Customer Reviews

Handicapping 101: Finding the Right Horses and Making the Right Bets

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
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Brad Free, Handicapping 101 (DRF Press, 2004)

Handicapping 101 is exactly what it claims to be-- a back-to-the-basics primer on trying to pick a winner. Something a good lot of us horseplayers most probably need. It doesn't matter how long you've been playing the ponies (in fact, I'd be willing to bet that the longer you've been playing, the more you need this book), you're liable to find something in here you'd discarded over the years and forgotten about.

Free takes us back to the four factors that are most likely to give us a winner-- speed, class, form, and pace-- and discusses each in detail, then goes over the secondary factors, giving each about the amount of space they deserve, and ties it all together with (of course) copious examples.

A good, solid fundamentals-of-handicapping book. Recommended. ****

This is a must-have book on horseracing handicapping. Don't be fooled by its title into thinking this book is only for beginnners - in fact it should become a handicapping classic. Over the last eight years, I have read many horseracing handicapping books - some good, some bad, but this is my clear favorite. Well-written, easy to understand, and it explains very well the four main handicapping factors - condition/form, class, overall speed, and pace. And, it provides guidelines on how these four factors are applied at the various class levels. The first time I applied the author's guidelines to a maiden claiming race I hit a 28-1 winner. From my experience, I am firmly convinced that successful horseracing handicapping long-term can not be achieved by a computer program or a mathematical method/system. But, you can achieve a positive ROI long-term by applying the handicapping guidelines set forth in this book and making value bets, not just betting on the likely winner in every race. Buy this book - it will pay for itself many times over - it sure has for me.

Brad Free's Handicapping 101 is an outstanding book for the purpose that it was meant. Will this book make you an instant winner at the track? Probably not. Will it make you win more? Maybe. Will it help educate a beginner on what to look for, how to read past performances, and when/how to bet? DEFINITELY.

I have always loved horse racing, but mainly went to the races for a day of cheap entertainment and excitement. I'd bet $2-4 a race "just to keep it interesting." I rarely came away a winner, and when I did, I felt it was just pure luck. After getting into the game of much more this year and taking regular trips to Keeneland and Churchill Downs, I wanted to get serious.

Handicapping 101 hasn't made me rich or an instant winner right away, but it definitely has made me a much more informed horse player who stands a MUCH better chance than the general betting public. This book is extremely well written and is a joy to read. If you're a beginner who really wants to get into the game, start here!

This was an excellent book for anyone new to handicapping.

It was well organized and easy to read.

I could hardly wait to get to the next section. Its a keeper and
will be reread.

The past performance charts were hard to read because of the size of print.

I used to be a recreational player. I would go Santa Anita once a year and spend anywhere from 20.00 to 100.00 dollars. I never won, except for an occasional place bet. I never understood the game to be honest with you, but it was purely enjoyable entertainment. I saw Brad Free's book advertised in the program, and ended up buying the book. I bought the book with the intentions of learning the bare basics of handicapping and to know how to read the charts in the paper.

Well I got a lot more than that! As I was reading the book I wanted to try some of the things I learned and would go to the track often. Brad Free covers every aspect of handicapping. This is a book that is in your library and that you refer to often.

The chapter "The Wagering Menu" was very enjoyable. I used his method on the Superfecta at Hollywood Park, and won 796.30. It was a great feeling. However I thought his Pick-4 techniques were confusing.

I would have liked it better if there was an index. I hate thumbing through the book to find something in particular. Also a glossary would have been helpful, because sometimes I didn't have a clue what he was talking about with all the jargon, slang, and lingo that are used by horseplayers.

Brad Free is a great teacher as author of one of the easiest to understand books on Thoroughbred Handicapping ever written. For anyone who has tried to understand the myriad of issues in selecting winning horses, this book will surely help simplify the ordeal. It is written in plain language by a talented communicator. Add to your library.....PTWoodman

I loved this book! I have been a casual better of horse racing for three years, but after reading this book it really enhansed my understanding of the horse races and the Daily Racing Form. I now go to the track with a good understanding of the horse's speed, pace, form, and class. I am a smarter better and enjoy going to the track more often. This is a must for all new players or people who do not understand all areas of the game.

For beginners, and I am one of them, this book has its ups and down. The positives: a fairly coherent layout on the basics of handicapping focusing on form, class, speed, and pace. His chapters on betting theories and techniques are quite good. The anectdotes are entertaining. Unfortunately, the book is riddled with flaws that as a beginner, I found frustrating. First, the book has no index, which is extremely frustrating when trying to go back through the book to find previous points made by the author. Second, the book has inconsistencies that are not resolved. Third, the book does a fairly poor job on pace handicapping by simply assuming the reader is able to match fraction times with the appropiate calls during the race. I had to consult other sources in order to actually find out what matches with what for races at different distances, and what distance corresponds with each fraction and call on the past performances. Overall, a pretty good book for beginners, but I have to believe there is something better.

Brad Free put out a nice piece with this little book. It is written concisely and does not overwhelm the reader with data and charts.

While it is selective in the information included the overall result serves a purpose. It provides a basic set for recreational handicappers that can if studied thoroughly can result in more enjoyable trips to the race track.

His discussion of Class, the most often poorly described or discussed area of the art of predicting outcome of races was one of the better that i have read. His emphasis on the inseparable link between horses overall speed and their true ability level was especially helpful. From his narative about personal experiences with handicapping, two things are made clear. His strength is in his writing and in communicating ideas to the reader. His weakness, I suspect, is in his personal handicapping. Don't know this to be true, but I suspect he gets undisciplined and goes overboard at the wrong times reducing his personal effectiveness. Or has so in the past and now is grown. Been there; done that. I think everyone who plays this game does that. Was refreshing to hear an admission of just how much pain there is in the process of learning to consistantly perform well at the track.

Final comment. I suspect that should the recreational handicapper study this work well, more will come away with a little profit regularily and leave a somewhat smaller piece of the pie for the pros to eat.

Free has done an excellent job of providing beginning and intermediate handicappers a solid foundation with which to look at the four fundamentals of horseplaying--condition, class, speed, and pace. Like Joe Cardello's "Beyer on Speed" he doesn't give many dogmatic absolutes or "system" angles but just common sense paramaters to beginning horseplayers and subtle reminders to the rest of us.

I stress the word MANY because he was exceptionally adamant about never playing underlays, which I think is shortsighted; underlays have their place, but not as a steady diet.

Perhaps the best part was his candor in discussing his own foibles as a public handicapper. It is good to be reminded that even the pros have their droughts as well!

Good work Brad.