Ted:

You are great and I deeply apologize for wasting your precious RDSS work time by not having read the material you sent me along with the RDSS and have graciously sent again. I am reading it now and will (I promise) before asking another question review all material enclosed. I have been so immersed lately in trying to setup for myself a workable and hopefully-eventually a successful handicapping approach utilizing my general handicapping views (adopted from reading and experience), Spec160, and now the RDSS program that I have done no other reading or tasks. Sorry.

I find that the RDSS program lends itself or is a better tool for race analysis. This is so especially with the Projected Pace feature, the ability to see two screens with original past performance (pp) times and the other with adjusted pp times, the split screen capability in viewing different screen outputs in effect side by side, and last but not least the more friendly view of the past performances (DOS not that great).

Based I what you have said as to the current workings of both integrated programs within the RDSS platform (Spec160/Val4) I will for consistency, at least for now, just utilize RDSS without configuring. Generally speaking, in non-maiden races where I am not black boxing I would not use a paceline with a finish of beaten lengths greater then 5L to include IMF. If I am forced to do so in a NM race with an IMF then I am marking that race and looking at it real closely. In maiden races it is a different story and in this case you hold your nose pick a recent line (or maybe go back for better IMF) but in the end rely on other then just numbers.

I have a long way to go in discovering for myself the best practices with RDSS to successfully handicap a race but I have to tell you-from what I have seen so far- you are in the process of delivering a fantastic and fun to use tool for handicapping purposes.

Thanks,

Robert