Don’t Get With The Program—Get With The DRF
If you are going to the track, or just staying home and wagering from your online account there is one thing you should know about handicapping the races which many so-called handicappers do not know. Using a track and or a simulcast program when playing the races is a mistake. People that use these types of past performances are selling themselves short by passing up valuable information that is available to them if they choose. The reasons they opt to use the track or simulcast program makes little sense when you sit down and really think about it.
There is one key element that one needs to be an informed handicapper. It’s called the Daily Racing Form. It’s Handicapping 101. If you consider yourself a serious player, or a weekend warrior type, or just someone who likes to make a wager on the big race days, such as the Kentucky Derby, Breeders Cup and so on, there is another thing you should know. The track or simulcast program should not be your only source for past performances.
On a typical Saturday afternoon, if you go to the Meadowlands, you will see many people with a simulcast program. Actually almost everyone you will see will have a simulcast program either in his or her hand or on a table. When I see that, I know I have an edge over those players. Mind you, some of these handicappers have been playing the races for several years, and they still only use the track or simulcast program, it’s hard to believe.
Word to the wise, ditch that track or simulcast program, and grab a Daily Racing Form. The DRF is one of thee most important handicapping materials one can have when spending a day at the races, experienced and inexperienced players alike should always have a copy, or the printed pdf’s of the DRF while handicapping the races. I consider it a starting point in my handicapping, other variables will come into play, but it starts with the form.
As I start preparing for a day of handicapping, regardless of where I may be playing, either at home, Meadowlands, Monmouth Park, Belmont Park, or Aqueduct, buying or printing the DRF the day before, is the first thing I will do. It should be the first thing any handicapper should do. If you are going to spend a day at the races—it is simple— get the form. Some players will use Brisnet and, or other handicapping materials, such as Ragozin Sheets and Thoro-Graph sheets. These materials offer past performances in a different way.
Know and understand the DRF past performances first, before dabbling with other past performance materials. You will have a solid, fundamental foundation as a handicapper over someone who opts to use a track or simulcast program. You can use the track program, but know you will have much less information available to you. Less information means not knowing important things, and that will cause you to rip more tickets, opposed to cashing more of them. The goal is to cash, not rip.
When I see people using a track or simulcast program, I feel like just yelling at them, get the form! However, after realizing that these are the same people I am trying to beat in the pari-mutuel pools, I in fact have an edge over those individuals who opt not to use a DRF, which is readily available to them, for a dollar more or so no less, at the same place where they will pick up the track program. They sell them together. It makes no sense.
The one thing a serious handicapper will not do is just use a track or simulcast program for their past performances. Yet the majority of players do in fact only use the track program. If you are one of those people that solely depend on a track program when handicapping, there is one thing you should know, you are at a distinct disadvantage over players who do use the DRF.
There was a time when I was one of those individuals who used a track program only. I learned a lesson that stuck with me about 7 years ago at the Meadowlands, and it changed my thought process on what type of information I should arm myself when handicapping the races. I missed a $22 horse that popped on the turf. The track program, plain and simple does have enough important information that the DRF has.
After the last race that night, I picked up a discarded DRF that someone else was using. I looked at the race I came up empty in, after closer examination, I saw a nugget of information that certainly would have changed the way I saw the race and the horse I neglected to use. If I had only been aware of the trainer’s dirt to turf percentage, I would have at least considered the horse. I will not get into detail, but I realized that I am wasting my time and energy using a track program, when the DRF contains information that is a lot more useful. I asked myself a simple question, why am I selling myself short by not using the DRF? The days of using the track or simulcast program were history.
I decided the DRF was going to be my new source of past performances. Let me say that after a couple of years of only using the track program, it was a somewhat difficult task making that transition, but I did. I had to, or I might as well stop placing wagers on horses.
Yet, others continue not to use the DRF. Why? Well let us take a closer look and try to answer that question. One of the reasons is, the track program is cheaper then a Daily Racing Form. That alone is enough an incentive for someone to purchase the track or simulcast program instead. It often will contain several more tracks then the DRF.
Handicappers are creatures of habit. They will never make the change. They have been doing the same thing for several years. I say good for the more informed, or anyone who uses the DRF. Bad for those who don’t
Some handicappers rely on what selections are printed in the track or simulcast program, generated either by computer, or by the track handicapper. Solely depending on selections of others is not wise. It is never a bad idea to listen to someone else’s opinion on a race, in fact listening to the track handicappers opinion can enlighten one, but you still need to form your own opinion on a horserace. Pick a horse based on a computer generated number? That is just not a wise method. They figure they can save a dollar. See how smart I am? That is what they think
Why one would worry about saving an extra dollar or so going to the track anyway beats me, buying a track program may be cheaper, but can cost you more then a dollar in the long run. Yet, it is one of the main reasons they go for it over the DRF. You are going to spend that extra dollar either way at the track, and by spending that extra dollar, you will give yourself a better chance of having a successful afternoon at the races.
Some like the simulcast program because it will have several tracks to select from, but if you are a serious player, you should not be playing every track out there, or every race for that matter. In the summer, I play exclusively New York and New Jersey, and if there is big race out of state, I might look at that as well. Therefore, if I am going to buy a form, I will buy the $4.00 edition on track, $4.50 off track not the $5 edition, or print a single card out for a $2.50 or 3 cards for $3.75.
In this computer era, you can download the DRF pdf’s. It is fast, convenient and it’s usually available two or three days before the races. You can have all the information you need with in minutes in the comfort of your own home. I cannot see how so-called handicappers can consider themselves to have any type of edge using a track or simulcast program. Most horseplayers using this information are looking at that day’s races for the very first time, and sometimes 20 min before the first race. Seeing the past performances for the first time on race day is a no-no, for me anyway.
If you are using the DRF, you can see that day’s races in advance, and have an idea of how a race may shape up You will have a jump on figuring out what strategy you might decide to use. This alone is a good advantage to have. The only place to pick up a track or simulcast program is at the track. Some local stores may have them as well, but if you really want to get to see the next day’s races the night before, you will have to drive to the track and pick it up, and it is usually not available until after 9:00 pm the night before. It is a hassle.
Now for the real reasons you should be using the DRF at the track or home if you choose. It is simple. It has more pertinent information that will help you make a more informed choice when selecting a horse, regardless of what type of bet you are making. The benefits of using the DRF outweigh anything a track or a simulcast program can offer in the information department.
The DRF has statistics that are useful in selecting horses when handicapping a particular race, such as trainer and jockey statistics. The original purchase price of a horse and the form will list more workouts, they are simple, yet things that are important to know.
Examples include trainers’ success doing different things with horses. How does a particular trainer do with first time starters? How about stretching a horse out? How does a trainer do sending a horse out for the second time? How does a trainer fare when switching a horse from a route to a sprint, what about horses coming off a long layoff? How does a trainer do first off the claim? And the one that cost me that $22 horse, trainers win percentage going switching from dirt to turf with a horse. These are nice things to know if you consider yourself a serious handicapper. If you’re using the track or simulcast program, you will not find that information.
The edge goes to the player using the DRF. The track or simulcast program player is in the dark.
The past performances in the DRF are far more comprehensive then you know what. The DRF will list the last 10 running lines of a horse. Sometimes, depending on the race, a track or simulcast program will only give one or two running lines! That is just not an effective way to handicap a race, especially if you consider the form cycle of a horse. Is the horse cycling up or down? You will not have a clue as to how the horse has been running in his last few races.
And when it comes to maidens and maiden claimers you will have the original purchase price listed, if the horse is not a homebred, and this is information that can be helpful depending on the types of race you are handicapping.
The DRF also contains other handicapping information. I like to call them tools. One of the things that people use and like is the Beyer speed figure, now a track or simulcast program will usually offer some type of a speed figure, usually one generated by Equibase. In addition, the Tomlinson rating when it comes to handicapping races on an wet track, usually maidens, or the first time a horse will run on an off track. The higher the number, the more likely the horse based on his or her pedigree will run good on that type of track. By no means however, is it a guarantee the horse will like a wet track.
ThoroughbredZone wants to point out in particular the Beyer Speed figure and the Tomlinson rating are just tools, and how you use them is up to you, some players don’t implement them into their handicapping, while other players will incorporate these tools into their handicapping. I do look at these statistics, but I do not depend on them. Speed figures are a different subject all together.
The DRF has other advantages as well. The DRF has many horseracing articles that a racing fan will appreciate, and each article is broken down into a particular region of the United States. Regardless of how you obtain the racing form, either purchase the hard copy at the track, or a store that carries it, or download the pdf’s from DRF.com, you are giving yourself an advantage in the handicapping department and an edge over those that prefer a track or simulcast program instead.
There are times when buying a track program might not be a bad idea, kind of like a supplement to the DRF. Here are some reasons. A track program will give the correct post position of each horse and his or her number. The early edition of the DRF might not have this. In addition, a track program will include morning line odds of each horse. If you like to see the morning line odds, you should buy a track program, but also make sure you have the DRF as well. Do not just buy a program. The morning lines are also available on the Internet. You can always write this down on the DRF.
Another reason to buy a track program is for keepsakes. Moreover, you really do not even have to buy it. You can always find a discarded one as you leave the track. I have a stack of track programs from big races that I have attended over the years such as the Belmont Stakes, Haskells, Wood Memorials and so on. It is always nice to have a souvenir from a big race day to look back on.
However, from the handicapping perspective, the Daily Racing Form is what you should be absorbing. It should be the starting point in the handicapping process. The next time you see a person with a track or simulcast program in his hand, just remember, you have an edge over that individual, and they do not even know it.
The information contained in the Daily Racing Form is there to help you make an informed choice when selecting a horse. In closing, ThoroughbredZone wants to remind anyone who likes to make a bet on a horse, regardless if you are a seasoned veteran handicapper, a casual fan, or a newbie entering the world of thoroughbred racing, the Daily Racing Form is where you should start the handicapping process. Aside from making you a smarter, more informed handicapper, it will make you a more successful one as well. Don’t get with the program. Get with the DRF.
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