Good horseplayers bet to win. Bad horseplayers bet not to lose.

Statistically fewer than five percent of regular horseplayers win in the long term. There are two things within the horseplayer’s control that determine winning or losing: handicapping and betting. In this book there will be very little discussion about handicapping. There are many horseplayers who are adequate, if not very good handicappers, and in my opinion handicapping deficiencies are secondary to betting deficiencies. If nothing else, there are scores of exceptional public handicappers that publish selections daily if you’d prefer to get a head start on the selection process. Bankroll mismanagement, being in the wrong pools, and poor betting strategy are far more responsible, in my opinion, for money loss than poor handicapping.

There are also things beyond a horseplayer’s control that can affect the outcome of races: the ride a jockey gives the horse; illegal, performance enhancing medication; decisions by the stewards; and something I’ll call bad racing luck. Even given the presence of these external factors, the greatest part of winning and losing is within the control of the horseplayer.

The first part of the book will deal exclusively with external factors. Some of America’s best jockeys will talk about race riding and answer these and other questions all horseplayers have. How much of success or failure goes to the horse versus the jockey? How often are winning horses stymied by poor racing tactics? What are the differences between the top riders and the ones lower in the standings? What are the differences between riding on the turf and the dirt?

Racing stewards from different jurisdictions will discuss how decisions to disqualify (or not disqualify) are made and what they look for during the running of a race.

Owners, trainers, racing officials, veterinarians, scientists, equine pharmacologists, and veteran horseplayers will provide the basis for a discussion of drugs in racing, including the most discussed medication, Lasix.

Bad racing luck – stumbling at the start, losing a jockey, taking a bad step – is nothing the horseplayer can control, but I’ll talk about how often those sorts of things affect a race outcome.

The second half of the book will focus on bankroll management, which pools are best for your bankroll, and the most effective way to bet once you’ve selected a pool – everything you need to turn yourself into a consistent winner.

I’m busy working on the background now and I hope to have it to the publisher by late spring. For now, anyone who has questions they’d like to see answered or input on any of the topics feel free to contact me.