March 20^th 2013

With the Derby a bit more than six weeks away and future pool #3 opening up this weekend I’ve been looking for creative ways to analyze the contenders. So let’s get started. Now I can’t even begin to say this is a proven winning approach to ‘handicapping’ a race this far in advance. What you’re looking at here is probably more about having fun with numbers than anything else, but if you follow along it might turn out to be interesting food for thought. During this analysis I will be utilizing performance ratings from On-Target Version 2, which is one of the advanced reports sold exclusively through TrackMaster. The Derby is a unique race — a race where if you interviewed each horse’s trainer and asked them when they ideally want their horse to reach ‘peak form’ I suspect every one of them would say on the 1^st Saturday in May — and not a day earlier!

It might stand to reason then, if a horse is putting in huge efforts in prep races that are run two months before the Derby, well there might not be a whole lot left in the tank come Derby day. While some of these horses probably carry on developing and win anyway I’m sure many more disappoint. On the other end of the spectrum a horse which is putting forth much weaker efforts might not be well equipped to move forward, at least to the degree typically necessary. My thought with this exercise is to possibly identify horses which seem to best fit a successful ‘pattern of development’.

For this particular analysis I started by going back and looking at the previous five winners of the event to see if I could use their efforts for creating a baseline of sorts. Granted with such a small sample size it’s risky to draw any firm conclusions however here is what we have:

In the table of recent winners notice I’ve logged the best effort at age two as well as the best prep effort within a specific window. This ‘window’ is defined as Feb 1^st-Mid-March.

The median best effort for these prior winners during their two-year-old season was 9.  The median prep effort was 8.5. The median Derby effort was 3.25 which underscores how much development typically occurs is these final six weeks of training. (On-Target Ratings are on a scale where the lower rating indicates a stronger effort)

So is there any way we can use this data?  Well in the next step I gathered together the same type of data for as many of the 2013 contenders as I could find as follows:

Let’s go over what the chart represents:

• The 2YO Diff column is the number of points the horse’s best 2YO effort was from the baseline which we established earlier to be a median of 9.
• The ‘Prep Diff’ column is much the same, this baseline is 8.5.

• Please note these Diff’s are ABS or absolute differences, i.e. if a horse’s effort is much faster than the baseline or much slower you will not see any negative numbers here. And then we have the Total Diff which is just the sum of the two.

The idea here is we’re looking to zero in on horses which have the lowest Total Diff as these are the ‘best fit’ for our baseline pattern of development. And who would that be?  That’s what the Rank column will show us.

Here are the top four horses fitting our pattern of development the closest:

• Flashback
• Goldencents
• Dynamic Sky
• Hear The Ghost

The following horses are also no more than 3.5 total points away from the baseline which is still completely reasonable given the profile of recent winners:

• Den’s Legacy & Vyjack (tie)
• Capo Bastone & Java’s War (tie)

Well I hope you enjoyed this early look at the field through the scope of On-Target Performance Ratings. There are probably many other ways to look at these numbers. Be creative and feel free to try out your own ideas. Best of luck to you in 2013.

CLICK HERE for more information about On-Target Performance Ratings Version 2

Michael Cahill

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TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

The benefit of using speed figures to handicap was never more evident than in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, as pointed out in pre- and post-race articles written by Matt Gardner on the “And Down the Stretch They Come” blog, part of SB [Sports Blog] Nation.

In Matt’s post which appeared on October 17 (and was recapped on November 7) in his Divisional Standings & The Classic blog, he pointed out that among the Classic division contenders, the highest Equibase Speed Figure earner was Fort Larned,  who earned a 123 figure in the Whitney Handicap. Additionally, the two horses tied with the next best Equibase Speed Figure of 121 that ran in the Classic were Mucho Macho Man (earned in the Suburban Handicap) and Flat Out (earned in the Jockey Club Gold Cup). The Classic resulted in an Equibase Speed Figure exacta and trifecta, with Fort Larned edging Mucho Macho Man for the win in a thrilling stretch battle and with Flat Out third.

In speaking with racing fans at various seminars and presentations, I am constantly asked for the top things to look at when handicapping a race. The first step is asking the question “Are there winning races from each horse’s past that if repeated today would make him/her competitive?” The second step is looking at the Equibase Speed Figures among those horses to determine which horse should run faster, and to put those horses in order accordingly.

Using that process when handicapping this year’s Classic would have yielded excellent results, as the $2 exacta combining Fort Larned and Mucho Macho Man returned $125.40 and the $1 trifecta using the three top Equibase Speed Figure horses (from the key races as pointed out in the article referred to above) returned a healthy $306.90. Unfortunately, I did not heed my own advice. However, as with most things related to the art of handicapping there is the opportunity to learn from your mistakes, which I will most certainly do when handicapping next year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic.

You can follow Ellis on Twitter @Ubercapper

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TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

It’s been over a year since we partnered with TrackMaster and introduced WagerMate in this blog, so I want to bring you up to date on the WagerMate news.

In last year’s blog entry, I pointed out that I was pretty much a novice at handicapping, and that WagerMate was better at picking winners than I was.  I like to think I’ve gotten to be a little bit better — and I know that WagerMate has improved.

Here are the recent highlights:

1. Using WagerMate, I made a (tiny!) profit for my real-money betting in 2011.
2. WagerMate has been updated about a dozen times.  WagerMate now downloads near-real-time scratch info, and has a “View Card” mode that lets you browse the past performances, etc.
3. I started a blog to describe WagerMate features.
4. I won a bit of cash in a handicapping contest at BetPTC last week.

Back Testing Experience

If you follow WagerMate’s out-of-the-box betting advice, it will do a reasonable job of handicapping — but, you’ll be placing the same bets as every other WagerMate user.

I hope you learn how to use WagerMate’s filters to develop your own strategies and how to save them as WMST (WagerMate STrategy) files.  Strategy files let you bring your own personal experience and wisdom into the WagerMate handicapping process — you’re customizing the process.  It’s easy.

Better yet, if you download cards & charts from TrackMaster, you can do back testing, and experiment to find an optimal strategy.

Here’s what my back testing (on about 4 year’s worth of data) looks like using the default WagerMate strategy:

If you blindly followed all of WagerMate’s suggestions, you would have won about 22% of your bets and got back 96% of the money you bet (i.e. a 4% loss).

In one sense, that’s terrible — we’d lose money!  But in another sense, this is incredibly encouraging — before we’ve even applied a bit of our handicapping skill, we’ve changed the rules of the game.  Everyone else is playing a game with a 20% takeout, but WagerMate users are playing a game with a 4% takeout.

If you can use your own experience and wisdom to sort through WagerMate’s selections, you should be able to improve on these results.  If you have enough data to do your own back testing, you should be able to develop a better strategy than the default strategy built into WagerMate.

The Future

I have hundreds of ideas to improve WagerMate.  For example, I’ve noticed that once in a while it will recommend a really crazy bet — a horse with 15 starts and no wins.  If I can cut out a few more of those bad bets, the ROI should get even better.

I hope you’ll download WagerMate (still free), and check out the improvements for yourself.  If you like it, you can sign up to download the data files from TrackMaster.

Tablet computers (such as the iPad) have also been reaching new heights in popularity as people want something fast, easy and on the go, yet comprehensive and customizable. The trend has been moving away from installing complicated software programs and more towards “apps” and web based information that can be accessed quickly and easily.  At TrackMaster, we have demonstrated our commitment to these advances with our Pocket Handicapper and iPPs. However, many harness players have been left waiting and wondering when there would be a solution completely dedicated to their handicapping needs.

Listen up friends when I say “the wait is over!”

The all-new TrackMaster HarnessPro is the most unique and powerful harness handicapping tool available on the market today. It’s a combination of all the features found in a sophisticated handicapping software application with the simplicity of a printed advanced handicapping report conveniently presented as a web page based, all-in-one handicapping utility.

Best of all, it also includes printed past performance programs as part of the product. It truly is the only handicapping product you will ever need, or want, to play the harness races successfully.

This product is so simple to use, yet has all the bells and whistles to take your handicapping to a whole new level. The handicapping data is presented in a new and exciting format with many customizable features. In addition to including all the same powerful handicapping information found in the original TrackMaster Plus some of the new highlights are:

- A “top performers” section, which quickly tells you who the standouts are in each and every category of statistics you come across.

- The capability for sorting and graphing presents information in a way that makes high ratings and hidden angles jump off the page.

- Enter and save notes for individual horses and they get archived for the next time the horse races.

- Improved customizable power ratings.

- Web browser  based, it will work on any computer operating system (Mac or PC) as well as on all tablets and even smart phones. It’s portable and travels with you wherever you are.

Using the ratings and comparisons provided by TrackMaster HarnessPro will greatly enhance your handicapping. There are many exciting statistical insights just waiting to be explored in each of while handicapping your favorite track. A race card contains all the information for one day’s races at one track. Once inside a race, the category menu bar shows the 10 main categories of handicapping information you can navigate through.

For more information all about this exciting new product, including samples so you can see for yourself, click here.

Greg Robinson
TrackMaster Harness Racing Product Manager

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TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

The unique and exciting Pro-Am Series combined with the Legends Of Harness Racing races this Monday and Tuesday at Pompano Park are going to make for a great wagering opportunity for harness players. The races will be part of the Pick 4s on both days. Here’s my analysis of the races and some picks to help make your plays:

On Monday, March 12th the Sunshine Pro-Am Challenge events are races 5-7 and the Legends is race 8. They make up the $5,000 guaranteed pool pick 4 with a 15% takeout…

Race #5 (Pro-Am) Analysis – 

#5 DON’T CALL US (Bruce Ranger – Pro) – This mare ranks tops in the TrackMaster Greg rating system, helped immensely by the huge statistical advantage of the #5 post position at Pompano and the services of excellent driver Bruce Ranger. I’m expecting a much easier trip than she’s been getting over the last month of racing.
#7 BIT O LAVEC (Wally Hennessey – Pro) – Trainer Joseph Kroll is 1 for 1 winning with horses making their first start after a claim, has a chance to be 2 for 2 with this mare.
#2 BLAKE ISLAND (John Campagnuolo – Amateur) – Amateur driver John Campagnuolo also owns this horse so has plenty of familiarity driving him, unlike the rest of the entrants in this field.

Race #6 (Pro-Am) Analysis – 

#2 CAROLE’S BULLVILLE (David Siegel – Amateur) – Horse has a pretty substantial advantage in the average speed rating category and the rail post position will be a benefit.
#7 MISDORI (Luke Plano – Pro) – Trainer Rick Plano (father) and driver Luke Plano (son) win at an impressive 23% rate and their ROI as a duo is +12%. Sounds like a pretty good investment to me.
#1A MIAS STAR (Steve Wiseman – Pro) – Capable California driver Steve Wiseman and the 5 post give this horse an outside shot to be in the money.

Race #7 (Pro-Am) Analysis – 

#5 CRACKER JUSTINE (Luke Plano – Pro) – Horse dropping down to a class rating level more similar to that of her last win two weeks ago.
#4 I LIKE TO RHAP (Jamie Marra – Amateur) – Horse was a winner last time out after recovering from an early break, cross your fingers for a trouble free trip!
#8 PERFECT BUBBLES (Wally Hennessey – Pro) – This horse shows the best closing ability in the race, and starting from the outside post will be coming from the back. If things go fast early this one could pick up some pieces late.

Race #8 (Legends) Analysis – 

#5 TWIN B IMPACT – Coming off two straight wins in impressive fashion, no reason to see why this one won’t keep on rolling!
#10 LUCKY ASSET – 2nd start after a claim for this horse, shows plenty of prior class and ability and will start from the 2nd tier
#1 BJ’S BRAVEHEART – Plenty of early pace with this horse and the inside post will put him right in the thick of things.

Race #5 (Pro-Am) Analysis – 

#7 SMOOTH MUSCLES (Luke Plano – Pro) – The “class” of the race this horse owns the highest career win % and earnings per start. Past speed ratings point to this one as being the best of the bunch.
#5 TERMINATOR HALL (Wally Hennessey – Pro) – Don’t like this one as a big win type, but at good odds has the potential to fill out a nice exacta or trifecta.
#1 NOBLE WAY(John Campagnuolo – Amateur) – Of all the horses in their last races, this one has the highest speed rating. Shows ability and will be helped by the rail post position.

Race #6 (Pro-Am) Analysis – 

#6 CL SUN DANCER (Steve Wiseman – Pro) – This horse is a 2nd time lasix user, 2nd start for new trainer after a recent claim and the only horse making a significant drop in class rating coming into this race.
#5 DARIA HALL (Wally Hennessey – Pro) – Last 3 starts were all from the tough 7 post and tonight the horse gets the magic 5 post which has one of the highest win indexes of any post at any track in the country.
#8 SIMMER (Luke Plano – Pro) – Solid average speed figures, but at a disadvantage from the 8 post. Could get into the race late if things go too fast early with the other contenders.

Race #7 (Pro-Am) Analysis – 

#4 MATTERN MIRACLE (Richard Bertrand – Amateur) – Was a beaten favorite last time out and also earned the highest speed rating of any of the horses in their last start. California amatuer Richard Bertrand has a chance to earn some points for his squad on this one.
#1 CONJUGAL VISIT (Jamie Marra – Amateur) – Horse show a lot of parked symbols on his past performance lines. The post switch inside might set him up for a much better trip and put him right in the mix coming for home.
#7 ALBANIAN ARTIST (Wally Hennessey – Pro) – The most consistent speed rating earner in this field, and with pro Wally Hennessey in the sulky I have no doubts this horse will finish in the money.

Race #8 (Legends) Analysis – 

#5 JULIUS SECRET – Best speed rating from the last race, the best closer of the field and the coveted 5 post, and an 8-1 morning line, what more could you ask for in a wagering opportunity.
#7 EEL – This horse has the highest lifetime win %, so we know this one knows how to slide into the winners circle.
#8 SUNDOWNER BOB – Third consecutive 8 post for this horse. Went to the back the first time with no luck, then tried to leave with no better results. Third time is the charm maybe?

Thanks for your continued support of harness racing and good luck!

TrackMaster Greg
Harness Racing Expert

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TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

In a very unique format, Pompano Park has set the dates of its “Sunshine Pro-Am Challenge”. A series of at least six races will be conducted over two race nights, Monday and Tuesday, March 12th and 13th at the Florida oval. Two amateurs and two professional reinsmen each from Cal-Expo and Pompano Park will do battle vying for the Sunshine title. While drivers race individually to win, team points are awarded using a standard amateur race series scoring system.

While I have been working with the folks at Pompano over the last six months or so to pull this event together, the credit for this novel ideal goes to Gregg Keidel, currently the racing secretary at Running Aces Harness Park and formerly the race secretary at Northfield. Several years ago I got the chance to participate in a pro-am at Northfield with a “return engagement” at Cal-Expo and it was very successful.

Those who have read some of my blogs over years have heard me speak about change for the sake of change. Of course, the poorer things are going, the less one has to lose by making changes. Businesses that sit still and don’t make changes are doomed to fail. Edmund Burke said “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” I have altered this quote before for business use, “All that is often needed to fail is doing nothing.”

The pro-am format is one that has worked in a couple of sports. One of the most entertaining events of the PGA tour used to Bing Crosby’s Pro-Am played at Pebble Beach and other nearby courses. Using handicaps for amateurs of reasonable, and in some cases not-so-great ability, an entertaining success was produced. With harness racing, the horse is still the primary determinant of success, so mixing amateurs and pros can work and the amateurs can actually win some races. In this event, the amateurs will be getting a slight edge drawing the four inside posts, which on average helps level the playing field, (though post five is the ‘winningest’ post overall).

So, given our stature in the entertainment or sports world, and racing on a Monday and Tuesday night, I don’t expect this event to rival the NBA all-star game, but it does provide for an interesting twist in what would normally be just another couple of cards of run-of-the-mill overnight races.

From a fans perspective, there should be some great wagering opportunities given the mix of drivers and driving styles. Sure, the Floridians have a certain style of racing, but when 50% of the field does not race there; toss any regular “style” out the window. The Californians can determine the style of race just as much as the locals can given the 50/50 mix of drivers. From a personal perspective, all I can tell you is that this is “so cool.” I still love the excitement of every race I am in, and given the random draw horse assignment, I have as good a shot as any of the drivers to get a really competitive horse. I have had the pleasure of driving with California guys with tons of wins (Rick Plano – approaching 6000 wins, Ed Hensley – over 4500 wins), but Ranger and Hennessy have amassed over 16,000 between the two of them, so driving with them really will be an honor. Finishing ahead of them in any given race will be great, and of course winning a race will be off the charts.

Events like this also allow local fans to see other top drivers in action. I think they will be surprised how well our pros (Luke Plano and Steve Wiseman) will stand up against the Florida old guard and maybe we will get lucky and have some more fans follow our racing on the left coast. I really hope that the Pompano group will come to California soon to “complete” the home-and-home series. It was special when the Northfield group did that a few years back.

As I write this blog, TVG is considering showing these racing on-air and I hope they do so other fans and tracks can see how well a series like this can work, for both wagering, and general entertainment. At minimum, ADWs that carry the Pompano signal will broadcast them via the internet so interested folks will be able to see the competition unfold. I am sure it will be competitive and very interesting and feel fortunate to be a part of it. To help support the wagering, TrackMaster will offer free Past Performances and selections, and I am planning on twisting the arm of TrackMaster Greg to do a special write up for the pro-am races.

David Siegel
TrackMaster President & Amateur Driver

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TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

The Pocket Handicapper uses the capability of an iPhone or Android powered smart phone to provide an impressive amount of data in a mobile device. Now you can literally have a wealth of information at the ready in your pocket. The data used in TrackMaster products has become more and more refined, and engineered to be more profitable for users over the years. You now have access to information to help your ROI wherever you are and for whatever tracks you play within just a matter of seconds.

The Pocket Handicapper features the following handicapping information (complete details here):

* Power Ratings
* Equibase Speed Figures, Class Ratings & Pace Ratings
* Detailed Jockey & Trainer Stats
* Sire & Dam Stats
* Past Performances in a PDF format

All of this powerful data in the palm of your hand for the current introductory rate of just $0.99 per race card. As an added bonus, for TrackMaster Plus & Plus Pro Subscribers, if you have a regular or unlimited subscription and you download a race card using your software, you can download the same race card on the mobile app for NO additional charge.  Think of it as, “Plus Pro On The Go!“

You can download the FREE TrackMaster Pocket Handicapper app from the iTunes App Store or the Android Marketplace. It includes a sample race card and the app also allows you to download a single FREE race each day.

Whether you have been a loyal, TrackMaster customer for a number of years, or are a newcomer to the exciting world of horse racing and handicapping, the TrackMaster Pocket Handicapper app is the choice for helping you have a winning day at the races.

Craig Walker
TrackMaster Senior Product Development Specialist

We want to hear from you! Leave a comment by clicking the “Comment” link directly below.

TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

When he was based here, Lou was a tireless support of all things harness.  His stable was the first to provide horses for demonstrations, displays, and any racing-related public relations venture.  Lou was there, not only with his stock, but also with his larger-than-life personality.  When our club hosted visiting drivers from the east coast, Italy, German and Finland, Louie was always at the front of the line offering his support.  This support was hardly limited to his horses.  Lou would be right there in the paddock, encouraging and coaching his guests and promising victory!

I will never forget driving a horse in an amateur competition for Lou some 10 or so years ago.  He was right there with his well-recognized smile and a long list of instructions.  The horse was tricky (No More Excuses N).  Lou told me what to do regarding scoring down, turning to the gate, leaving the gate and how to handle my charge after the race. While I was nervous, Louie calmed my fears somewhat as he told me with a grin, “Don’t worry.  Do it right and you WILL win!”  I did it right and I did win.

I am proud to be one of many amateur and professional drivers who have won with a Lou Pena trained horse. While I will never forget is expert horsemanship, it was and still is his positive attitude that is most memorable.  We are all proud to have Lou Pena back in California as a major supporter during difficult times.  Thank you Lou.

Steve Chambers is an avid supporter of harness racing in California.  He is a former amateur driver, owner, breeder and is involved in the California Sire Stakes program.

We want to hear from you! Leave a comment by clicking the “Comment” link directly below.

TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.

…Trainer Bob Baffert is loaded this year. He’s seemingly got a top contender in every non-turf category and his new star Coil won the Haskell over a stubborn Shackleford, looking much like the 2nd coming of his sire Point Given who also won the race. Now the word is that Baffert’s 3-year-old star The Factor might come back near the end of Saratoga and if he’s anything like he was in the spring, he’ll be a “factor” through the BC Sprint.

…Regarding the Haskell, once again Shackleford “gave way grudgingly”. Haven’t seen a fighter like him in a long, long  time.

…Congratulations to trainer Jerry Hollendorfer on his induction into the Racing Hall of Fame. Those of us in Northern California have followed his career closely as he has been the perennial leading trainer on that circuit for as long as most of us can remember. Hollendorfer and his wife/assistant trainer Janet are amazingly hard working hands-on horsepeople that rarely take a day off. True to form Jerry flew in for the induction on Friday night and was right back on a plane to saddle horses on Sunday. While Hollendorfer is ruthless at the claiming box on the track, very little is written or known about his softer side, as he has been known to pay the bills for backstretchers down on their luck. Now that ‘Dorf is on the national stage with his super filly Blind Luck and his HOF induction we think he’s finally getting the recognition and respect long deserved on the national stage.

…Kudos to Mike Smith and Chantal Sutherland for their willingness to participate in the “Battle of the Exes” match race at Del Mar. Corny as it was, it did get people talking got people out to the races. Despite the fact that neither jockey seemed to really endorse it wholeheartedly, they did it for the good of the sport.

…The US racing press has made much of the fact that no “big horse” has emerged from the pack this season (OK, maybe Tizway is starting to assert himself as the division leader). Over in Europe they have an embarrassment of riches. The grand mare Goldikova won the Prix du Rothschild for the fourth straight time and is on track to try to win the Breeders’ Cup Mile for an unprecendented fourth time as well; the 3-year old Frankel, named after the Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel is being hailed as one of the greats of all time. In the Classic division, Workforce and So You Think staged a race for the ages in the Coral Eclipse Stakes at Sandown last month. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world the mare Black Caviar remains undefeated heading into the 2011-12 Australian Racing season.

…Anyone looking for a summer reading diversion should check out “Lord of Misrule” by Jaime Gordon. This work of fiction won the National Book Award this year, and tells the tale of a small group of race trackers at the bottom of the class ladder looking for that one big score that can change their lives. Lovers of fine prose and racetrack stories will find equal satisfaction in this breezy read. The author based the story on her experience working at Charles Town in the 1970s. Also  on the literary front, fans of “Seabiscuit” author Laura Hillenbrand will enjoy her latest book “Unbroken” an amazing true story of an American soldier’s survival in a brutal Japanese POW camp during WWII.

J Stone
TrackMaster Senior Handicapping Analyst, TV Critic and Book Reviewer

I may be biased, but I’ve got to say this is one sweet App. The TrackMaster Pocket Handicapper™ is a FREE mobile App designed for Android smartphones, perfect for handicapping “on the go”. From the convenience of your phone this easy to use and easy to read App lets users go deep inside the vast amounts of exclusive ratings and statistics waiting to be unlocked inside each race.

The Pocket Handicapper™ features the following handicapping information (complete details here):

* Power ratings
* Equibase speed figures, class ratings & pace ratings
* Detailed jockey & trainer stats
* Sire & dam stats
* Full past performances in a PDF format

You can access the FREE TrackMaster Pocket Handicapper™ App from the Android Marketplace. It includes a sample race card and the App also allows you to download a single FREE race each day. TrackMaster data files for the App start at an introductory rate of $0.99 per card. As an added bonus, for TrackMaster Plus & Plus Pro Subscribers, if you have a regular or unlimited subscription and you download a race card using your software, you can download the same race card on the mobile App for NO additional charge.  Think of it as, “Plus Pro On The Go“!

What’s next? Yes, we are working on an iPhone version of the App, and we’ve already started discussions about Apps for tablet sized devices. It all makes for very exciting times at TrackMaster World Headquarters, as we are one of the first data providers to bring this new technology to the handicapping market.   What would you like to see us do next?

Jim Vanderbosch
Vice President Sales & Marketing

We want to hear from you! Leave a comment by clicking the “Comment” link directly below.

TrackMaster, an Equibase company, is your complete source for Thoroughbred, Quarter Horse and Harness Racing information. Products ranging from Thoroughbred Past Performances, Harness Racing Programs, and Thoroughbred Handicapping software to Horse Racing Picks from our experts, are provided for all levels of handicapping sophistication.