Anyone who reads my posts knows I am a $2 bettor. Since, i play the game to make money, I can't afford to take low prices on solid horses. I'm a long shot specialist. What this means is I have to search for different horses than, merely, the top Beyer number in every race. Sometimes they are a value price, but not often enough.
The Daily Racing Form--my bible--provides several typically overlooked features in past performances, that are key to solid long shots.
First up is the horse's box score. It not only tells you number of starts, wins, places, and shows and money earned. Importantly, it gives number of starts at a distance and the horse's best Beyer for same. I start my handicapping, right here. For every race, I identify those with the best distance figures. I quickly weed out horses experimenting, or with little chance.
Secondly. I am more than interested in who is training and riding a horse. How does a trainer do in the called for situation? Moreover, I note if they have a successful history together. It's uncanny how often this data outweighs everything else--at lucrative prices. I have, repeatedly, caught $40 and $70 winners because the fit is just right.
Several handicapping strategies ask the player to identify 'the stranger,' in a race. They are talking about horses. I am more interested in why a leading jockey is riding a horse for an unknown trainer, listed in the morning line at 6-1, going off at 15-1. Pay attention to this factor and it will often give you clues to a large pay off.
