESPN, could be so irrational. That was five years ago, but my views had not changed.

Then I read "Picking Winners". I had just finished reading the chapters covering the speed rating process when, on page 158, I read, "romanticists could appreciate Secretariat for his strength, his grace, his exciting style of running. But for me the most awesome moment of his career came two days after the Belmont Stakes, when I sat down with paper, pencil, and the Belmont charts, calculated my track variant and wrote down the number 148 for the eighth race that day. For a true addict, speed figures are the most beautiful part of the game."

Upon reading this, I went back and read it again; and then I read it again; and then I stopped reading and paused as I realized how greatly I had underestimated this sport. I paused to think about Secretariat, and how I remembered my aunt crying on both the occasions she tried to talk about him. Crying. About a horse. That she never even owned.

I can understand, now, just why that is. His perfection inspired awe in all that encountered him, and on that one day at Belmont, he outdid his own perfection in an astonishing performance, the enormity of which is most appropriately expressed not with words, but by wordless emotion, awe-inspired tears. Or, in my preferred language, numbers, through Beyer's speed rating. This passage comes at the end of the three chapters that describe the basic intricacies that formulate Beyer's speed ratings, just when the power of a speed figure of 148 can be adequately understood and absorbed. I now understand.

Picking up this book was, for me, never about horse racing. I didn't plan to use this information at the tracks, nor did I plan to alter my opinions of the sport. I bought this book and read it based on the recommendation of the brilliant stock analyst, Jim Cramer, who claims this book helped him develop a strategy for analyzing and picking stocks. Similarly, all I wanted from this book was insight I could extract and use as a parallel method for stock analysis. I found what I was looking for. This book is a great educator of a methodical analytical technique that has been proved effective; and, as written by Beyer, can be understood and applied easily, by most anyone. I am more pleased, however, that I did not find exactly and only that for which I was looking. I found much more. I have developed an appreciation for this sport that I, otherwise, would likely never have obtained. As a result, I enthusiastically recommend this fantastic read for two reasons: to anyone wanting to gain a unique perspective on horseracing, this book will provide you with a greatly increased appreciation for the sport and all its components; and to anyone interested in improving their analytical abilities, methods and applications, regardless of where or how they choose to apply them, i recommend this book because it will prove meaningful, creatively inspiring, and pertinent for many applications even fully unrelated to horseracing. A truly exceptional read.

Well done, Mr. Beyer.


Informative, a Must Read   December 20, 2004
J. Wolf (Maryland, USA)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Two years ago, I didn't know the difference between am exacta and a trifecta, or a fig from a fig newton. All that changed when I ordered my first book on racing "Picking Winners" by Andy Beyer. I had read Beyer's horseracing articles in the Washington Post for years, but was such a novice, that I had no idea that he had to speed handicapping like no other before him.

Picking Winners introduced me to the game -- to what handicapping was all about. Beyer gets you started. Read this book, and any novice is ready to go to the track and at least have some fun pretending he knows what he's doing.

The most important aspect of this book, of course, was my introduction to the Beyer speed figures. They are all he claims them to be; they are not all what others claim them to be. The figs are not the Holy Grail -- but you'll never find the Grail without them.

Most importantly, Beyer gave me an instant understanding of the horseracing game -- no crap -- no esoteric wanderings, but a true working knowledge of handicapping techniques -- and did I mention the speed figs? (haha)

If you are new to the game or if you have little knowledge of those mysterious numbers highlighted in the DRF under "Speed," get this book.

After two years and a dozen other books, I still refer to it several times a week. It has made betting the horses for me a fun, and most often profitable hobby.


Figure innovator   January 6, 2006
David Bridgforth (Tennessee)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

So many folks go to get the racing form and live by the figures without actually understanding what they mean or how they are computed. This was the original volume on computing figures and remains relevant to those who look at Beyer figures. You can't make money using them anymore, but it sure helps to know what you are looking at.