Randomness / Chaos / Order / Wagering Strategy

[wilbur porter]

Very Deep. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I always enjoyed reading Tim's post. He has a great mind and with his scientific (and photographic) background he has a valuable and unique viewpoint of horse racing.
Discovering and relating Eastern Philosophic concepts and ideas to our Western way of living is not a new endeavor and has manifested in many aspects of Western thought and living for hundreds, if not thousands of years, whether in the fields of science (alchemy = chemistry = the transmutation of the human soul), quantum physics and the Dancing Shiva (Nataraj), the dialogues of David Bohm and Krishnamurti ( For example, what is order, and can the human mind which is of itself of the nature of chaos and disorder perceive order), or the psychology (Carl Jung, Richard Wilhelm and particularly The I Ching Book of Changes).
There have been many who have followed "discovering" while walking along this path. One of the most frequent and pronounced manifestations of along this path is the Western propensity to "walk on the other side of the road". What I mean by this is that we westerners digest and process such concepts as "Yin and Yang" and the Tao, not as the Orientals themselves who experience these ideas as of a living religious nature, within and without, but as we might discern and study a phenomena or object in a labaratory or in a distant galaxy.
Such was the fate of many ancient alchemists (scientists, scholars, and religious figures) who, in their laboratories constantly sought the process to transmute lead into gold via a chemical processes. It was a decades-long, lifetime pursuit ( alchemy was the precursor to modern chemistry). They were certain that there was an unknown process.
Dr David Bohm and J. Krishnamurti held many dialogues on the subject of "Order and Chaos" over the years. Mr. Krishnamurti often pointed out to Dr. Bohm that it seems that the human mind, which is itself of the nature of chaos, is unable to understand or perceive "Order" if order really exists, and that perhaps it is only when one really "sees" this, that one finds order. Can one find order by using the tool of Chaos? Will we miss the sign by walking on the wrong side of the road?
My point is that I have great respect for Tim's ideas and efforts and the contribution that he has made to this forum. I have the highest respect for Dr. Sartin, the Hat and others who have formulated this methodology. But it's not just about handicapping!!! It's a process.
I would like to point out that in many ways we are all like those alchemists. Many of us will spend much of our lives in trying to turn lead ( Racing Forms, speed figures, cheating trainers, models, pars, statistics, softwares, etc) into Gold ( aka as winning mutuels, High R.O.I.'s). "There must be a way to turn lead into Gold!" "There must be a way to turn handicapping into money!" I definitely have this pattern in my own life.
For me, from my vantage point, the genius of Dr. Sartin and the others is that the methodology transcended the boundaries of horse racing handicapping. It was a process that utilized many currents from a multitude of disciplines to not only teach handicapping techniques, but to initiate an ongoing process of inner growth as well. Apparently many were transformed. The Alchemists themselves were unaware of the process for the most
part. Only a few would come to understand. When perusing through the forum, it is not too difficult to see those who are the most successful at the art of handicapping and living. They go hand in hand. Are not many of us not like the alchemists?
I understand that my response has apparently little to do with "the technique" of handicapping". But I feel certain that there is more to successful handicapping than crunching numbers. Perhaps the best wagering strategy would be to perceive the play of opposites within and without. The results of our handicapping are also dependent on our inner attitude and thoughts. One might attain some understanding of the "Yin" and "Yang" principles and the alchemical process through a long use of the Princeton University Baynes translation of the Wilhelm version of the I Ching.