My Starting Library
 

Moved an old storage container today and discovered the books I had acquired back around 1995 when I first started trying to handicap. And a couple binders of notes too. Over the moon about some of these, as they are hard to come by now and not cheap or in ebooks. Ordered two this morning from used book sellers.

Maybe someone would like to suggest which of these I should read first and what else I should look for. I've been jumping around a tad the last few days, reading Issue #1, A Day at the Races, Brohamer's four-part series, and browsing my kindle books. Still working on my template and it is now in its first review and tweaking stage.


AINSLIE Aaron
The Big Book of Exactas (kindle)

AINSLIE Tom
Ainslie's Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing (ppbk)

BEYER Andrew
Picking Winners: A Horseplayer's Guide (ppbk)
Beyer on Speed (kindle)
The Winning Horseplayer (kindle)
My $50,000 Year at the Races (kindle)

BLAKE Christian
How to Pick Longshots (kindle)

BOLUS Jim
The Insider's Pocket Guide to Horse Racing (ppbk)

BROHAMER Tom
Modern Pace Handicapping (HB)

KOLB Steven
How to Win the Pick 6 (kindle)

KUCK Henry
Winner's File: The Logic Behind Successful Handicapping (HB)

QUINN James
The Complete Handicapper: You Can Beat the Races! (kindle)
$The Handicapper's Condition Book: An advanced Treatment of Thoroughbred Class (HB) (just bought)

QUIRIN William L. Ph.D.
Thoroughbred Handicapping State of the Art (ppbk)
$Handicapping by Example (HB) (just bought)
NEED
Winning at the Races

REESE R. E.
Horse Racing (Hidden Time Factors: How Race Times Uncover Next Out Winners) (kindle)

REO Vincent M
Workouts and Maidens (ppbk)

Some of these, upon reflection, are probably a waste. That's ok, I'm learning how to tell the experts from the wannabes.

Think this is all the best birthday present I can remember in years. Turn 60 next month. Happy birthday to me :D

My handicapping library has a few of the same titles including a “Pace Makes The Race” signed by Sartin and Brohamer. I especially enjoyed all of Beyers books because of his stories and personality.

All the books will give you some insight into handicapping but any edge there may have been at the time on most things is now eroded.

But have fun reading, and Happy Birthday!

Pook

If you're an RDSS user, then Pace Makes the Race (both first and second editions) and Modern Pace Handicapping are required reading, along with the later "Follow Ups," which are available on this site.

From the world of conventional handicapping, Quinn's The Complete Handicapper and Quirin's Winning at the Races are two of the best, in my opinion. (Dave Schwartz's Percentages and Probabilities is a more recent and much larger treatment of the concepts and material in Dr. Quirin's book, so you may want to go there instead.)

Pook makes a great comment though about any edge there may have been at the time (when these books were published) is now eroded.

Regarding Andy Beyer, all of his books are well-written and entertaining but, in my opinion (again), there's little in them that will help you become a better horseplayer today. Basically, he killed the game for himself and others when he revealed his "secret" of speed figs. Twenty years ago, he admitted that he could no longer make a profit betting horses to win with his approach and that his play was limited to exotics. If that was true then, it's even more so now.

Yeah, I realized that quickly. It was a chance comment in one of his remarks that led me to Sartin, pace handicapping, and paceandcap. Tried paceadvantage first but they have yet to approve my application. Are they dead or dying there?

Anyway Ted's approval was quick and this place is a gold mine.

Which reminds me. I'm about to leave a used book store with an addition to my little library. Found Recreational Handicapping by James Quinn. Back jacket has 4 testimonials. Beyer called it the first really intelligent book on class. Ainslie said this book is indispensible. Quirin wrote an excellent text. Ans William L Scott said outstandind. Recommended it to everyone.

I recognize three of those names but I haven't seen Scott mmm entioned before. Will investigate later. Now off to see the dental surgeon about getting teeth pulled.

William scott
 

Very good book. William Scott is a pen name. His real name is Scott Finley. He has two sons William (Bill) and Scott Finley. Bill Finley is a solid writer and handicapper in his own right and his brother Scott worked for the DRF at one time.

I think you'll be glad you bought it. Recreational Handicapping is actually the first edition of The Complete Handicapper by Quinn. I learned how to win from that book.

I book that I found very interesting was Mark Cramer's Thoroughbred Cycles.
It was definitely mentioned by Howard in one of the lectures and I'm pretty sure was a book recommendation in the Follow Up too.
It's been reprinted recently.

If you can find or borrow a copy from someone I highly recommend "The Matchup2" by Jim "The Hat" Bradshaw.

If you can grasp some of his concepts you'll be glad you read it.

Richie

For those visiting Saratoga, there is a used book store on Phila St just down from Broadway. It is called the Lyrical Ballad and specializes in horse racing books.

Thank you, gandalf. I've never been able to walk past a book store.