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Software Vault: The Gold Collection
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Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO
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TRACKPRO.TXT
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1993-05-15
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TRACKPRO PC V1.0D
COPYRIGHT (C) 1993
THE DREAMLOGIC SOFTWARE PUBLISHING GROUP
A Professional Harness Racing Handicap System by "The Edge"
TRACKPRO PC is a product of:
The DreamLogic Software Publishing Group
P.O. Box 75026
Bolton, Ontario
Canada L7E 1H6
REGISTRATION
TrackPro PC and all other products released by The DreamLogic
Software Publishing Group are protected under both Canada
copyright law and international treaty provisions.
TrackPro PC V1.0D is the shareware distribution release of
TrackPro PC. The shareware release is not "crippled" in any
manner. The shareware release functions exactly like the
registered version and retains all the features of the
registered version.
The only difference between the shareware release and the
registered version is that the shareware release opens with a
Title/Registration Screen that will remain on your display for
a period of five minutes before you can begin handicapping.
This time delay "feature" was deliberately built into the
shareware release to encourage full time users to register.
Additionally, as new features are added to TrackPro PC, they
will likely appear in the registered version earlier than in
an updated shareware release.
You may use the shareware distribution disk for an evaluation
period of 60 days. However, as with any shareware product, you
are expected to register if you intend to keep a copy of this
program beyond the evaluation period, even if it is only for
occasional use.
If you purchased TrackPro PC through a distributor of public
domain or user-supported software, you did NOT pay for the
registration. The fee you paid (normally less than $5.00 per
disk) was to cover the costs of copying the disk(s), the media
and handling overhead. You paid for the vendors service.
The registration fee is $20 for addresses in Canada and the
United States, and $30 for all other countries. For this, you
will receive a copy of the latest version of the program, with
complete documentation on disk. For $10 more ($15 more outside
of Canada and U.S.A.), you may receive the "deluxe" package,
which includes the latest version in a binder with printed
documentation. The printed manual is an enhanced version of
the on-disk documentation, and includes screen dumps and
illustrations that cannot be easily incorporated into the
on-disk text file.
An easy to use order form is enclosed on this disk, in the
file REGISTER.FRM. To print the order form out on your
printer, you may use the MS-DOS command:
COPY REGISTER.FRM PRN [Press Enter]
Alternatively, you may wish to load the file REGISTER.FRM into
your word processor as ASCII text or DOS text.
Then, simply fill in the blanks, and send it along with a
cheque, money order or cash in the appropriate amount to:
Fred Walker c/o
The DreamLogic Software Publishing Group
P.O. Box 75026
Bolton, Ontario, Canada
L7E 1H6
When you register, if a newer version of the software exists
than that designated on the registration form, you will
automatically receive the newer version.
If you are not familiar with the shareware concept of software
distribution, please read the file SHARWARE.TXT which can be
found on this disk.
You are free to make copies of the shareware disk for your
friends so that they may evaluate it on the same basis. You
may pass it along to user groups and shareware vendors, and
you may upload it to a BBS in an archive format PROVIDED that
all files included on the shareware distribution disk are
included in the archive or on the copied disk. All files must
remain intact, and must not be altered or modified.
If you distribute TrackPro PC on a disk, it must appear by
itself, with all files intact, exactly as the original
shareware distribution disk was released. If you upload
TrackPro PC to a BBS, it must appear by itself in its own
archive. TrackPro PC must never be "bundled" with any other
software product.
The registered version MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED in any manner,
and must not be altered or modified. Copying or distribution
of the registered version is software piracy, which is
illegal, and is punishable by law. Registered users may make
backup copies for their own use only.
Your continued use of TrackPro PC beyond the sixty day
evaluation period, with or without registration, acknowledges
that you have read this agreement, understand it, and agree to
be bound by its terms and conditions. You further agree that
this agreement supersedes any prior agreement relating to the
subject matter of this agreement.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY
The software contained on this disk, in its original form, is
designed to work with PC's which are completely MS-DOS and
IBM BIOS compatible, and has been tested on a variety of PC's
and compatibles.
This software is sold "as is", without any warranty of any
kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited
to, the implied warranties of performance and suitability for
a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the quality and
performance of TrackPro PC is with you. Any liability of the
seller will be limited exclusively to product replacement or
the refund of the registration fee.
I make no claims as to the value of the enclosed software and
documentation, or their behavior, and assume no liability for
incidental or consequential damages including any lost savings
or profits, in connection with, arising out of the use of, or
due to the performance of this software. Hence, this program
and all documentation contained within should be used at ones
own risk.
Some states do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties,
so the above exclusions may not apply to you. This may give
you specific legal rights in certain states, and you may also
have other rights which vary from state to state.
However, your use of TrackPro PC at any time, with or without
registration, acknowledges that you have read this disclaimer,
understand it, and agree to be bound by its terms and
conditions. You further agree that this agreement supersedes
any prior agreement relating to the subject matter of this
agreement, and further, supersedes any legal rights that may
apply.
The author has taken due care in preparing this software and
this manual, and in field testing to ascertain their
effectiveness. This disclaimer is included strictly to absolve
me from any legal issues being brought against me by any legal
professionals that become over-enthusiastic gamblers when they
go to the race track!
HIGHLIGHTS AND FEATURES OF TRACKPRO PC
TrackPro PC is a harness racing handicap system for IBM
computers and compatibles that was designed to improve your
results in race track wagering. It is a scientific alternative
to race track "tip sheets" or the favourite selections that
are listed in the race track program schedule. It uses a
statistical approach to determine the strongest competitors in
the race based on their past performance.
While it is not the only harness racing handicap program on
the market, TrackPro PC represents a new generation of
handicapping software.
Most "other" handicapping software programs use a fixed,
predetermined formula in their calculations. The formula is
never revealed to the user, and even if you feel that some of
the criteria or parameters used to handicap a race are
irrelevant, or are over-emphasized or under-emphasized, you
cannot change it.
With TrackPro PC the formula is not fixed or predetermined,
nor is it hidden from the user. TrackPro PC is strictly a
statistics "number-cruncher" - there are no vague factors
involved. The "weighting" or significance of each of the
parameters used in handicapping a race is known by the user.
Furthermore, the user can adjust the "weighting" of each of
the parameters to "fine tune" the performance of TrackPro PC.
Most "other" handicapping software programs use "static"
calculations. That is, the handicap score calculated for any
given contender is completely independent of any of the other
contenders that appear in the race.
TrackPro PC uses a "dynamic" scoring method, which takes the
competing contenders into account. With TrackPro PC no scores
are calculated until the data for every contender in the race
has been entered. The statistics for each contender are
compared to the others, then a score for each contender is
calculated, based on individual performance in relation to the
best performance in each of these statistics areas.
Most "other" handicapping software programs use the whole
screen to handicap a single contender. The score is then
displayed on the screen, but cannot be saved or printed. You,
the user, must stop entering information briefly, pick up a
pencil, and jot down the score before you proceed to the next
contender, otherwise the information and the score are gone
forever.
With TrackPro PC an entire race is displayed on the screen at
one time. Up to 10 contenders may be handicapped in a single
race. When all the contenders in the race have been entered,
scores for each contender are then calculated, and the three
contenders with the highest scores are highlighted. The
results of the race may be printed, or may be saved to a disk
file. The printed results show the three highest scoring
contenders at the top of the listing for each race. If the
results are saved to disk, the disk file may be re-loaded
later. You then have the option of "scratching" a contender,
or replacing one, and re-calculating the results.
Only with TrackPro PC can you perform "what-if" type handicap
calculations. Assume you have entered and saved all the data
from your race track program schedule for a given date, the
race is over, and you also have the race results from your
local newspaper. In all probability, you would have come up
with several winners.
Now, however, by re-loading the information that was saved,
you may go into the Setup Menu, and adjust the "weighting" of
one or more of the parameters used in calculating a score, and
then re-calculate a new score to see how these changes affect
the outcome.
For example, in a race where the horses are non-winners, you
may wish to minimize the "weighting" of the horse's statistics
in the result scores. In this manner, you can alter the
performance of TrackPro PC to maximize your winnings.
TrackPro PC is user friendly, and has the look and feel of
many of today's popular programs, with familiar drop-down
function key menus to access system functions, so there is no
need to memorize any obscure commands, and features on-screen
instructions at every step.
There is no other handicapping software with the features that
TrackPro PC offers!
HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS FOR TRACKPRO PC
Computer Type: IBM or compatible PC, XT, AT, 386, or 486.
Monitor Type: Monochrome or colour.
Adapter Type: MDA or Hercules compatible monochrome adapter.
CGA, EGA, VGA or Super VGA colour adapter.
Disk Drives: A single drive, double density or higher.
Memory Requirements: 256K minimum.
TrackPro PC should run on any computer system that is fully
IBM compatible at the bios level and the hardware level. This
means it will run on most brand name clones as well as most
no-name clones.
TrackPro PC is compact enough to run off a single floppy
drive, even a 360K 5-1/4" drive. Memory requirements are
minimal - TrackPro PC will run in less than 256K of memory.
When the program is started, it will check to see what type of
display adapter is attached to the system, and configure
itself accordingly. Thus, if you are using a monochrome
adapter and monitor, TrackPro PC switches to monochrome
output. If you are using a colour adapter and monitor, you
automatically get the full colour screen display.
If you are using a composite monochrome display with a
composite colour display adapter, the results may not be too
pleasing. The various colour combinations used may cause
unpredictable results on a monochrome CGA display. I have not
tested this combination. You may wish to order the black and
white version described below. Specify TrackPro PC V1.0RBW
when ordering.
Alternatively, there are some screen utility programs out
there that convert colour screen output to black and white.
You may find that these provide sufficient contrast.
Most laptop computers offer CGA or higher colour
compatibility. The different colours are usually represented
as different shades of gray. If you are using TrackPro PC on a
laptop, and find that you are getting very poor contrast, a
black and white version is available, and is intended
specifically to maximize the contrast on an LCD type display.
Specify TrackPro PC V1.0RBW when ordering.
I have tested TrackPro PC on a variety of computers, including
several "no-name" clones, and several brand name clones. These
ranged in processor class from 8088 and 8086 to 80286 and
80386. In monitor types, I have tested it on MDA and Hercules
compatible monochrome; and on CGA, EGA, and VGA color
displays. So far, I have not encountered any problems on any
of these computers or displays.
If you have difficulties running TrackPro PC on your computer,
I would appreciate hearing from you. Let me know what type of
computer you are using, as well as your display adapter type,
and let me know exactly the nature of the problem, and where
it appears. I will do my best to correct any problems that
show up.
GETTING STARTED WITH TRACKPRO PC
You can run TrackPro PC directly from the shareware
distribution disk. (The disk is not "bootable", however; you
would need to boot from MS-DOS as you normally would.)
However, I would strongly suggest that you make a back-up copy
of the program before using it.
To make an exact copy of the shareware distribution disk,
insert your original disk in drive A:, insert a blank disk in
drive B:, and use the MS-DOS command :
DISKCOPY A: B: [press Enter]
To make a backup copy to a different drive type, such as
5-1/4" to 3-1/2", insert your original disk in drive A:, a
blank formatted disk on drive B:, then use the MS-DOS command:
COPY *.* B: [press Enter]
To install the shareware distribution disk onto your hard
drive, you will first need to create a subdirectory for the
program before you can copy the files over to it. Log onto
your hard drive, then type:
CD\ [press Enter]
MKDIR TRACKPRO [press Enter]
CD TRACKPRO [press Enter]
COPY A:*.* [press Enter]
These examples assume that the shareware distribution disk you
received is a 5-1/4" disk, and that drive A: is a 5-1/4"
floppy drive. If your drive A: is not a 5-1/4" drive, or if
you received your distribution disk on a 3-1/2" disk, then you
may need to substitute the appropriate drive letters for your
computer.
USING TPSETUP.EXE - THE TRACKPRO SETUP PROGRAM
Before you start TrackPro PC, you should run the setup program
TPSETUP.EXE. The setup program allows you to configure
TrackPro PC's data entry options to match those in your race
track program schedule, and also allows you to adjust the
various weighting factors of the parameters involved in
handicapping a race. These options are then saved in a
configuration file TRACKPRO.CFG.
Two options in the setup program are particularly important,
these being the data entry modes for driver statistics and
trainer statistics. If your race track program schedule lists
UDR Universal Driver Rating and also lists UTR Universal
Trainer Rating, then it is not necessary to run TPSETUP, as
these are the default parameters.
If you start TrackPro PC without using TPSETUP, TrackPro PC
will create a configuration file using its own default
parameters.
However, if your race track program schedule does not list
Driver UDR or Trainer UTR, then you must run TPSETUP, and
select the alternate data entry options, which are Driver
Starts, 1st, 2nd & 3rd place finishes, and likewise, Trainer
Starts, 1st, 2nd & 3rd place finishes.
To run the setup program TPSETUP.EXE, floppy disk users need
only to insert the TrackPro disk in the appropriate drive,
then type:
TPSETUP [press Enter]
Hard disk users will need to log onto the drive and directory
that TrackPro was installed in. If you followed the example
above, then type:
CD\TRACKPRO [press Enter]
TPSETUP [press Enter]
TPSETUP.EXE will then load, and, if a configuration file
already exists, the current configuration is then loaded. If
no configuration file exists, the default parameters are used.
The setup screen is fairly straight forward, and uses the
Cursor keys and [Enter] to select and adjust the various
options. A detailed description of TPSETUP is provided in a
separate file on this disk TPSETUP.TXT.
New users will benefit from using TPSETUP because it lets you
see the different parameters that TrackPro PC uses to handicap
a race, with more detailed descriptions than those which
appear when you run TrackPro PC.
HANDICAPPING A RACE WITH TRACKPRO PC
Once you have made your backup copy of TrackPro PC, starting
the program is quite simple.
Floppy disk users need only to insert the TrackPro disk in the
appropriate drive, then type:
TRACKPRO [press Enter]
Hard disk users will need to log onto the drive and directory
that TrackPro PC was installed in. If you followed the example
above, then type:
CD\TRACKPRO [press Enter]
TRACKPRO [press Enter]
TrackPro PC will then load, and, after a brief interval, will
display the Title/Registration screen. This screen will remain
on your monitor for five full minutes, as a reminder to those
who use TrackPro PC regularly, but have not yet registered,
that they SHOULD! It is my hope that most users will find this
five minute delay sufficiently annoying that they will
register the program.
A count down timer is displayed during this delay for your
convenience. Pressing any keys on the keyboard during this
five minute delay is hopeless; key presses are intercepted,
and they will not get you out of this five minute delay. You
have to suffer through it. Grab a cup of coffee, or light up a
Lucky Strike, but stay with it. The program is well worth the
wait.
Once the five minutes have elapsed, the Title/Registration
screen disappears, and is replaced by the main handicapping
screen. The main screen is comprised of:
1) A drop-down function key menu across the top row.
2) A Handicap Data Entry Window in the upper left portion of
the screen.
3) A Status Display Window in the upper right portion of the
screen.
4) A one-line Help Display for help messages and prompts.
5) A large blank Results Window on the lower half of the
screen where the handicap score results will be displayed.
6) A title line across the bottom row.
The Help Line at the centre of the screen displays the
message:
Press Any Key to Begin.
Press any key. At this point, the Handicap Data Entry Window
is activated. You will note that the Handicap menu option is
highlighted on the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Additionally, you will note that a portion of the data entry
window has been highlighted in red, with a flashing box
cursor, indicating that input is expected at this time.
At the top of the Handicap Data Entry window is a message
prompt, that indicates which statistical parameter you are
currently entering, and the help line in the middle of the
screen tells you exactly what to enter.
You may also access any of the other menus at any time during
data entry. Maneouvering around the menu is fairly straight
forward. The following keys are used:
[F1] Selects and opens the Options Menu.
[F2] or [Esc] Closes an open menu, and returns to the
Handicap Data Entry Window or the
Handicap Menu - whichever is active.
[F3] Selects and opens the Setup Menu.
[F10] Selects and opens the Exit Menu.
Left Cursor Selects the menu item to the left of the
[-] current menu item, with wrap-around to the
right, but does not open that menu.
Right Cursor Selects the menu item to the right of the
[-] current menu item, with wrap-around to the
left, but does not open that menu.
[Enter] Opens the menu that is currently selected.
The different menus will all be discussed in detail in a later
chapter. It is my intent here to show you enough about the
program to get your feet wet, without boggling your mind with
all the details and nuances that make up the program.
[F2] - HANDICAP
This option may be selected by pressing [F2], or by pressing
[Enter] when the Handicap menu option is highlighted, or by
pressing [Esc] from any menu that is currently open. When this
option is selected, the Handicap Data Entry Window is
activated. When TrackPro PC is started, this option is
selected automatically, so that you are ready to begin
entering data. If you access any of the other menus, you will
need to press [F2] or [Esc] to re-activate the Handicap Data
Entry Window.
At this point, you will need a copy of the race track program
schedule for the races you wish to handicap. You can obtain
these program schedules at the track, and usually in selected
convenience stores in your area. It is to your advantage to
obtain the program schedule earlier than the day the races
will occur. It will take you approximately an hour to an hour
and a half to enter all the data for an entire race program
schedule (typically 10 races). You do not necessarily have to
enter all the data during one session. If you save the results
to a disk file, you may stop at any time, and later on resume
entering data from where you left off.
Generally speaking, as the race approaches, there are going to
be a few scratched contenders, and possibly some replacements.
This is no problem, TrackPro PC can deal with these
situations.
Once you have the program schedule in front of you, you are
ready to begin entering the data that TrackPro PC requires.
All the information required can be found directly on the
program schedule. If you are unsure where to find the
information, check at the beginning of the program schedule.
They usually give an example, and point out exactly what each
statistic is.
When you are typing in the information required, which is
usually a 3 or 4 digit number, you may make corrections by
pressing the backspace key. This will erase the digit
previously entered, and allow you to re-type it. If you press
a key that is not valid for any particular entry, a short beep
will be heard. When you have typed in the data for each entry,
TrackPro PC will wait for you to press [Enter]. After you
press [Enter], you will be advanced to the next entry.
The information that TrackPro PC uses to handicap a race is
listed here.
DRIVER'S STATISTICS
This is based on the driver's number of first place finishes,
second place finishes, and third place finishes compared to
the number of starts. This produces a ratio called the
Universal Driver Rating which may also be listed on your race
track program schedule. Some race tracks do not list the
Universal Driver Rating, while others do not rate a driver
until after he has appeared in a certain minimum number of
races. TrackPro PC will produce this rating regardless.
The driver's statistics are usually located at the top of each
post position's listing in the race track program schedule,
above the horse's statistics. It will appear similar to this:
Mike Harrison 289-38-40-36-.247 Red-White 140lbs
│ │ │ │ │
Starts ──┘ │ │ │ └── Universal Driver Rating
│ │ │
Firsts ──┘ │ └── Thirds
│
Seconds
TrackPro PC features 2 different options for entering this
data. If your race track program schedule provides the UDR
rating for each driver, you should select this option during
setup, as this allows for faster data entry. If your race
track program schedule does not list the Universal Driver
Rating, then you should select Driver Starts-1sts-2nds-3rds
during setup. TrackPro PC will then use this information to
calculate its own UDR rating.
If you have selected Universal Driver Rating during setup,
here is what you need to enter:
Driver UDR Rating: Exactly a 3 digit number, the decimal is
automatically entered for you. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the
number.
TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a "Help"
message for this entry.
If you have selected Driver Starts-1sts-2nds-3rds during
setup, here is what you need to enter:
Driver Starts: Any number up to 4 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Driver Firsts: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Driver Seconds: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Driver Thirds: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a "Help"
message for each entry.
TRAINER'S STATISTICS
This is based on the trainer's number of first place finishes,
second place finishes, and third place finishes compared to
the number of starts. This produces a ratio called the
Universal Trainer Rating which may also be listed on your race
track program schedule.
Some race tracks do not list the Universal Trainer Rating,
while others do not rate a trainer until after he has appeared
in a certain minimum number of races. TrackPro PC will produce
this rating regardless.
Trainer statistics are important in handicapping a race for
this reason. A trainer couldn't have a high rating unless his
horses were winning. Similarly, you wouldn't want to wager on
a trainer with a low UTR rating. This fact alone makes it a
useful statistic, and TrackPro PC thrives on statistics.
The Trainer's UTR rating usually appears at the top of the
listing to the right of the driver's statistics. It will
appear similar to this:
Tr. Lewis Rayner .312
TrackPro PC features 2 different options for entering this
data. If your race track program schedule provides the UTR
rating for each trainer, you should select this option during
setup, as this allows for faster data entry. If you have
selected Universal Trainer Rating during setup, here is what
you need to enter:
Trainer UTR Rating: Exactly a 3 digit number, the decimal is
automatically entered for you. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the
number.
Again, TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a
"Help" message for this entry.
If your race track program schedule does not list the
Universal Trainer Rating, then you should select Trainer
Starts-1sts-2nds-3rds during setup. This information may be
listed on a separate page in your race program schedule.
TrackPro PC will then use this information to calculate its
own UTR rating. Here is what you need to enter:
Trainer Starts: Any number up to 4 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Trainer Firsts: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Trainer Seconds: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Trainer Thirds: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a "Help"
message for each entry.
HORSE'S STATISTICS
As with the driver and trainer, the horse's statistics are
based on the number of first place finishes, second place
finishes, and third place finishes compared to the number of
starts. There is no such rating as a Universal Horse Rating.
However, the ratio that is produced here is produced in the
same manner that the UDR and UTR ratings are calculated.
The horse's statistics are usually located in the upper right
portion of each post position's listing in the race track
program schedule, and will appear similar to this:
1993 2:01.1H NYD ft 15 4 1 0
1992 2:01.0H MnP ft 23 4 3 6
│ │ │ │
Starts ──┘ │ │ └── Thirds
│ │
Firsts ──┘ └── Seconds
In general, you would want to use the current year's
statistics. However, early in the year, the numbers may be too
low to be reliable as statistics. In that case, it may be more
reliable to use the previous year's statistics.
Here is what you need to enter:
Horse Starts: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Horse Firsts: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Horse Seconds: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Horse Thirds: Any number up to 3 digits in length. Press
[Enter] after you have typed in the number.
Again, TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a
"Help" message for each entry.
INDIVIDUAL FINISH TIME
Under the horse's statistics, you will note 2 listings of
times at the 1/4 mark, the 1/2 mark, the 3/4 mark, and the
finish mark. Usually, the leftmost statistics are the Leader's
time at these points. TrackPro PC does NOT use the leader's
time. Some other handicapping programs do, but it doesn't seem
logical to me to use the statistics for a horse that in all
probability does not appear in this race.
TrackPro PC uses the Individual Times, which usually appear in
the race track program schedule to the right of the leader's
times, following a listing of the horse's individual position
at various points in the race.
If you are unsure about this, please check the beginning pages
of your program schedule. The examples shown there should
help. It will be similar to this:
2 2-1/2 2 1-1/4 2:01 3 30 3 30 2 30 1 30 2
│ │ │ │ │
Position ──┘ │ │ │ Last Quarter
│ │ │ Time in Seconds
Finish Time Minutes ──┘ │ │ and Fifths
│ │
Finish Time Seconds ──┘ │ Individual Times at Finish,
│ and at each quarter of the
Fractional Portion ──┘ race.
1/5 of a second,
shown in smaller superscript text,
and usually not shown if 0
Here is what you need to enter:
Individual Finish Time: Exactly 4 digits. The cursor is
automatically advanced.
Again, TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a
"Help" message for this entry.
When you type in the minutes, the cursor location is
automatically advanced to the seconds. The fractional portion,
which is listed in fifths of a second, is represented in
TrackPro PC as a decimal. The calculations are in fifths. You
enter the number exactly as it appears in the program
schedule. Again, the cursor is advanced automatically past the
decimal point.
In some instances, the program schedule will not list the
fractional portion. Usually, if the fractional portion is 0,
the 0 is not printed. TrackPro PC requires that you enter a 0
in this case. Exactly 4 digits must be entered.
In most cases, there will be a list of the most recent races,
perhaps about 6 races in all. The choice to enter for finish
time should be the most recent time in the list. This is
normally the top listing. However you will want to check that
nothing unusual occurred during that race. Things to watch for
are:
x break
i interference
ix interference break
L treated with Lasix
Any of these could result in times that are not typical for
the horse you are handicapping. Also, try to use times from a
fast track. A Good track generally results in times that are
representative of the horse, maybe marginally slower. A sloppy
track yields unpredictable results. My guideline is to use the
most recent time from a fast track with no incidents. In lieu
of this, use the most recent time that is representative of
the horses past performance.
INDIVIDUAL LAST QUARTER TIME
As shown in the previous example for individual finish time,
following the finish time is a listing of the individual times
for each quarter of the race.
TrackPro Pc uses the individual time for the last quarter.
This is usually the rightmost listing, in seconds and fifths
of seconds.
Here is what you need to enter:
Individual Last Quarter Time: Exactly 3 digits. The cursor is
automatically advanced.
Again, TrackPro PC will guide you through this by issuing a
"Help" message for this entry.
As in the Individual Finish Time entry, the fractional
portion, which is listed in fifths of a second, is represented
in TrackPro PC as a decimal. The calculations are in fifths.
You enter the number exactly as it appears in the program
schedule. Again, the cursor is advanced automatically past the
decimal point.
Again, if the fractional portion of the time was 0/5 seconds,
the 0 would not be printed in the race program schedule.
However, TrackPro PC requires that you enter a 0. Exactly 3
digits must be entered.
The Individual Last Quarter Time that you select from the
program schedule should correspond to the Individual Finish
Time that you selected. That is they should be from the same
race. For example, if you used the most recent finish time,
then you should also be using the most recent time for the
last quarter.
A fast time in the last quarter of the race shows the horse's
ability to come on strong in the final stretch. And that,
after all, is when it is most crucial; when they are
approaching the finish line.
STATUS DISPLAY WINDOW
The Status Display Window located in the upper right portion
of the screen will keep you informed of your progress during
data entry, as it is automatically updated for each new
contender you enter.
The Status Display Window tells you the current race and post
position which you are entering data for, and additionally
provides you with the status of disk file and printer
operations. When all the data for an entire race has been
entered, or loaded from disk, and the Result Scores are
calculated and displayed, the top three selections are also
listed at the bottom of the Status Display Window.
MAKING CORRECTIONS DURING DATA ENTRY
At any time during data entry, if you type in the wrong digit
or character, you may use the BackSpace key to correct it. As
you press the BackSpace key, the cursor will move backwards,
to the left, and it will erase the digit or character that was
previously typed there.
Additionally. if you try to enter an illegal character,
TrackPro PC will issue a short beep from your computer's
speaker, and will remain at the same location, allowing you to
re-enter a legal character.
In fields which have digits that are separated by a colon (:)
or a decimal point (.), such as Individual Finish Time and
Individual Last Quarter Time, the cursor will back up to the
digit preceding the separating character.
By repeatedly pressing the BackSpace key, you can back up all
the way to the beginning of the field, erasing one character
or digit with each press.
If you press the BackSpace key on the first digit of a field,
you will back up one field at a time, rather than one
character at a time. The field that you backed up to will be
erased, and you will have to re-enter the data for that field.
For example, suppose you have just entered the Individual
Finish Time for a contender, the cursor is now on Individual
Time Last Quarter, and you are about to enter this
information. However, you just now realize that you typed in
the wrong information for this contender's Individual Finish
Time. Pressing the BackSpace key at this time would back up
the cursor to Individual Finish Time, the previously entered
Individual Finish Time is erased, and you may now re-enter the
correct data.
Thus there are two levels of correction. Within a field, you
may correct a single digit or character at a time. Outside of
a field, you make corrections one field at a time.
THE HANDICAP MENU
The Handicap Menu appears automatically at the end of each
race, when all the data for a race has been entered, or loaded
from disk.
When you have finished entering all the data for a Post
Position, the data you have entered is re-displayed in the
lower half of the screen, in the Results Window. All the data
for each Post Position is displayed on one line. If the driver
or trainer statistics were not entered as UDR or UTR, they are
converted at this time. Similarly, the hores's statistics are
converted to UHR.
At this time, you will be asked if there are any more
contender's to handicap in this race by a Message Prompt on
the Help line in the centre of the screen.
If there are other post positions still remaining to be
entered, press the "Y" key. The Handicap Data Entry Window
will be cleared, the Post Position is advanced, and you are
ready to begin entering the data for the next contender.
When all contenders have been entered, press the "N" key at
the Message Prompt.
TrackPro PC now begins some serious number-crunching. A Result
Score for each contender is calculated. The three contenders
with the highest Result Scores are displayed in highlighted
text. These top three selections are also listed in the Status
Display Window. This makes it very easy to tell at a glance
which contenders should be used for wagering purposes.
On a colour monitor, the highest score is highlighted in white
text, the second highest score is highlighted in cyan text,
and the third highest score is highlighted in blue text. All
remaining scores are displayed in green text.
On a monochrome monitor, the 3 highest scores are highlighted
in bold text on a lightly shaded background. All remaining
scores appear in normal text.
The score that is calculated is based on the strengths and/or
weaknesses of the statistics for each post position in
relation to the those of the other post positions in addition
to the "weighting" or significance of each statistic as it is
currently set in the Setup Menu.
The Handicap Menu now appears in the upper centre portion of
the screen. The Handicap Menu is unique to TrackPro PC. It is
an interactive screen that lets you "scratch" a post position,
substitute a post position, or access the Setup Menu to adjust
the "weighting" of the various factors.
Each time you make a change, you have the ability to
recalculate a new score by selecting the ReCalc option on the
Handicap Menu.
If you are new to TrackPro PC, this feature can be very useful
to you.
Before you go out and squander all your money at the
racetrack, try TrackPro PC at home for several weeks. Each
week, obtain a copy of the race track program schedule, enter
all the necessary data, and save the results to disk.
When the race is over, pick up a local newspaper that covers
the racetrack results. Re-load the previously saved results,
and compare the winners that TrackPro PC has come up with to
those that actually won. (Or, more importantly, find out how
much money you could have won with the winners that TrackPro
PC has selected!)
Then, try adjusting some of the factors in the Setup Menu to
see how this affects the results. Repeat this as often as you
like, until you come up with settings that maximize your
winnings.
TrackPro PC as it is distributed should produce reasonable
results. However, by making the adjustments as described here,
you can optimize the performance of TrackPro PC.
The Handicap Menu uses the Cursor Up and Cursor Down arrow
keys to select each particular option. The currently selected
option is displayed in highlighted text. On a colour monitor,
it will appear highlighted in cyan. On a monochrome monitor,
it will appear highlighted in inverse text.
To select or activate an option, press [Enter] when that
option is highlighted. You are guided through this by a Help
Message on the Help Line in the centre of the screen. Each of
the handicap options are discussed in detail in the following
chapters.
PROCEED TO NEXT RACE
This option is pretty much self explanatory. Select this
option when you no longer wish to re-calculate any different
results. The Results Window is cleared at this time.
If you are entering fresh handicap data from the race track
program schedule, you will be returned at this time to the
Handicap Data Entry Window to enter the data for the next
race.
If you are entering previously saved data from a disk file,
then the data for the next race is displayed in the Results
Window and the winner of this race is highlighted. When you
reach the end of the disk file, you are returned to the
Handicap Data Entry Window.
It is also very important to note that, if you wish to print
the results to your printer, then you should select the Print
Results option from the Options menu BEFORE proceeding to the
next race. The Print Results option uses the scores that are
currently displayed in the Results Window.
SCRATCH A CONTENDER
This option is primarily intended for those who enter the data
for a race day prior to the actual race day. Assuming you have
saved the data, you may now re-load the data, and select this
option for contenders that are scratched on the day of the
race. Once the position has been scratched, the Re-Calc option
is automatically invoked, and the handicap results are updated
to reflect any changes caused by the scratched position.
When you select this option, the first post position in the
results window is highlighted in blue. On a monochrome
monitor, it will appear highlighted in inverse text.
Use the Cursor Up and Cursor Down arrow keys on the Cursor
keypad to move the highlighted bar to the post position you
wish to scratch. When you have done this, press [Enter]. The
scratched post position will be deleted from the screen, and
any remaining post positions following the scratched post
position will be moved up. Then, new result scores are
calculated and displayed.
SUBSTITUTE A CONTENDER
Again, this option is primarily intended for those who enter
the data for a race day prior to the actual race day. Assuming
you have saved the data, you may now re-load the data, and
select this option for a contender that is scratched on the
day of the race, but is being replaced by another eligible
contender. This option activates the Handicap Data Entry
Window and allows you to enter the new data for the
replacement contender.
When you select this option, the first post position in the
results window is highlighted in blue. On a monochrome
monitor, it will appear highlighted in inverse text.
Use the Cursor Up and Cursor Down arrow keys on the Cursor
keypad to move the highlighted bar to the post position you
wish to replace. When you have done this, press [Enter].
The Handicap Data Entry Window is activated for this post
position only. Once you have entered all the data for that
contender, you return to the Handicap Menu.
The new data for this post position is now displayed in the
Results Window, over-writing the data for the scratched
contender. Again, once the position has been substituted, the
Re-Calc option is automatically invoked, and the handicap
results are updated to reflect any changes caused by the
substitute position.
APPEND NEW DATA TO FILE
This option is for those occasions when you are unable to
enter all the statistics for a given race date during a
single session. Assuming you have saved the portion that you
entered before you were interrupted, you may re-load the data,
and select this option to continue entering data from where
you left off.
To use this option, you must first select Load Results File
from the Options menu. The results of the first race will be
displayed with the three highest contenders highlighted. The
Handicap Menu appears in the upper centre portion of the
screen. Select the Append New Data to File option from the
Handicap Menu.
You are automatically advanced to the last race in the file,
which is then displayed in the Results Window. The result
scores are not calculated or displayed at this time.
At this time, you will be asked if there are any more
contender's to handicap in this race by a Message Prompt on
the Help line in the centre of the screen.
If there are no other contenders to add in this race, but more
races yet to be handicapped, you should press the "N" key. The
Results Window will be cleared, you are advanced to the next
race, and the Handicap Data Entry Window is cleared and
re-activated for data input.
If there are other post positions still remaining to be
entered in this race, press the "Y" key. The Post Position is
advanced, the Handicap Data Entry Window will be cleared and
re-activated, and you are ready to begin entering the data for
the next contender. When you have finished adding contenders
to this race, the result scores are displayed. If there are
more races yet to be entered, select Proceed To Next Race, and
continue entering data.
RECALC
You should select this option whenever you change anything in
the Setup Menu. This allows you to re-calculate a new score
when any of the statistics have been changed.
TrackPro PC automatically performs a ReCalc operation when you
have finished entering the data for a race, or, if you are
using disk file input, then when it has loaded the data for a
race. Additionally, whenever you scratch or substitute a post
position, the ReCalc feature is automatically invoked.
The ReCalc option is a powerful feature of TrackPro PC, as it
allows you to adjust the setup, and re-calculate new results.
In this manner, you can optimize the configuration of TrackPro
PC to maximize your winnings.
USING THE MENU SYSTEM IN TRACKPRO PC
TrackPro PC features a "drop down" menu system to provide a
convenient method for making adjustments to the setup of
TrackPro PC, or for selecting certain functions, such as
printing or saving the results. Each of the individual
functions is described in detail in following chapters.
The drop down menu system consists of a horizontal bar across
the top of the screen, broken into four sections. Each section
is labelled with the title of that menu, and the function key
that is used to access that particular menu.
The four menus are: Options [F1]
Handicap [F2]
Setup [F3]
Exit [F10]
When you begin TrackPro PC, the Handicap menu function is
automatically selected for you. If you are using a colour
monitor, the section of the menu bar labelled "Handicap F2"
will appear highlighted in cyan, while the rest of the menu
bar is in green. On a monochrome monitor, the menu bar
labelled "Handicap F2 " appears in bold text on a lightly
shaded background, while the rest of the menu bar appears in
inverse text.
These drop down menus can be accessed at almost any time while
using TrackPro PC, by pressing the function key associated
with menu function.
For example, to activate the Setup Menu, press the function
key [F3]. The highlighted portion of the menu bar "shifts" to
the section labelled "Setup F3", and the Setup Menu drops
down over the screen.
Within the Setup Menu, a number of Setup menu choices are
offered. The first selection on the Setup Menu is currently
selected, and will appear highlighted in blue if you are using
a colour monitor, or highlighted in inverse text if you are
using a monochrome monitor.
The different options available within the Setup Menu can then
be selected by using the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys
on the Cursor keypad. Once the option you wish to select is
highlighted, simply press [Enter] to activate it.
When you activate an option, the highlighting will change from
blue to red on a colour monitor, or from inverse text to bold
text on a lightly shaded background on a monochrome monitor.
In this manner, you always have a visual reminder that a menu
option is currently active. You cannot exit a menu when a menu
option is active.
In general, changes are made by using the Cursor Up or Cursor
Down arrow keys on the cursor keypad. In some instances,
options are automatically invoked once selected.
When you have finished making any changes to that menu option,
and press [Enter], that option is de-activated, although still
selected. The highlighting will change back from red to blue
on a colour monitor, or from bold text on a shaded background
to inverse text on a monochrome monitor.
When you have finished making adjustments in the Setup Menu,
you may return to the Handicap screen by pressing [F2], or you
may press another function key to access another menu.
Alternatively, you may move from one menu to another by using
the Cursor Right or Cursor Left arrow keys on the cursor
keypad.
For example, if you were in the Setup Menu as described
previously, and you pressed the Cursor Right arrow key, the
Setup Menu would close up again, leaving the screen contents
that were covered by the menu unaltered, and the highlighted
area of the menu bar at the top of the screen would "shift" to
the Exit Menu, which is located to the right of the Setup
Menu.
Note that the Exit Menu would not be activated at this point.
To activate a menu in this manner, you would press the [Enter]
key when its menu bar is highlighted.
Those of you who use other programs that feature drop down
menus will find this menu structure familiar and comfortable.
There is no need to memorize any obscure commands.
[F1] THE OPTIONS MENU
The Options Menu can be accessed at almost any time when using
TrackPro PC by pressing the function key [F1], or if you are
already at the bar menu level, you may use the Cursor Right or
Cursor Left arrow keys to highlight the Options Menu bar, then
press [Enter].
The Options Menu, when selected, will open with the first
option highlighted in blue on a color screen, or inverse text
on a monochrome monitor. You may select the various options by
pressing the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad. When the desired option is highlighted in blue, press
[Enter] to activate that option.
When a menu item is activated on the Options Menu, the
highlighted bar will change in color from blue to red on a
color screen, or from inverse text to bold text on a lightly
shaded background on a monochrome monitor. Once you have
finished with that option, the highlighting will change back
from red to blue on a color monitor, or from bold text to
inverse text on a monochrome monitor, to indicate that the
menu option is no longer active.
Each of the options available on the Options Menu are
described in detail below.
PRINT RESULT SCORES
This option allows you to print the handicap results that are
currently displayed in the Results Window. The Print Result
Scores option uses the scores currently displayed, and
therefore, is effective only at the end of each race, when the
Handicap Menu is displayed and scores are calculated.
To select this option, press [Enter] when it is highlighted on
the Options Menu. The highlighted bar will change in color
indicating that this menu option is currently active.
The first time that this option is selected during a handicap
session, the following warning message is displayed on the
screen.
PRINT SCORE RESULTS
═══════════════════════════════════════
Printer must be ONLINE and READY.
Press any key to begin printing.
At this time, you should check your printer, and make sure it
is on, has paper loaded, and is ready to go. If it is not
ready, you should take the time now to get it ready, before
you proceed with the program. Once your printer is ready,
press any key to continue.
If you select this option while entering data, and you have
not entered all the data for this race, nothing will be
printed. Instead, the following message prompt will appear.
PRINT SCORE RESULTS
═══════════════════════════════════════
You cannot PRINT Result Scores or
Summaries until all data is entered
and Result Scores are displayed!
Press any key to resume.
Press any key at this time, and you are returned to the
Options Menu. You should return to the Handicap Data Entry
Window and complete your data entry before selecting this
option.
Your printed output, once obtained, closely resembles the
screen display that appears in the Results Window, and will be
similar to the example shown below.
RACE # 1 TRACKPRO SELECTIONS: 4 - 1 - 6
===============================================================
POST UDR UTR UHR FINISH LAST QRTR SCORE
===============================================================
1 .194 .467 .285 2:03.3 :31.2 6877
2 .000 .000 .333 2:04.3 :30.3 3536
3 .208 .231 .277 2:04.4 :32.0 5497
4 .272 .403 .711 2:02.2 :30.4 8825
5 .000 .000 .000 2:05.3 :32.4 1800
6 .272 .214 .000 1:59.0 :30.4 6866
PRINT SCORE SUMMARY
This option allows you to print a summary of the handicap
results that are currently displayed in the Results Window.
The Print Score Summary option also uses the scores currently
displayed, and therefore, is effective only at the end of each
race, when the Handicap Menu is displayed and scores are
calculated.
To select this option, press [Enter] when it is highlighted on
the Options Menu. The highlighted bar will change in color
indicating that this menu option is currently active.
Again, if you have not used your printer during this handicap
session, the following warning message is displayed on the
screen.
PRINT SCORE SUMMARY
═══════════════════════════════════════
Printer must be ONLINE and READY.
Press any key to begin printing.
At this time, you should check your printer, and make sure it
is on, has paper loaded, and is ready to go. If it is not
ready, you should take the time now to get it ready, before
you proceed with the program. Once your printer is ready,
press any key to continue.
If you select this option while entering data, and you have
not entered all the data for this race, nothing will be
printed. Instead, the following message prompt will appear.
PRINT SCORE SUMMARY
═══════════════════════════════════════
You cannot PRINT Result Scores or
Summaries until all data is entered
and Result scores are displayed!
Press any key to resume.
Press any key at this time, and you are returned to the
Options Menu. You should return to the Handicap Data Entry
Window and complete your data entry before selecting this
option.
Your printed summary of the Result Scores lists only the race
number, and TrackPro PC's selections for that race, as shown
in the example below.
TRACKPRO SELECTIONS
==============================
RACE # 1 5 - 3 - 6
RACE # 2 1 - 7 - 4
RACE # 3 1 - 3 - 2
RACE # 4 4 - 1 - 6
PRINT HANDICAP SCORING PARAMETERS
This option allows you to print the Handicap Scoring
Parameters as they are currently set to in the Setup Menu. You
may select this option at any time during a handicap session.
If you are a new user, and are still experimenting with
different scoring parameters, this will help you to keep track
of those which are most successful for you.
To select this option, press [Enter] when it is highlighted on
the Options Menu. The highlighted bar will change in color
indicating that this menu option is currently active.
Again, if you have not used your printer during this handicap
session, the following warning message is displayed on the
screen.
PRINT SCORING PARAMETERS
═══════════════════════════════════════
Printer must be ONLINE and READY.
Press any key to begin printing.
At this time, you should check your printer, and make sure it
is on, has paper loaded, and is ready to go. If it is not
ready, you should take the time now to get it ready, before
you proceed with the program. Once your printer is ready,
press any key to continue.
The printed listing of Handicap Scoring Parameters appears as
in the example below. Note that the actual value of the
various parameters are dependant on the current Setup.
TRACKPRO HANDICAP SCORING PARAMETERS
Maximum Driver scoring potential: 1000 points
Maximum Trainer scoring potential: 1000 points
Maximum Horse scoring potential: 1000 points
Maximum Finish Time scoring potential: 1000 points
Maximum Last Qrtr scoring potential: 1000 points
Highest possible score: 5000 points
POTENTIAL SCORE IS REDUCED BY THESE FACTORS
Driver: Individual UDR/Highest UDR
Trainer: Individual UTR/Highest UTR
Horse: Individual UHR/Highest UHR
Time: 100 points per second behind fastest contender
Post: Positions above 5 reduced by 10%
PAGE EJECT/FORM FEED
This option sends a form feed code to your printer.
The printed results are not paginated - i.e. there are no
pre-set page breaks.
If you are using continuous feed paper, you can ignore this
option and simply print over the page perforations.
However, if you are using a page printer, such as a laser
printer, or if you are printing on single sheets, you will
need to use this option to eject the page after you have
printed the results of 3 to 4 races.
SAVE DATA TO DISK FILE
This option allows you to save the handicap results to a disk
file. The results that are saved can later be re-loaded. This
can be a very useful option.
First, it allows you to enter the data in multiple sessions,
and each time, resume from where you left off. It takes
approximately an hour to an hour and a half to enter all the
data for an entire race track program schedule.
Secondly, it allows you to enter the necessary data for
handicapping a race prior to the race day itself. You may
simply not have time on the actual race day to do this. Yet,
you will want your results to be accurate, and reflect any
changes, such as contenders that are scratched, or replaced by
other eligible contenders.
By saving the results to a disk file prior to the actual race
date, you could then re-load the data on the race date, and
accommodate any post position scratches or replacements. In a
very short time, you would have updated results, which you may
also save to disk, or which you may print out at this time.
Often, your local radio station covers post position scratches
or replacements by other eligible contenders. Your race track
program schedule will indicate this, or it may provide an
alternative source of information.
The results of the entire day's race program schedule are
stored in a single file which will typically use up about 5k
of disk space.
Again, the status of Save Data to Disk File is displayed in
the Status Display window in the upper right portion of the
screen.
To select this option, press [Enter] when it is highlighted on
the Options Menu. The highlighted bar will change in color
indicating that this menu option is currently active.
At this time, you will be prompted by a message prompt in the
centre of the screen, as follows:
SAVE TRACKPRO DISK FILE
═══════════════════════════════════════
Enter filename for save file:
At this time, you should type in the name of the file that you
want to save your results in. The filename you type in should
be a legitimate DOS filename, i.e. FILENAME.EXT where filename
is up to 8 alpha-numeric characters, followed by a period (.),
followed by up to 3 alpha-numeric characters for the
extension. Spaces are not allowed in the filename.
If you wish to save the results to a different disk drive than
you are running TrackPro PC from, you may specify a drive in
the filename, such as B:FILENAME.EXT. Or, if you are using a
hard disk, and want to save the results in a different
directory than you are running TrackPro PC from, you may
specify the drive and directory in the filename, such as
C:\RESULTS\FILENAME.EXT. Up to 25 characters may be used in
the filename entry.
If the filename you typed in is a valid DOS filename, the
message prompt will disappear from the screen, and the file is
created.
If the filename you typed in was not a valid DOS filename,
then an error message will be displayed in the centre of the
screen, as follows:
FILE OR DISK ERROR
═══════════════════════════════════════
Error writing TrackPro Disk File.
Press any key to continue.
Press any key. You are then returned to the Options menu. The
Save Data to Disk File option is still selected, but is
de-activated at this time. If you wish to re-try with a new
filename, simply press [Enter], and repeat this procedure.
LOAD DATA FROM DISK FILE
This option allows you to re-enter handicapping data from a
file that was previously saved using the Save Data to Disk
File option. This option serves several purposes.
1) If you are unable to enter all the data for an entire race
in one session, this allows you to re-load the first portion
that is saved, and then resume entering data.
2) If you are a laptop user, and have entered the data prior
to the actual race, you may re-load the data at the track, and
then accommodate any post positions that have been scratched or
replaced by other contenders. Then, using the Re-Calc option,
you can see how the results are affected by these changes.
3) You may use this option after the races are finished, and
the results are known, and adjust the Setup to see how the
resulting scores are affected. In this manner, you can
optimize the Setup Menu to maximize your winnings.
To select this option, press [Enter] when it is highlighted on
the Options Menu. The highlighted bar will change in color
indicating that this menu option is currently active.
At this time, you will be prompted by a message prompt in the
centre of the screen, as follows:
LOAD TRACKPRO DISK FILE
═══════════════════════════════════════
Enter filename for load file:
At this time, you should type in the name of the file that you
want to load. The filename you type in should be a legitimate
DOS filename, i.e. FILENAME.EXT where filename is up to 8
alpha-numeric characters, followed by a period (.), followed
by up to 3 alpha-numeric characters for the extension. Spaces
are not allowed in the filename.
If you wish to load a results file from a different disk drive
than you are running TrackPro PC from, you may specify a drive
in the filename, such as B:FILENAME.EXT. Or, if you are using
a hard disk, and want to load a results file from a different
directory than you are running TrackPro PC from, you may
specify the drive and directory in the filename, such as
C:\RESULTS\FILENAME.EXT. Up to 25 characters may be used in
the filename entry.
If the filename you typed in is a valid DOS filename, and the
file exists on the disk, the message prompt will disappear
from the screen, and the file is opened.
At this time TrackPro PC reads in the data from the saved file
and displays the data from the first race in the Handicap
Results Window. After the data for the first race is displayed
TrackPro PC re-calculates the score results according to the
current Setup. Again, the 3 highest scoring contenders are
displayed in highlighted text.
The Handicap Menu opens at this time, and you may
select the appropriate action from there.
If the filename you typed in was not a valid DOS filename, or
the file does not exist on the disk you are using, then an
error message will be displayed in the centre of the screen,
as follows:
FILE NOT FOUND OR DISK ERROR
═══════════════════════════════════════
Error loading TrackPro Disk File.
Press any key to continue.
Press any key. You are then returned to the Options menu. The
Load Data from Disk File option is still selected, but is
de-activated at this time. If you wish to re-try with a new
filename, simply press [Enter], and repeat this procedure.
[F3] THE SETUP MENU
The Setup Menu can be accessed at almost any time when using
TrackPro PC by pressing the function key [F3], or if you are
already at the bar menu level, you may use the Cursor Right or
Cursor Left arrow keys to highlight the Setup Menu bar, then
press [Enter].
The menu items on the Setup Menu directly affect the score
results that are obtained with TrackPro PC.
The Setup Menu, when selected, will open with the first option
highlighted in blue on a color screen, or inverse text on a
monochrome screen. You may select the various options by
pressing the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad. When the desired option is highlighted in blue, press
[Enter] to activate that option.
The highlighted bar will change in colour at this point, to
indicate that the menu option is currently active. On a colour
monitor, the highlighted bar will change from blue to red. On
a monochrome monitor, the highlighted bar will change from
inverse text to bold text on a lightly shaded background. You
cannot exit the Setup Menu when any of the options are active.
Changes are made by using the by pressing the Cursor Up or
Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor keypad.
Once you have made your changes to that option, press [Enter].
The highlighted bar will then change back from red to blue on
a colour monitor, or from bold text on a shaded background to
inverse text on a monochrome monitor.
You may exit the Setup Menu by pressing [F2] to resume
handicapping, or by pressing the function key associated with
any of the other menus in TrackPro PC.
Alternatively, you may press the Cursor Right or Cursor Left
arrow keys on the cursor keypad to highlight other menus on
the menu bar, and press [Enter] to activate that particular
menu.
Each of the options available on the Setup Menu are described
in detail below. However, before proceeding, it would be
helpful to the user to explain exactly how the score results
are obtained so that you are able to foresee the effects of
any adjustments you make.
Before any handicapping calculations are done, TrackPro PC
first converts the Starts, First, Second, and Third place
finishes to ratios called Universal Diver Rating (UDR),
Universal Trainer Rating (UTR), and Universal Horse Rating
(UHR). This UHR will not be found on any race track program
schedule - it is unique to TrackPro PC.
Suppose the current Setup is as follows (although I have
deliberately made each number different, for clarity.)
Driver Scoring: 1800
Trainer Scoring: 1600
Horse Scoring: 2000
Finish Time Scoring: 1200
Last Qrtr Scoring: 1500
Forfeit Points/Sec: 100
Forfeit... 10%
...for Posts Above: 5
Individual Scores would be derived from the sum of these
calculations:
Individual UDR/Highest UDR X 1800
Individual UTR/Highest UTR X 1600
Individual UHR/Highest UHR X 2000
1200 points - (100 points per second behind fastest finish)
1500 points - (100 points per second behind fastest last quarter)
Post Positions above 5 reduced by 10%
DRIVER SCORING
This option allows you to increase or decrease the "weighting"
or significance of the driver in the result scores. Driver
Scoring can be adjusted from a minimum of 100 points to a
maximum of 10,000 points. A higher number increases the
importance of the driver in the result scores, while a lower
number decreases his importance.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
TRAINER SCORING
This option allows you to increase or decrease the "weighting"
or significance of the trainer in the result scores. Trainer
Scoring can be adjusted from a minimum of 100 points to a
maximum of 10,000 points. A higher number increases the
importance of the trainer in the result scores, while a lower
number decreases his importance.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
HORSE SCORING
This option allows you to increase or decrease the "weighting"
or significance of the horse in the result scores. Horse
Scoring can be adjusted from a minimum of 100 points to a
maximum of 10,000 points. A higher number increases the
importance of the horse in the result scores, while a lower
number decreases the importance.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
FINISH TIME SCORING
This option allows you to increase or decrease the "weighting"
or significance of the finish times in the result scores.
Finish Time Scoring can be adjusted from a minimum of 100
points to a maximum of 10,000 points. A higher number
increases the importance of finish times in the result scores,
while a lower number decreases the importance.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
LAST QUARTER TIME SCORING
This option allows you to increase or decrease the "weighting"
or significance of the times for the last quarter of the race
in the result scores. Last Quarter Time Scoring can be
adjusted from a minimum of 100 points to a maximum of 10,000
points. A higher number increases the importance of last
quarter times in the result scores, while a lower number
decreases the importance.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
FORFEIT - POINTS/SECOND
This option allows you to increase or decrease the point
spread in the scores produced by the finish time and last
quarter time calculations. A larger number here will cause a
larger point spread between the fastest contender and the
slowest contender, smaller numbers produce a tighter point
spread. This forfeit is adjustable from 10 points per second
to a maximum of half of either last quarter time scoring or
finish time scoring - whichever is lesser.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
POST POSITION STATISTICS - FORFEIT %
This option allows you to increase or decrease the factor by
which scores are reduced for the higher numbered post
positions. The race track program schedule should publish its
post position statistics. Statistics usually show that the
higher numbered post positions produce significantly fewer
wins than the lower numbered post positions.
Forfeit percentage is adjustable from 0% to 50%. A higher
number here will cause the high numbered post position to be
further reduced, while smaller numbers cause less drastic
reductions.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
POST POSITION STATISTICS - POST POSITIONS ABOVE
This option allows you to increase or decrease the post
position above which scores are reduced by a factor. The race
track program schedule should publish its post position
statistics. Statistics usually show that the higher numbered
post positions produce significantly fewer wins than the lower
numbered post positions. The post positions affected are
adjustable from 1 to 10.
The number you select here should match highest post position
in your race track program schedule with favourable
statistics. Post positions up to and including this number
will not have their score affected by the Post Position
Forfeit percentage.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change in
color, indicating that this menu option is active. Then, use
the Cursor Up or the Cursor Down arrow keys on the cursor
keypad to adjust the number. Cursor Up increases the number,
and Cursor Down decreases the number. When you have finished
making adjustments, press [Enter] to accept the number
displayed.
The highlighted bar will now change back in color, indicating
that this option is de-activated after you pressed [Enter]. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
SAVE SETTINGS TO DISK
This option allows you to save the current settings of the
Setup Menu. The Setup settings are stored in a file called
TRACKPRO.CFG. Each time TrackPro PC is started, it reads the
settings from this file.
Select this option by pressing [Enter] when it is highlighted
in blue on the Setup Menu. The highlighted bar will change
from blue to red, indicating that this menu option is active.
On a monochrome monitor, the highlighted bar changes from
inverse text to bold text on a lightly shaded background.
No messages are displayed, but TrackPro PC then re-writes the
configuration file with the current settings in the Setup
Menu.
The highlighted bar will now change back from red to blue,
indicating that this option is de-activated. On a monochrome
monitor, the highlighted bar changes back to inverse text. If
you now press the Cursor Up or Cursor Down arrow keys, you
will be selecting different options on the Setup Menu.
[F10] THE EXIT MENU
Strictly speaking, the Exit Menu is not exactly a menu. When
you press [F10], a warning message appears approximately
mid-screen as shown here:
EXIT TO DOS
═══════════════════════════════════════
Press F10 to Exit, or press [ESC]
to resume handicap session.
If you wish to quit TrackPro PC, and exit to the operating
system, normally MS-DOS, press the [F10] key. TrackPro PC will
terminate, closing any files that are still open. The screen
will then clear, and TrackPro PC leaves a brief closing
message on the screen.
If you do not wish to quit at this time, press the [Esc] key.
WAGERING STRATEGIES
For each race that is handicapped, TrackPro PC highlights the
three highest scoring contenders. These three "selections" are
also listed in the Status Display Window. Additionally, if you
are printing the results, TrackPro PC indicates these three
selections on the top line of the printed results for each
race.
Statistically, these are the most likely contenders to win,
with the highest scoring contender the most probable winner.
However, there is an element of random chance in every horse
race. Some horses will outperform their past records, horses
that are being raced too frequently will not measure up to
their past performances, sloppy track conditions, interference
or breaks can all lead to unpredictable results.
No handicapping program can deliver 100% accuracy, but with
TrackPro PC, you will greatly improve your chances at
selecting the winners.
You may wish to select only the highest scoring contender, and
bet on this contender to win. You will come up with many
winners in this manner, however, the pay-off for a win is
generally not very high. In a similar manner, you may wish to
cover the top three contenders to win, place or show. Again,
the pay-off is usually not very high for these wagers.
You may wish to wager on the top two contenders in an exactor
wager, in which you must select the first and second place
winners in the exact order that they finish in. An exactor
wager can have a nice pay-off.
My preferred strategy is to cover the top three contenders in
exactor boxes. An exactor bet means you must select the winner
and the second place winner in the exact order that they
finish. An exactor box costs twice as much, but gives you the
same two winners in either order. To box all three selections
in either order requires six different combinations.
Obviously, this increases your wagering stakes. However, my
experience has been that if you cover exactor boxes in this
manner, TrackPro PC will come through frequently enough to
make your money back and more. The pay-off for an exactor is
generally much higher than betting for win, place, or show.
You may wish to cover a triactor bet in the same manner. A
triactor bet means you must select the winner, the second
place winner, and the third place winner in the exact order
that they finish in. Again, to cover the top three contenders
in a triactor box means their are six possible combinations
that they could finish in, so your stakes are again high.
Furthermore, the element of chance plays a bigger factor in
triactors than in exactors, so you won't win as often.
However, the pay-off for a triactor can be quite large, so
this strategy may appeal to you.
There are many more options, such as "wheels", and "keys"
where you can cover a greater number of contenders - you
select the winner in combination with several other contenders
for second place and third place. Of course, the more
combinations you are covering, the higher the stakes are.
You must ultimately choose your own strategy for wagering, but
you should be careful that you do not wager more than you can
afford to lose. As pointed out before, no method is
infallible.
Use TrackPro PC wisely, and, if you find yourself winning, be
kind enough to register the program.
Fred Walker - "The Edge"