Got Three New Handicapping Books Today...

...but first:

(Woodbine jockey) David Clark pleads guilty

A man charged in an alcohol-fuel crash that killed a Vaughan woman pleaded guilty yesterday.

David Clark, 54, also of Vaughan, pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm. He will be back in court June 27.

On May 16, 2006, Mr. Clark's Nissan Maxima was southbound on Huntington Road, south of Major MacKenzie Drive, when it struck a northbound Honda Civic. Suzanne Mizuno, 34, who was in the Honda's passenger seat, was killed.

Both drivers were taken to hospital, treated for minor injuries and released.

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Clark did the right thing pleading guilty. I can't see him walking though. Most likely he will get a minimum 4 to five years in prison.


Churchill filing lawsuit against Calder horsemen over signal blocking.
But first, Churchill (the operator of Calder racetrack) cut Calder purses, to show the horsemen who is boss.

Horsemen and gamblers in Windsor complain that Windsor Raceway management and ownership are driving racing into the ground. Meanwhile, horsemen show how idiotic they are. They pick a purse reduction over a date reduction.

Suffolk wants to attract new fans. Note to Suffolk, BBQ's and 12 horse fields are wonderful, but if you sincerely want to attract new fans, drop takeouts drastically.

Youbet's CEO resigns There is only so much false optimism shareholders can take.

Michael Gill has claimed 56 horses in the last month. Heeeeee's back. Nothing up this sleeves?

About my new books

The three handicapping books I ordered through Amazon.ca a few weeks ago finally arrived on my doorstep this morning. There was a delay due to the fact that the Canadian Amazon didn't have Bet With The Best 2 Longshots in stock. Besides Bet With The Best 2, I also purchased The Power Of Early Speed, and Exotic Betting.
The grand total, GST included was $47.78. It would have cost me over $85 using the American service. I figured I could wait, which I did. I reread pieces of my extensive handicapping library in the meantime. In fact, the first time I ordered a book, I was attending York University. Horse racing books were very rare to find in the early 80's in Toronto. I couldn't wait to get Winning At The Races. And it turned out to be quite a good buy. It was the first book I know of that did a computer study of a vast amount of races. Gave me the idea for a few profitable angles as well as a way to figure out post position analysis.
I think my next read was My $50,000 Year At The Races by Andrew Beyer (I once had a $40,000 year). I lent the book out a long time ago, and it was never returned.
I've got lots more in the library though. Do they work? I have to say, yes. For me a speed handicapper, angles are needed to break ties, and eliminate favorites. A $20 book can return dividends immediately if it cause you to cash even $20 more than you would have if you didn't read the book, or even a paragraph that helped you become a bettor handicapper.
I've cashed Win 4's that paid over $27,000 a few years ago and $18,000 back over 17 years ago (used the money to make a down payment on a house). I hit one for $4 at Greenwood that paid over $5,500 for a buck. Tris that paid over $12,000. Many that paid over $5,000.
All in all though, I'm probably not up much lifetime, if at all. The last 15 years have been extra tough, with higher takeouts, Beyer figures showing up everywhere, and especially, the removal of dumb money out of the pools, thanks to Woodbine's inability to attract new players (their inability to compete properly) combined with slots taking the uneducated gambler away from the betting windows.

I'm not a swift reader, so it will take me time to get through these new books. The Power Of Early Speed looks like it will be my first read, followed by Bet With The Best 2. Exotic Betting can wait. I'm an exotic bettor, and I do need help with money management, but the other two books look way more interesting.

The Early Speed book may not be that affective on artificial surfaces, but 90% of my action, thanks to Woodbines inability to compete, is made on dirt surfaces.

I started a pretty good thread over at Pace Advantage. Great Horse Races. Check it out.

With Gerry Olguin most probably out of action for a while, I think it would be great to see Chantal Sutherland aboard Prince Atlantis in Saturday's Jacques Cartier at Woodbine. Most likely, Jerry Baird will get the mount though. I'm not very confident that my selection, Santana Springs, is a very solid selection. Prince Atlantis is the value play in the race.

Put the feature race in the 7th; Bring back some tradition

I don't know about you, but I think the feature race at Woodbine should always be the 7th, just like it was in the 60's and 70's. It was something you could count on as a fan. These days, you will find the feature somewhere in the 4th through 9th race. Totally unpredictable. See WEG, I'm trying to help;)