Picking Winners: A Horseplayer's Guide [Paperback]

Andrew Beyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 6, 1994

A classic guide to handicap strategies in the field of thoroughbred racing

 

Just as football evolved with the introduction of the forward pass and basketball with the development of the jump shot, so too was handicapping forever changed by the use of speed figures—and it all started with Andrew Beyer. With a foreword discussing the changes that have swept horse racing since the book's original publication in 1975, Picking Winners is essential reading both for serious horseplayers and curious amateurs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If the "Daily Racing Form" is the horseplayer's Bible, I believe that Beyer has written its most informative "Testament." (Bill Nack )

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: 240 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (May 6, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395701325
• ISBN-13: 978-0395701324
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Horses > Racing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for picking more than just horses, May 15, 2006

By 

bixodoido (Utah, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Picking Winners: A Horseplayer's Guide (Paperback)

I've never bet on a horse race. I've actually only been to a track once in my life (we don't have a lot of it in this part of the country), and yet I still found this book tremendously useful. Why? Well, it was recommended to me as a guide to "Picking Winners," not just in the horse racing world but in the stock market as well. And, having now read the book I can say that it has proven a more effective lesson in choosing stocks than most of the investment books I've read.

Some of the areas Beyer explores which I think apply to the stock market as well (or to any investment situation as far as I can tell) are:
-the effect different track conditions can have on a horse's performance.
-considering the effects of trainers on a horse's ability to win, lose, progress, or decline in performance.
-spotting potential cases of insider information.
-When to bet on a consistent performer over an unproven newcomer and vice versa.
-detecting signs of physical malady or deterioration early before you lose money because of them.
-How to detect and hopefully stop a losing streak once one begins.

In short this book provides an incredible amount of insight into the ways of selecting the merits of one horse (ie stock) over another without discounting the influence of other factors (the trainer, ie management, for example) on the outcome. I highly recommend this book as a source of investing knowledge and insight and, were I to take up speed handicapping, would absolutely start here.

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The one that started it all, February 1, 2000

By 

Rod Allison (Detroit) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Picking Winners: A Horseplayer's Guide (Paperback)

I've read many fine books on handicapping and this one is probably the best of them all. A real easy read, its peppered with fascinating and often humerous anecdotes and rules of thumb.

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!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you read no other horse racing book this year..., October 1, 1997

By 

J. Berry (Alexandria, Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Picking Winners: A Horseplayer's Guide (Paperback)

Quality journalism, genuine passion and beneficial insight in the same book on gambling? Beyer is not only the preeminent thoroughbred handicapper in the world, but he's also an accomplished sports journalist. He wraps everything perfectly in his primer "Picking Winners." The book reads like a documentary (you feel his pain!) but teaches like Mister Miyagi (weight on, weight off). Anyone with a remote interest in horse racing betting will enjoy the experience, absorbing Beyer's sage advice all the while. While a beginner won't become a black belt handicapper overnight (like Danny), a new world of awareness will open. And actually that's the essence of this book -- no shortcuts, no easy answers. Become aware of the influences and gain proficiency in interpreting them. "Picking Winners" succeeds on many levels but primarily on where so many books of its genre fail. You can read it. Jax Berry