How'd you do this year? What did you learn?

[TheSpyder]

With the year almost over, you did you do at the ponies? What did you learn this year and how are you going to be a better handicapper next year?

I had a pretty humdrum year up firmly in the red until 6 weeks ago. I had 3 weekends where I just killed. I just could see clearly what was going to happen as I capped. I'll end up close to even which is quite an accomplishment.

I need to wait for that vision of really seeing and feeling the race. That, and focus on pick 3 & 4. For me, the 50 cent pick 3 and 4's are where I need to focus.

You??

[hockey2315]

I won what I would consider a lot all thanks to basically two bets while not doing particularly great the rest of the time. I learned that I need to do a better job weathering the storm between big hits if I'm only going to play big prices/sequences where I only use bombs.

[GenuineRisk]

Leave horses with "Dude" in their names off my exotics at my own peril. Boo.

[joeydb]

I learned that I should not quit my day job to become a full-time handicapper.

Note that I did not actually quit my day job, and I am thankful for getting this enlightenment ahead of time.

[knickslions2]

Had an up and down year. Got crushed on Derby Day all tracks especially Belmont and Churchill. Overall Belmont beat me up. Had a good Saratoga meet and did well at Evangeline as usual. Had a nice Breeders Cup weekend especially Saturday. Favorite bets were the big payouts on the D'Oro horses.

[dellinger63]

In one word frustrating. Structuring bets was my problem. Heck I even got disqualified from 3rd in a World Series qualifier for not playing enough money. lol

Oh and I learned from a wise pinhook that a trip over the track is a huge plus when cappin churchill.

[dagolfer33]

I am up $1 more than Justindew.

[Thunder Gulch]

I learned it rains every year at the Kentucky Derby which is good only in the sense that some girls will invariably mud wrestle if you buy them enough drinks.

[randallscott35]

I learned to blindly bet Borel in the Derby like the lemmings.

[10 pnt move up]

For the first time a a looooong time I did not lose any money! It was a banner year.

[eajinabi]

One of my worst years. Playing mostly So. Cal tracks, I started to go into the red when Hollywood Park hosted the Oak Tree meet up untill the last day at Hollywood Park last Sunday. The 5-6 horse fields really annoyed me and you cant get a decent price winner at that meet. My fault for playing them. I will focus more attention to attending tournaments around the country more this year.

[trackrat59]

I learned how to work the Derby and the Breeders Cup races. I'm happy for that. I made good money on the Derby and came close to the P6 in the Breeders Cup so I'm hoping one day I'll hit that one life changing score. I still have a ways to go regarding money management and putting exotic tixs together but I'm going to keep trying.

[Rudeboyelvis]

I've learned that the advent of .50 P3's and P4's at Tampa has made me a lazier, sloppier gambler.



Simply using more horses to catch half of what I would normally catch with better structuring.


I'm focusing this year on tighter tickets and better opinions.... Playing not to lose is a quick way out the door, playing $18.00 .50 P3 tickets to include everything rational in order to potentially realize 3.80 profit is like playing penny slots -

I'd rather lose and learn than pick up crumbs. That may change this time next year. I will most likely be begging for those crumbs...

[classhandicapper]

I wound up in the black, but it wasn't an especially profitable year from a total profit or ROI perspective. I keep learning and getting better, but it's getting harder for me to find good bets.

I'm fairly convinced that the key for me going forward will be to get less and less numbers oriented and return to my days of being more comparative class oriented. There might be instances where accuracy will be sacrificed, but there will also be instances where it will be increased and the payoffs will be larger because everyone and his mother uses numbers and few have the skill or want to do the extra work of looking up the quality of fields and the relative performances within them.

[Stickhorse]

This past year a little in the red but had lots of fun especially winning a couple contests here, with Steve, and a couple on Dan Illman's blog.

After playing the races for a couple of decades I can't honestly say I learned much but I do constantly get reminded of old lessons. Better a short price than a long face! The new thing that I did add to my handicapping arsenal was the sibling summary available on Formulator. It was very helpful in playing 2YO races in the last half of the year. Santa Anita has been my most profitable track the last three years. I seem be in the minority; I'm not all that happy to see the new dirt surface.

"Thoro-Graph's Annual Holiday Gift to Our Loyal Customers," starts on December 26 and runs through the 31st. TG numbers are always interesting but they still don't seem to be very beneficial to my play. I think it is because I need to narrow their focus to one track instead of downloading multiple tracks.

Merry Christmas and a Happy Handicapping New Year!

[richard burch]

i lost an average of $2.08 per day which is fantastic! considering i placed $5,830.50 in wagers.

i can play for hours at 2 bucks a day.

considering i placed $5,830.50 in wagers.

that is getting your monies worth.

[santana]

I learned that TWIN SPIRES is freaken horrible........even to the point that i dont feel like betting.

[TheSpyder]

Then it is obviously very appropriate that you have taken part in this thread!

Originally Posted by Rare Bog

I learned "How'd you do this year?" threads should be retitled "Tell me a fish story", and therefore, are inherently stupid.

[tanner12oz]

playing was extremely limited for most of the year...derby, preakness, breeders and a handful of other days mixed in...

every day was a loser except for bc day...cashed 4k on the classic...so im up for the year...

if i had any discipline i would only play the magna 5, pick 6 carryovers (100k+), the derby, the preakness belomont and bc day...playing on those days i think you can profit...the rest of the year is hopeless for me