Beyer on Speed (.) [Paperback]

Andrew Beyer (Author)

Book Description

Series: . | Publication Date: May 1, 1995

Critics and handicappers adore him. The Boston Globe once called him "the manic evangelist, grand guru, and scholarly professor of handicapping." His books espouse strategies and betting philosophies that have shaped the sport. But the true measure of Andrew Beyer's impact on handicapping is that his very name has become part of the horseplayer's terminology. Beyer's speed figures, first introduced almost twenty years ago in Picking Winners, revolutionized racetrack betting. But not until 1992, when the Daily Racing Form included Beyer Speed Figures in past performances, did they become widely available. Now, in Beyer on Speed, the author shows how to make speed figures the focal point of an effective betting strategy. Written in Beyer's clean, rapid-fire prose, Beyer on Speed explains how to relate speed figures to such factors as pace, track bias, and track conditions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A wonderfully entertaining and informative book . . . All race fans should read it.” (Daily Racing Form ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

About the Author

ANDREW BEYER thoroughly revolutionized handicapping when he created
his "Beyer Speed Figures," a measure of how fast a horse has run in a given
race, and an indispensable tool for horseplayers. Making the necessary
calculations to develop a set of figures for each horse in each race was too
time-consuming for most horseplayers, so in 1992 the Daily Racing Form
commissioned Beyer and his associates to provide his speed figures for
every horse competing in North America. Beyer has been a columnist for the Washington Post since 1978, and contributes regularly to the Daily Racing Form. He is considered one of the leading experts on horse racing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (May 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395735238
• ISBN-13: 978-0395735237
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,611,292 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyer's third entry is as indispensable as the first two, October 10, 2000

By 

Michael Wendt (Vernon Hills, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beyer on Speed (.) (Paperback)

Reading Andrew Beyer is at once informative and entertaining, which anything on handicapping has no excuse not being. While his first book introduced speed figures, and his second mixed the application of them with an appreciation of other aspects of handicapping, this book revisits the holistic approach - always emphasizing speed figures - in an era when everyone has access to more information than ever, and many even know how to use it. What makes reading Beyer so fascinating is that one is made to see, vividly, the endless testing and working out of new ideas and approaches, in the stories - one might call them lessons - he recounts (the chapter on turf betting is a classic of sports writing). Beyer, like Bill James, is a scientist, and thinks like one, to the edification of all who choose not to keep recycling the same old bromides, and making the same old mistakes. People like Beyer and Steve Davidowitz are largely responsible for the ever-escalating arms race which parimutuel bettors are fighting amongst themselves. It's a wonderful game, but if you don't want to get left behind, better read this.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lesson for all British handicappers, September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyer on Speed (.) (Paperback)

"Beyer On Speed" was the first American book I read on horserace betting. Many would consider the content irrelevant to British horseplayers, but the reverse is true. American racegoers have access to so much more material than their British counterparts, that those who care to avail themselves of the methods of those such as Beyer have a huge advantage in the quest for profit. Beyer himself refers to a "benighted era" of racing, where his speed figures were so little used that he could make money on blindly backing his top figure horse, an advantage which has all but been eroded in American Pari-mutuel wagering since the inclusion of Beyer speed figures in the Daily Racing Form. In addition to the information contained within, the book is written in pithy and perspicacious style. Beyer is a great anecdotalist; many of his stories are salutory as well as entertaining.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive work on speed handicapping, January 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Beyer on Speed (.) (Paperback)

Beyer's book is entertaining and enlightening at once. The book gives the reader the theory behind speed handicapping and is full of examples, but even if you never cash a ticket, Beyer is so entertaining you won't care. He is not only a shrewd bettor, but a masterful storyteller. It's a great book, and not "stuffy" like some of the more conservative handicapping books we've all read.