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Text File | 1991-11-01 | 54.5 KB | 1,161 lines

XXXXXX XX XX XXXXX XXXXXX XXXXX XXX XXX XXXXXXX X XX X XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XXXX XXXX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XXXXXX XX XXXXXXX XX XX XXXXX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XXXX XX XX XXXXXXX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XX XXXX XX XX XXXXX XXX XX XXXXX XX XX XX XXXXX The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper User Supported Version 4.15 (C)1991 by Leonard Hyre and Michael J. Himowitz Distributed by Federal Hill Software 3722 Greenway Lane, P.O. Box 765 Owings Mills, Md. 21117 410-356-5592 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Contents 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1.1 What's New In This Version . . . . . . 1 1.2 About the Program and User-Supported Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 1.3 System Requirements . . . . . . . . . 3 1.4 The Files on this Disk . . . . . . . . 3 1.5 Running the Program . . . . . . . . . . 4 2 About Handicapping Systems . . . . . . . . 4 2.1 The LAST RACE Theory . . . . . . . . . 5 2.2 The Information You Need And Where to Get It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3 Handicapping Principles . . . . . . . . . . 8 3.1 When to Bet on a Race . . . . . . . . 8 3.2 Eliminate Bad Horses . . . . . . . . . 9 4 Using the Program . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 4.1 Handicap a Horse . . . . . . . . . . 10 5 Now What Do I Do? . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 5.1 How to Bet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 6 Set Monitor Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 7 Program Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 8 The Enhanced Thoroughbred Handicapper 4 . 16 9 New Version 5 with Database . . . . . . . 17 10 How to Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 10.1 On-Line Registration Form . . . . . 18 10.2 Printed Registration Form . . . . . 19 i The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper User Supported Version 4.15 (C)1990, 1991 By Leonard Hyre and Michael J. Himowitz Distributed by Federal Hill Software 3722 Greenway Lane, P.O. Box 765 Baltimore, Md. 21117 Phone: 410-356-5592 * 1 Introduction The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper is a powerful, sophisticated tool that will allow you to handicap thoroughbred horses quickly and easily. It's not a magic, get-rich-quick scheme. But if you follow these instructions, impose some discipline and use the handicapper wisely, you should be able to improve your performance at the track and make money in the process. The Cambridge Handicapper is easy to use. All the information you need is available in the Racing Form, although you may want to check your local newspaper for late scratches and jockey changes. With a little practice, you'll be able to handicap a race in a few minutes and a whole card in less than an hour. 1.1 What's New In This Version This is Version 4.15 (September, 1991) of the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper. If you've used the earlier version, you'll know how to use this one. We have, however, added three important factors to the handicapping caluclations in this version: Speed Rating, Track Variant and Gender. In addition, we've improved our formulas to work better with longer races and weed out horses who show early speed but fade at longer distances. We have also compiled this program with different software. This should eliminate some video incompatibilities experienced by users in Version 3. _________________________________________________________________ * Note: Because of an Area Code change by the phone company, our phone number after Nov. 10, 1991 will be 410-356-5592. Page 2 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper 1.2 About the Program and User-Supported Software This is a proven handicapper. Federal Hill Software has been marketing Thoroughbred, Harness and Greyhound programs commercially for a variety of computers since 1983. You may have seen our advertisements in magazines such as Compute!, Compute's Gazette, Computer Shopper, RUN, PCResource, Rainbow, PCM and others. We have sold thousands of copies. The problem is that advertising rates--the largest single cost of doing business-- have skyrocketed in the last few years. Eventually we decided that it was just too expensive to market special interest programs such as handicappers in general-interest computer magazines. So we did two things. First, we rewrote the handicappers from top to bottom, making them more attractive, quicker and even easier to use with full-screen data entry, on-line help, and revised rating formulas that reflect our most recent research. Second, we decided to put working versions of the IBM handicappers directly in the hands of the people who want them. This is known as user-supported software. If you like the program and use it, we ask that you send us a $30 registration fee for Version 4 or a $50 registration fee for Version 5. For your money you'll get an Enhanced version of the program with additional features that will make your handicapping even easier and more exciting--including the WAGERMASTER betting analysis program. We'll talk more about the enhanced version at the end of these instructions. The User-Supported version you have here is in no way crippled. Some shareware companies do this as a come-on, but we don't think that's fair. This User-Supported version uses exactly the same handicapping forumlas as our enhanced version and produces the same results. You may use it and distribute it to anyone. Give it away, post it on your local computer bulletin boards, or put in in your user-group library. There are only a few conditions. They are: 1. The Cambridge Handicappers are copyrighted by the authors and remain their intellectual property, protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 3 2. You may not distribute a modified version of the User- Supported program or any version of the Enhanced program. 3. When you distribute the User Supported version, you must include ALL the files on this disk (or in the group of files which you un-ARCed). The program won't work properly unless they're all there. Enough of that. Let's get on with the program itself. 1.3 System Requirements The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper will run on any IBM- compatible computer with 256K of memory and a video display adapter that emulates the IBM Color Graphics Adapter, IBM Monochrome Graphics Adapter or the Hercules Monochrome Graphics Adapter. That means just about everything on the market today, including all models of the Tandy 1000, 1200, 3000 and 4000 with sufficient memory. There are a few computers with which the program is not compatible. They include the Tandy 2000, Sanyo 550 series, IBM PCjr, IBM Convertible and the TI Professional (We know it's hard to believe that IBM made some non-IBM compatible computers, but the Jr. and Convertible use a slightly different video system). If you have one of these computers, we do have an earlier version of the program which will run on them. Contact us for information. 1.4 The Files on this Disk The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper is composed of seven files. All of the files marked with asterisks must be on the disk from which the program is launched or the hard disk directory from which the program is launched. They are as follows: THORO4.BAT* The batch file that starts the program. NTHO4SW.EXE* The handicapper program. NTHO4SW.PAK* The screen files used by the program. SPEEDSCR.COM* A memory resident screen driver. THORO4SW.DOC Instructions for the use of the program. PRINTME.BAT A batch file to print the instructions. CAP.CFG* Information about your monitor. If these files are on a floppy disk, that's all you'll need to run the program. If you want to use a hard disk, set up a directory for the program and use the DOS "Copy" command to Page 4 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper transfer all the files on this disk to the directory you have set up for it. 1.5 Running the Program To run The Cambridge Thoroughbred handicapper, put the disk with the program in Drive A or use the "CHDIR" command to switch to the hard disk directory in which the programs are stored. Type THORO4 and hit the RETURN key. This will load the program. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LAUNCH NTHO4SW.EXE directly. Use the THORO4.BAT file to do it. Here's why: THORO4.BAT first loads SPEEDSCR.COM, a memory resident program which manages the screens used by the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper. Without SPEEDSCR, the program will not work. The THORO4.BAT file also removes SPEEDSCR from memory when you terminate the handicapper program. While SPEEDSCR probably won't cause difficulties if left in memory after you exit from the handicapper, it can, under some circumstances, produce some unusual if harmless results. So always start the program by typing THORO4 and hitting the RETURN key. When you type THORO4 and hit RETURN, your disk drive will whir for a few seconds. Then you'll see a title screen. Strike any key and the MAIN MENU will appear. Before you start handicapping, however, please read the following sections that describe handicapping systems and the information you'll need to use the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper. 2 About Handicapping Systems A handicapping system does two things. 1. It attempts to predict a horse's peformance in an upcoming race by analyzing past performances in a consistent, scientific manner. 2. It provides you with a strategy for betting on races given the outcome of your handicapping analysis. As strange as it sounds, the true purpose of a handicapping system is not to pick winners. The purpose of a handicapping system is to give you a tool that will help you make money at the The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 5 track. Knowing how and when to bet is just as important as analyzing the horses. There are as many handicapping systems as there are handicappers. Some are quite good, others are worthless. Some require hours or days of effort, some require only a few minutes of preparation. You don't really need a computer to handicap a race. There are plenty of manual handicapping systems around, and some are excellent. Unfortunately, they're often tedious and time- consuming. A computer handicapping system takes the handicapper's knowledge, sets up handicapping tables and rules internally, and then makes calculations instantly. We designed the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper to provide a blend of sophistication and ease of use for the race fan who enjoys the sport but doesn't have hours and hours to devote to handicapping. If you've never tried to handicap a race before, you'll find this quite easy to use. If you're an experienced handicapper, the information the system requires you to collect will be just as useful as the ratings themselves. The program will sharpen your own thinking and handicapping analysis. 2.1 The LAST RACE Theory The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper relies heavily on information from a horse's LAST RACE on a fast or sloppy track. Now you may ask, "Why only one race? Wouldn't it be better to average performances over half a dozen races, or a whole year?" The answer is no. It's a fact that a horse's performance today is most likely to mirror his performance last time out. Remember, a handicapper is interested in how a horse is going to perform RIGHT NOW, not how the horse performed a month or two ago. The horse that ran six weeks ago may have been in much better or worse shape than he is today. While it is possible to develop a system that uses an average of past performances, our research shows that such systems at best yield only marginally better results than a "last race" system. And they take so long and require so much data that most people are unwilling or unable to spend the time necessary to make them work. The disadvantage of a "last race" system is that it may downgrade a good horse who happened to post a bad performance last time, or upgrade a horse who ran way over his head last time Page 6 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper out. But this doesn't happen very often. And the advantages of a "last race" system--speed and ease of use--mean you'll be able to do more handicapping and have a better chance of making money over the long run. 2.2 The Information You Need And Where to Get It To use The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper, you must be familiar with the information available to you in The Racing Form. The Form is available on most newsstands on the day of a race and usually the day before. In addition, you'll want to consult the track program or your local newspaper for information on last-minute scratches or jockey changes that occured after The Racing Form went to press. The Racing Form contains three different pieces of information you'll need. First, there's a summary of each race, showing the horse's name, post position and jockey. Second, there's the "condition line," a table of of information about the past performances of each horse in a race. Finally, there is a listing of the "Top 10" jockeys at each track. Here is the information you'll need about each horse: 1. The horse's post position. This is usually available in the summary listings for each track at the beginning of that day's card in The Racing Form. Sometimes, however, these are not accurate because of late scratches, and the best source is the morning line from your local newspaper. 2. The jockey's name. This is usually in the summary listing for each race, too. But sometimes no jockey has been assigned by the Racing Form's press time and the entry will say "No Rider." In this case, consult your local paper or the trace track program. 3. The jockey's record. We're interested in whether a jockey wins 10 percent or more of his races. If you look at the "Top 10" jockeys for each track in the Racing Form, you'll usually find all the 10 percent winners. If you're not sure, consult a recent race track program or inquire at the track itself. 4. The date of the horse's last race on a fast ("ft") or sloppy ("sy") track. We will use sloppy tracks for rating purposes, since they don't seem to affect horses' times, but it's not a good idea to bet on races being run on a sloppy track. The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 7 5. The purses and/or claiming prices for the horse's previous races. This is necessary to determine whether the horse is moving up or down in class. 6. The leader's time at the half-mile point of the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. If the horse's last race was on a slower track ("good" or "muddy"), go back and find the last performance on a fast or sloppy track. 7. The final time of the winner of the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. 8. The number of lengths behind the winner the horse finished in his last race on a fast or sloppy track. If the horse won last time out, this number will, of course, be zero. 9. Was the horse a beaten favorite? This detmines whether the horse was the favorite last time out on a fast or sloppy track and whether or not he won the race. If the horse was the favorite, an asterisk (*) will appear next to the dollar odds on the horse in the line containing the information for the horse's last race. This is important because a favorite who was beaten last time out will often win this time around. 10. WEIGHT--The weight the horse will carry this time out and the weight he carried last time out on a fast or sloppy track. 11. DISTANCES--The distance of this race and the distance of the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. 12. This is the hardest factor to determine. It is important to know whether a horse is racing today against tougher, easier or the same level of horses he raced against last time. Here are basic guidelines: * Generally, if the purse or claiming price of the horses in this race is higher than the purse or claiming price of the horse's last race, the horse is moving UP in class. That means he's running against tougher competition than he did last time. * If a horse is racing for a lower purse or in a race with a lower claiming price than his last race, the horse is moving DOWN in class. That means he's running against easier competition than he did last time. Page 8 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper * If the purse or claming price is about the same (a few hundred dollars doesn't matter) in this race as it was for the horse's last race, then he's staying in the SAME class. 13. The speed rating for the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. The speed rating is a calculation made by the Racing Form indicating how fast the horse ran compared to the track record at that distance prior to the current meeting. A speed rating below 100 indicates the horse ran slower than the track record. A rating above 100 means the horse ran faster than the previous meeting's track record. This factor is particularly useful in trying to handicap races with shippers. 14. The track variant for the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. The track variant is an attempt to determine how all the horses were running on the day of that race. This reflects on the quality of the competition and/or the track condition. A lower track variant means better competition and/or a faster track. This factor, conjunction with the speed rating, is useful in trying to handicap races with shippers. 3 Handicapping Principles A computer can help you with handicapping calculations, but there's no substitute for a little human judgment in the process. The key to handicapping is knowing which races to bet (not every race can be properly handicapped) and which horses to eliminate from contention before you start handicapping. 3.1 When to Bet on a Race For any handicapping system to work, there must be a good probability that the past performances of the horses involved will be reflected in their performance in the race you're handicapping. Unfortunately, this isn't the case in every race. At the very best tracks, such as Santa Anita or Aqueduct, almost every non-maiden race may be handicappable. At tracks with lower-class horses, you may only find five or six races on a card that lend themselves to analysis. Here are the guidelines we use: * Don't bother going to the track and using this program if the track condition is not "fast." An off track--good, muddy, or sloppy--should be avoided. There's a good reason for this. Horses usually run on fast tracks. They train on fast tracks. While some horses may be good "mudders," The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 9 there's no real way of knowing how they'll respond to bad track conditions. Some horses may love soft footing, others may hate it. The problem is that there's no way to tell for sure. So stay away from off tracks. * DON'T BET ON MAIDEN RACES. These are unproven or just plain bad horses, and most handicapping techniques are useless when they're running. * Don't bet on races featuring the cheapest horses on the grounds. These are old, bad or tired horses who are unpredictale. They may run well one week and terribly the next. If you can't count on a horse's past performance to be indicative of his performance today, you can't handicap the horse. These horses usually show up in the first and last races of a card, particularly at tracks where the overall quality of horses is not high. At the very best tracks, this rule may not apply, since even the cheapest horses could be feature race material at lesser tracks. * Don't bet on races with a high proportion of "shippers." A shipper is a horse running at a track for the first time. You have no way of knowing how a horse will respond to a new surface. If you run across a race in which a shipper looks like a real contender, our advice is to pass it up. This takes some discipline, but you'll be better off for it. Also, any race with three or more shippers is probably a bad bet. We realize that this will eliminate many stakes races with high purses. While these are fun to watch, they're not usually good handicapping propositions. You can take consolation in the fact that the other races on the same card with a high-purse stakes race are likely to be good ones. 3.2 Eliminate Bad Horses Once you have decided whether to bet a race, you can easily eliminate certain horses from contention. These will usually be eliminated by the computer, but occasionally a really bad horse will score highly. Take a few seconds to eliminate these first and the system will work much better. Only at the very best tracks will you have to handicap more than a half-dozen horses in a race. * Eliminate any horse which has not raced in the last three weeks. You have no way of knowing why this horse has been on vacation, but if an animal is running well, the trainer will race him regularly. Time off is usually a bad sign. Page 10 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper This may not apply to the absolutely best-quality stakes horses, who race less frequently, but stakes races are bad bets anyway. * Eliminate any horse who did not show a strong performance last time out. By this we mean a win, place or show, a strong run on the leader in the stretch, or setting the early pace as the leader in fairly quick time. If a horse showed none of these, forget him. * Eliminate "shippers." These are horses running at a track for the first time. Once again, this may not be possible in big stakes races, but we think these are difficult to handicap anyway and should be avoided. 4 Using the Program When you run the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper, you'll see a menu with five choices. The first will be highlighted. The choices are: 1. Handicap a Horse 2. Set Monitor Type 3. About the Enhanced Handicapper 4. Registration Form 5. Quit the Program To select any choice, use the cursor keys to move the highlight bar and hit RETURN. Or just type the number opposite that choice. We'll discuss handicapping first. 4.1 Handicap a Horse When you choose this item, you'll be presented with a handicapping form with blank, highlighted fields for the information the program needs to analyze the horse. This is just like filling in a paper form. When you're through entering information in any field, just press the RETURN or ENTER key to go onto the next field. Some fields require single keystroke entries (Such as a "Y" for yes or "N" for no). In this case, just typing the appropriate letter will send you to the next field. You can correct information in any field by using the right and left cursor keys and typing over the previously entered information. The BACKSPACE key will move the cursor one character The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 11 to the left without deleting. To delete material, use the DEL key. You can move backwards and forwards from field to field throughout the form by using the UP and DOWN cursor keys. When you reach the bottom field, the DOWN cursor key will cycle you back to the first field. Most fields in the form are checked for errors. If you have typed inappropriate information in a field, the program will return your cursor to the field with the bad information and display an error message at the bottom of the screen telling you what the problem is. As you go from field to field, the program will display a "Help" message in the box at the lower left hand side of the form telling you exactly what information is required for that field. When you have finished entering all the information in a form, you can exit from the form and get your handicapping calculations by hitting the ESC key. Here's the information required for each field: 1. Horse No. and Name: Type the horse's betting number, followed by a space and his name. Then hit RETURN. 2. Distance Last Race: Look at the help area of the screen. You will see a table of distances displayed. Each distance is numbered. Type the number opposite the distance of the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. For example, if the last race was one mile, type "7", which is the number opposite the one-mile distance in the table displayed in the help area. 3. Distance This Race: Look at the help area of the screen. You will see a table of distances displayed. Each distance is numbered. Type the number opposite the distance of this race. For example, if the distance of this race is one mile, type "7", which is the number opposite the one-mile distance in the table displayed in the help area. Hit RETURN when you're through. 4. Speed rating: This is the first of two numbers, separated by a hyphen, located just to the left of the order of finish in the condition line. Type the speed rating and hit RETURN. Page 12 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper 5. Track variant: This is the second of two numbers, separated by a hyphen, located just to the left of the order of finish in the condition line. Type the track variant and hit RETURN. 6. 1/2-Mile: This is the leader's time at the 1/2-mile point of the horse's last race on a fast or sloppy track. Be careful here. In some listings of shorter races, quarter- mile times are included as well as half-mile times. Generally the half-mile time will be in the 40-50 second range. Type the number in seconds and fifths of seconds. There is no need to type a colon. The program takes care of that. For example, if the half-mile time of the horse's last race was 48:2, all you have to type is 482. 7. Final: This is the winner's final time in the horse's last outing on a fast track. Once again, there is no need to type a colon. If the final time of the last race was 1:48:2, all you have to type is 1482. The program will format the time properly. 8. Sex of Horse: Type "M" for male or "F" for female. This is primarily for races in which horses of both sexes are running. If you want to disregard the gender factor, type "N" in this field. 9. Winner last time? (Y/N): If the horse won last time out, type "Y". If the horse was not the winner, type "N". 10. Lengths behind winner: If the horse did not win, type the number of lengths behind the winner he finished. This is available in the portion of the listing showing the horse's position at various points in the race. It will appear as a superscript number next to the horse's position as he crossed the finish line. If the horse won last time out, type "0" and hit the return key. NOTE: The program will check for consistency between the "Winner last time" and "Lenghts Behind" fields. If you indicate that the horse won but also enter a number larger than zero in the "Lengths behind" field, the program will display an error message and return the cursor to the "Winner Last Time" field. 11. Jockey Weight: There are two blanks here. In the first, type the weight the horse carried LAST time out on a fast or sloppy track and hit RETURN. In the second field, enter the weight the horse will carry in THIS race and hit RETURN. The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 13 12. Jockey Record: There are also two blanks here. If the jockey in the horse's LAST race has won 10% or more of his races, type a "Y" in the "Last race" field. If the jockey in THIS race has won 10% or more of his races, type a "Y" in the field labled "This race." 13. Post position today: Type the number of the horse's post position in today's race and hit RETURN. 14. Beaten favorite last time?: If the horse was the favorite last time out on a fast or sloppy track but did NOT win the race, type "Y" here. You can tell if a horse was the favorite because there will usually be an asterisk (*) next to the column showing the dollar odds on the horse for that race. 15. Class: If a horse is moving up, type "U" in this blank. If the horse is moving down, type "D". If the horse is staying in the same class, type "S". For guidelines to determine whether the horse is moving up or down in class, see the discussion of CLASS in the section titled "Where to get the Information You need." Once you have entered all the information in the form (It takes longer to read about it than to do it), and you're sure it's correct, hit the ESC key. The program will ask you, "Are you through with this horse (Y/N)." If the information is correct, type "Y". If it isn't correct, type "N" and you will be returnd to the form, where you can correct the bad entry or entries. Once you have indicated that the information is correct, the numeric scores of the horse will be displayed in the "Help window." The scores consist of two numbers separated by a hyphen. The first number is the horse's score with the speed rating and track variant included in the caculations. The second number is the horse's score WITHOUT the speed rating and track variant included. This is essentially the way the previous versions of the Handicapper calculated the score. We've done it both ways because some users prefer not to use the speed rating and track variant. The scores will generally be numbers between 70 and 300, although the best or worst horses could go higher or lower. Page 14 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper The program will then ask, "Do you want to handicap another horse? (Y/N)." If you want to handicap another horse, type "Y" and a new handicapping screen will be displayed. If you're finished handicapping, type "N" and you'll be returned to the Main Menu. 5 Now What Do I Do? To analyze a race, handicap each horse. When you're through with each horse, write down the horse's name, number and score (The Enhanced version takes care of all this for you). When you're through, you'll have a list of horses and numeric scores. * THE HIGHER A HORSE'S SCORE COMPARED TO THE OTHERS IN THE RACE, THE MORE LIKELY THAT HORSE IS TO WIN THE RACE. For example, suppose these were the horses and scores: No. Name Score 4 Paula's Dream 232 2 Big Bad Ike 228 5 BennyBear 212 7 Mom's Mink 201 8 Bag o' Bones 175 6 Glue Factory 103 In this case, the handicapper indicates that Paula's Dream is most likely to win the race, although Big Bad Ike is quite close. 5.1 How to Bet OUR RECOMMENDATION IS TO BET THE HIGHEST RATED HORSE (the one with the highest score) TO WIN AND PLACE. This is the safest wager and the one most likely to put money in your pocket over the long run. As usual, there are exceptions to this rule. For example, in the race above, suppose Paula's Dream is going off at less than even money, but Big Bad Ike is going off at 4-1. You're not going to make much if you bet on Paula's Dream, but Big Bad Ike is so close in the scoring that he becomes a better bet. IF THE TOP TWO HORSES ARE ONLY A FEW POINTS APART AND THE SECOND RATED HORSE IS GOING OFF AT MUCH BETTER ODDS, YOU MAY WANT TO BET THE SECOND-RANKED HORSE. The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 15 This is one of the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper's major strengths. Because it rates horses without regard to local betting habits or prejudices, it will often spot undervalued horses that make sound wagers. Finally, at some tracks our customers have reported better results by betting both the first and second-rated horses to win. This is particularly true if the handicapper ranks them closely, neither is a strong favorite and the odds on both are relatively good. Determining how all of this works at your track takes some trial and error. Before you plunk down your money for the first time, handicap a couple of cards and see how the program works at your track. Wagering patterns vary greatly from locality to locality. Knowing when and how to bet is just as important as selecting the right horse. It can make the difference between winning and losing money at the track. You'll notice we haven't mentioned exotic wagers, such as exactas, perfectas, triples and trifectas. That's because we don't believe in them as a sound wagering strategy. Without going into long explanations, just remember that it's tough enough to pick a winner in a race, let alone a winner and two particular losers. Tracks make a lot of their money from exotic wagers because the return to the bettors is much lower than it is on straight bets. We can virtually guarantee that you'll lose money on any strategy that involves exotic bets. Stay away from them. That's all you really need to know to get started. Obviously, familiarity with your track conditions will help. But even if you're new to horse racing, the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper will make race analysis easier and more accurate. Remember that the most important factor in any handicapping system is discipline and consistency. If you choose your races wisely, apply the rules we've laid down and overcome the fan's natural tendency to put down money on every contest, you'll be able to turn a profit on your hobby. 6 Set Monitor Type The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper comes configured for a monochrome monitor. But you can change the display to color by selecting Choice No. 2 from the Main Menu. You'll be asked if you have a color or monochrome monitor. If you have a color monitor, type "C"; if you have a monochrome monoitor, type "M". The display will switch to the mode you have Page 16 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper just chosen and the information will be stored in the CAP.CFG file on your disk. The next time you run the program, it will automatically display in the chosen mode. You can switch from color to monochrome and back again at any time by Selecting Choice No. 2. 7 Program Notes The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper was written and compiled using Microsoft QuickBasic 4.5. The data entry screens were created using the Screen Sculptor (TM) and SpeedScreen (TM) utilities from the Software Bottling Company of New York. The SPEEDSCR.COM file distributed with this program is licensed from and copyrighted by The Software Bottling Co. and may not be used with any other program. Copies of The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper supplied by Federal Hill Software are guaranteed to load and run as indicated in the accompanying instructions. No other warranties of any kind are made or implied, and Federal Hill Software will not be responsible for any damage or loss resulting from the use of any of its programs. In particular, Federal Hill Software is not liable for replacement of defective disks supplied by third parties such as user group libraries or shareware companies. 8 The Enhanced Thoroughbred Handicapper 4 Menu Choice 3 will show you a screen containing information about the Enhanced Version 4 of this handicapping program, which will be sent to you when you send in your $30 registration fee. We think this represents an oustanding buy, and we'll discuss some of the advanced version's additional features here: * The WAGERMASTER--This alone could be worth the price of registration. It will show you anticipated payoffs for a wide variety of odds and win/place/show bets. It's great for developing a wagering strategy or just plain "whatiffing." In addition, The WAGERMASTER will show you the conbinations and permutations of bets on various horses for daily double, exacta/perfecta and triple/trifecta type wagers. (We don't recommend exotic wagers, but we know you all love them, so we'll at least make sure you get the combinations right). * Handicap an entire race at once. You'll be able to input data for all the horses in a race (up to 16) at one time and see a screen or printed report, sorted by score from most likely winner to least-likely winner. The report The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 17 includes an estimated odds calculation and indicates horses that are running at unaccustomed distances. * Keep track of shippers and last race date. While this doesn't effect the handicapping outcome, it will show you how many shippers are in a race, how long it has been since each horse last raced and how many horses have had layoffs of three weeks or more. Having this information can help you alter your betting strategy or pass up a bad race that you might otherwise have wasted money on. * Data printout for each horse. At your request, the program will print out the raw data you've entered for each horse. This makes it easier to look for mistakes or conduct further analysis. * New Feature: Save a race to disk and recall for updating. This is great for correcting errors or dealing with late scratches or program changes. * Enhanced documentation. The instructions with the enhanced version contain all the information you see here, plus a detailed discussion of parimutuel betting and money management that will eliminate much of the mystery and hopefully make you a wiser bettor. 9 New Version 5 with Database We're delighted to announce the release of Thoroughbred 5, which includes a complete relational database manager. In addition to rating the horses, Thoroughbred 5 allows you to store your handicapping data and recall it for correction or future use. It also keeps track of how the horses performed, how much you wagered, and how much you won. It's an outstanding value. Which version you order is up to you. The new Enhanced Version 5 requires 640K of memory and works best with a hard disk and an 80286 or 80386 computer. The Registration Fee is $50. If you don't have that much hardware or don't need the database capabilities, Enhanced Version 4 offers the same great handicapping formulas. The registration fee is $30. 10 How to Order If you'd like to order Thoroughbred 5, please fill out the form at the end of this manual. Page 18 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper If you'd like Thoroughbred 4, you can use the printed from or use our On-Line Registration form. If you register Version 4, we'll send you an upgrade form along with your Enhanced program. It allows you up upgrade to Version 5 at any time for $20 (the difference in price between the two versions). 10.1 On-Line Registration Form This will make it easy to register your program. When you choose No. 4 from the Main Menu, you'll be presented with a handicapper registration form. When you're finished filling out the form, you can print it out on your printer. This form is good for the Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper 4, Greyhound Handicapper and Harness Handicapper. Note: Use the on-line registration form only if you're ordering Thoroughbred 4. If you'd like to register Throughbred 5, please use the form at the end of this manual. You can register one or more programs at the same time. The registration fees are as follows: 1 Handicapper $30 Any 2 handicappers $50 All 3 handicappers $70 When you mail the form to us with your registration fee (We also accept VISA and MasterCard), we'll ship you the enhanced version(s) right away. Here's how to fill out the form: 1. Name and address fields: Type your full name on the first line and hit RETURN. Type your street address on the second and third lines (you can skip the third line if you only have a one-line address). The City, State and Zip Code go in separate blanks on the fourth line. You can use the RETURN and CURSOR keys to move from field to field the same way as you do in the handicapper data entry form. 2. Type of Payment: If you're paying by check or money order, type a "Y" in the "Check/money order" box. If you're paying by credit card, type a "Y" in the Credit Card Box. 3. Credit Card information: If you're paying by credit card, type a "V" or "M" for Visa or MasterCard in the box The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Page 19 labeled "Type of Card." Then type your credit card number and expiration date in the following blanks. 4. Handicappers registered: Type a "Y" in the appropriate blank for each handicapper you want to register, Thoroughbred, Harness or Greyhound. When you're through entering the registration information, hit the ESC key. You'll be asked if the information is correct. If it is, type "Y". If the information is not correct, type "N" and you'll be returned to the data entry screen. Once you have confirmed that the information is correct, you'll be asked if you want to print out the registration form. If you do, type "Y". You'll be prompted to make sure your printer is on line and then strike any key to print the registration form. If you don't want to print out the form, type "N" and you'll be returned to the Main Menu. Send the completed form with your registration fee to Federal Hill Software, 3722 Greenway Lane, P.O. Box 765, Owings Mills, Md. 21117. Make sure to include your signature on the proper line if you're using a credit card. A registration form is also included at the end of these instructions. 10.2 Printed Registration Form You can use the form below to order either Thoroughbred 4 or Thoroughbred 5. The registration fee for Thoroughbred 5 is $50. The registration fee for Thoroughbred 4 is $30. If you register Version 4 and later decide you'd like Version 5, you can upgrade for $20 (the difference in price between the two programs). With your Thoroughbred registration, you may register the Greyhound and/or Harness Handicappers for $20 each. Page 20 The Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Cambridge Thoroughbred Handicapper Registration Form ================================================================= Yes, I want to register my Cambridge Handicapper! Please send the Enhanced Version of the program right away! ================================================================= Name: _______________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________ City: _______________________ State ______ Zip _______ Please send me the following programs: Price List With one of the programs Alone above --------------------------------------------------------- ( ) Thoroughbred 5 $50 _________ ( ) Thoroughbred 4 $30 $20 _________ ( ) Harness Handicapper $30 $20 _________ ( ) Greyhound Handicapper $30 $20 _________ Total _________ Method of Payment: ( ) Check/M.O. ( ) Visa ( ) MasterCard Card No. ____________________________________ Exp. ___________ Signature _____________________________________ Type of Disk: ( ) 5.25" ( ) 3.5" Send to: Federal Hill Software 3722 Greenway Lane P.O. Box 765 Owings Mills, Md. 21117 410-356-5592 Note: We Accept Checks, Money Orders, Visa and Mastercard. Foreign orders should be made payable in U.S. funds.