Hi horse racing fans ! Welcome to "SELECTING WINNING HORSES THE LAS VEGAS WAY". We are going to try to keep all the information as simple as possible so that it is understood by the novice as well as the hard core player.
Now let's start off with the explanation of a DAILY VARIANT.
Most racing fans are unaware of the fact that the speed of the race track changes on a daily basis. This change comes about because of the superintendent's handling of the soil by either making it firm or deep. As well as the changes that are brought about because of the wind velocity, moisture content, age and sex of the horses, time of year and the quality of horses running on a given day. These combined factors influence the final time of a race. The race either speeds up or slows down because of their existence.
A Daily Variant compensates for a track either having been fast or slow on a given day. A Daily Variant also equalizes the speed of a fast track of one circuit to a slow track of another circuit.
A Daily Variant is nothing more than a numerical rating that is either added to or subtracted from the final time of a race. Through the use of a Daily Variant, we actually penalize a track that is too fast and help one that is too slow.
To completely understand what a Daily Variant is, let's say I that decide to have a race with two of you out there that are taking this class. And let's say that we all have equal abilities and decide to run this race at a beach area. For the sake of a name, Mary will run on the boardwalk, Tom will run on the wet hard packed sand and I will run on the dry deep holding sand.
It was a heck of a race, but the filly won. And Mary you won because you ran on the boardwalk which was the path of the least resistance. Tom you ran second, not too bad of a showing, while yours truly who was running in the path of the greatest resistance (dry deep holding sand) brought up the rear.
The exact same thing happens in horse races. You probably said it to yourself or heard someone say, "They stiffed me, they got me again, it's another fix". How is it possible for a horse that runs in a final time of 109.0 (6 furlongs) to lose to a horse that ran in a time of 110.0. And to add insult to injury, the horse that ran the 109.0 lost to the horse that ran the110.0 in a final time of 111.0.
You see on the day that the horse ran the 109.0 the track was running 5 faster than par. So as explained earlier, when a track is running too fast we penalize it. And in this case, since it was fast by 5, we would hurt the 109.0 by 5 making it 110.0. Looking at the winner, we found that the day he ran the 110.0 the track was slow by 5. And also as stated that when a track is slow we help the final time. And in this case helping the 110.0 by 5 makes it a 109.0.
Now think for a moment, one horse ran on a fast track the other on a slow one. And since a Daily Variant was explained as a rating that is either added to or subtracted from a final time, that's exactly what we did. Now looking at the times which can not be seen by the naked eye, I think you can see why the winner was capable of beating the other. And oh by the way. When they raced together, and the time was 111.0, it was because they ran on a real slow track possibly like the sand that I ran on at the beach. Remember it was deep and holding. Remember what's good for the goose is good for the gander. All the horses running on a fast track run faster than they run on a slow track.
Please don't be misled by the word fast or slow. This is not an account of the speed of the track according to the Daily Racing Form. Fast means faster than our pars. Slow means slower than our pars. And our pars we will be discussing a little later on.
Please realize that a Daily Variant is made using races that have already been run. We do not make a Daily Variant on the day's races that we are handicapping. A Daily Variant is used to make a modified speed rating which of course, is taken from races from the past. All these speed ratings are then compared when horses are racing against each other to see how they should cope with the speed of each other.
To use a speed rating which has not been modified by a Daily Variant is like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. A Daily Variant is like a crystal ball. It gives you the opportunity to see things that don't meet the eye. It converts a speed rating to a TRUE speed rating.
To make a Daily Variant use the results charts of a day's races. Now separate the results into 2 categories, sprint distances from 6 to 7 furlongs and route distances from 7.5 furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. The purpose, of course is to make 2 different variants for the day. One is for sprint distances and the other for routes.
The first thing that I want you to keep in mind is that all the work being done is being taken from a previous day's result charts. In the result charts we are concerned with using only certain parts of it. They are:
There are certain types of races that we do not use when it comes to making a Daily Variant. This does not mean that we do not play this type of race when we are handicapping. Remember the making of a Daily Variant is not handicapping.
These types of races are not to be used when making a Daily Variant.
The charts on the following pages are used in the making of a Daily Variant. The first chart is titled SPEED ADJUSTMENT CHART FOR ALL . This chart is to be used for all oval circumferences at all tracks. Be sure to know your tracks, because some circumferences are larger than others and sometimes use a chute for their start position which could possibly eliminate a turn. Having less turns in a race results in a faster final time. Therefore, if the track you are looking at has only one turn for a mile or longer be sure to use the par for the distance marked 1 T.
Listed below are 16 different distances each having a par time which is equal to an adjusted speed rating of 100. You are to make an individual chart for each of the following distances.
SPRINT DISTANCES
5 Furlongs 55.3 5.5 Furlongs 101.4 6 Furlongs 108.1 6.5 Furlomgs 114.3 7 Furlongs 121.1
ROUTE DISTANCES
7.5 Furlongs 128.2 1 Mile 135.0 1 Mile (1 Turn) 133.4 (Use on oval circumferences with 1 turn mile) 1 .4 Miles 137.2 1 .7 Miles 139.1 1 1/16 Miles 141.3 1 1/16 (1 Turn) 140.2 (Use on oval circumferences with 1 turn mile) 1 1/8 Miles 148.1 1 1/8 (1 Turn) 147.0 (Use on oval circumferences with 1 turn mile) 1 3/16 miles 155.0 1 1/4 201.4
Speed Rating Par Time
100 108.1 99 108.2 98 108.3 97 108.4 96 109.0 95 109.1
Following the above example, do the same for each of the 16 par times. You may want to run your chart from 100 to 60. The charts as you can see are made by subtracting 1 point for each fifth of a second slower than par. The opposite applies if you have a horse that runs faster than par. In other words that runs a 6 Furlong race in 108.0, the Adjusted Speed Rating would be 101.
Most ratings are compiled through the times of track records or the fastest time in the last few years. We don't believe that an accurate rating can be obtained from this source. The principal that we apply is that we bring all horses at all distances and all tracks to a master track (our pars). We then can assess according to their age, sex, quality and time of year if they are running faster or slower by basically bringing all horses to run on the same surface. But enough of this now, we 'll take this up later in another segment of this class. However, please keep an open mind because the final product is going to be one of the greatest ratings in the industry.
This chart is to be used only in races where the conditions are strictly for 3 year old horses. The following chart is separated by distances and time of year. And opposite the time of year is a rating which will be added to the classs rating and to the class rating adjustment if required.
6 FURLONGS
Jan - Apr. 14 3 April 15 - Jun 2 July - October 1 November - Dec 06 1/2 FURLONGS
January 4 February - May 3 June - July 2 August - November 1 1 December 07 FURLONGS
January - March 14 4 March 15 - June14 3 June 15 - August 14 2 August 15 - Dec 14 1 Dec 15 - Dec 31 0
7 1/2 F, 1 M, 1.4 M
January - April 14 5 April 15 - May 4 June - July 14 3 July 15 - Sep 14 2 Sep 15 - Dec 31 11.7 M, 1 1/16 M
January - Feb 14 7 Feb 15 - April 14 6 April 15 - May 31 5 June 4 July - August 14 3 August 15 - Oct 14 2 October 15 - Dec 31 11 1/8 MILES
January 9 February - March 14 8 March 15 - April 30 7 May 6 June 5 July 4 August - Sep 14 3 Sep 15 - November 2 December 1
When we come back to use the above chart remember they are only to be applied to 3 year old horses NOT 3 and upward or 3 and 4 year old ONLY 3 year olds. And please don't get frustrated, we are going to explain in complete detail how to use the above charts at a later time.
This chart is to be used for Allowance, Handicap and Stakes races when making a daily variant.This number is added to the Class Rating Adjustment. Also this number is added to the 3 year old Chart if the race is strictly for 3 year olds. This chart is not to be used as a Class Rating.
SPRINTS - JAN-FEB
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 2 Non Win 2 3 Non Win 1 5 Hcp/Stk 1
SPRINTS - MAR-MAY
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 3 Non Win 2 4 Non Win 1 6 Hcp/Stk 1
SPRINTS - JUN - AUG
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 4 Non Win 2 5 Non Win 1 7 Hcp/Stk 1
SPRINTS - SEP - OCT
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 5 Non Win 2 6 Non Win 1 8 Hcp/Stk 1
SPRINTS - NOV - DEC
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 6 Non Win 2 7 Non Win 1 9 Hcp/Stk 1
ROUTES - JAN - FEB
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 0 Non Win 2 2 Non Win 1 4 Hcp/Stk 1
ROUTES - MAR - MAY
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 1 Non Win 2 3 Non Win 1 5 Hcp/Stk 1
ROUTES - JUN - AUG
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 2 Non Win 2 4 Non Win 1 6 Hcp/Stk 1
ROUTES - SEP - OCT
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 3 Non Win 2 5 Non Win 1 7 Hcp/Stk 1
ROUTES - NOV - DEC
Classified 3 Non win 3/4 4 Non Win 2 6 Non Win 1 8 Hcp/Stk 1
Classified stands for Classified Allowance Conditions. Non Win 3/4 stands for Non Winners of 3 or 4 Allowance conditions. Non Win 2 stands for Non Winners of 2 Allowance conditions. Non Win 1 stands for Non Winners of 1 Allowance conditions. Hcp/Stk stands for Handicap or Stakes over $100,000. Any other Handicap or Stakes should be classified as a Classified Allowance.
This chart is to be used for all horses 3 years old and older when making a Daily Variant. These numbers represent the final Class Rating according to the conditions of each race.If the conditions of the race are for just 3 year olds the following Class Rating number is added to the 3 year old chart number.
STAKES 1 CLASSIFIED ALLOWANCE 3 NON-WINNERS OF 1 ALLOW. 6 NON-WINNERS OF 2 ALLOW. 5 NON-WINNERS OF 3 ALLOW. 4 MAIDEN (MSW) 9 CLAIMING RACES 100,000 - 85,000 4 80,000-65,000 5 62,500-55,000 6 50,000-41,000 7 40,000-34,500 8 34,000-29,000 9 28,500-23,000 10 22,500-19,000 11 18,500-15,000 12 14,500-12,000 13 11,500-9,000 14 8,900-8,000 15 7,900-7,000 16 6,900-5,600 17 5,500-4,500 18 4,400-3,500 19 UNDER 3500 20
Just as the speed is different from track to track so are in many cases the class. In other words a $10,000 Claimer at Santa Anita is much classier than a $10,000 Claimer at Fonner Park. Likewise, a Classified Allowance in Belmont is much better than a Non-Winner of 1 at Golden Gate. There are different degress of class from one condition of a race to another, as well as from one to another. Class usually tells in a race. But too many handicappers treat it too lightly, while others put too much emphasis on it. Please remember just because a horse was entered in a $50,000 claimer doesn't make it a $50,000 claimer quality.
The following chart is a list of Track Class Ratings that are used in both the making of a Daily Variant and the finding of the final class rating of a horse. The chart is laid out in 2 columns the left column representing the abbreviation for the race track. And to the right of it, the class rating for the track.
TRACK CLASS RATING
AC 8 AKS 4 ALB 8 AP 2 AQU 0 AsD 10 ATL 2 ATO 8 BAN 8 BML 6 BM 2 BM 3 BEL 0 BIR 4 BOW 2 CRC 3 CBY 4 CT 6 CD 2 CLS 8 DAR 7 DEL 2 DMR 0 DeD 8 DET 4 ElP 6 EvD 8 FP 8 FG 3 FL 8 FON 8 FE 3 FNO 4 FPX 0 GS 3 GG 2 GRD 3 GP 1 HST 4 HAW 2 HIA 1 HOL 0 HOU 6 JnD 7 JUA 10 KEE 2 LaM 8 LRL 2 LnN 8 LGA 4 LA 2 LaD 4 MD 8 MED 1 MF 10 MTH 2 MNR 9 NMP 11 NP 9 OP 2 PEN 4 PHA 3 PIM 2 PLA 8 PM 8 PRE 10 RET 6 RP 5 RD 7 RKM 4 RUI 8 SAC 2 SAL 9 SAN 7 SA 0 SFe 8 SR 4 SAR 0 SOL 2 SPT 4 STP 9 STK 2 SUF 4 SUN 7 TAM 4 TDN 7 TIM 4 TRM 7 TUP 6 TP 6 WAT 9 WO 3 YM 8 ZIA 2
When making a Daily Variant on all races that are designated for just fillies and mares, add an additional 2 points for sprints and 3 points for routes to the final number.
To find the class of all Maiden Claiming races take the Class Rating for the Claiming race from the Claiming list and add 3 points.
Let's now make a Daily Variant. Remember to make a Daily Variant you use the result charts (after the races are over) for each day.
The first step is finding an Adjusted Speed Rating for each race that was run. Even though we do not use every type of race to make a Daily Variant (explained earlier), find an Adjusted Speed Rating for each race. Of course we do this by looking up the distance that the race was run. We then refer to the SPEED ADJUSTMENT CHART FOR ALL and come up with an Adjusted Speed Rating for each race.
This is found by taking the final time of each race run and using your SPEED ADJUSTMENT CHART FOR ALL convert the final time of each race run to an Adjusted Speed Rating.
Example: Distance of race=6 furlongs. Final time of race =111.1
First, look to the Speed Rate Adjsutment Chart for All. Second, find the column on the chart headed 6 F. This represents the distance of the race being 6 furlongs. Next, go under the 6 F column until you find the final time of the winner 111.1. Follow this number across and you will find the number 85 which now represents the speed rating for a horse that won a 6 furlong race in a final time of 111.1.Let's now make the same adjustment for a distance of 1 mile and a final time of 137.0 (1 minute and thirty-seven seconds). In this example, however, we must be concerned with whether or not the mile was run on a track with only 1 turn or 2 turns. If the mile has 2 turns you would go down the column marked 1 Mile on your Speed Rating Adjustment for All until you come to the time of 137.0 which would give an adjusted speed rating of 90. Remember, that is found by finding the time of 137 under the 1 Mile Column and looking to the Speed Rating Column. However, if the mile was run on a track with only 1 turn in the mile you would look down the column 1 Mile 1 Turn until you come to the final time of 137.0 which would give you an adjusted speed rating of 84.
Be sure to know your tracks, because some circumferences are larger than others and sometimes use a chute for their start position which could possibly eliminate a turn. Having less turns in a race results in a faster final time. Therefore, if the track you are looking only as one turn for a mile or longer be sure to use the column marked 1 turn for the appropriate speed rating. Remember, the final time conversion that we are making is never used from the past performances of a race that we are handicapping, but instead is always taken from the result charts of races that have been previously run.
Find the Adjusted Speed Rating for each race. Once you have adjusted the final time it is advisable to write it down because this number will be used again later. Once you have adjusted each race you have completed Step 1.Using only the races that are to be used when making a Daily Variant we will find a Speed Class Rating for each qualified race.
NINTH RACE - KEENELAND
1 MILE. CLAIMING. Purse $14,000. Fillies 3 year olds. Weight 120 lbs. Non-winners of two races at one mile or over since April 26 allowed 3 lbs., such a race since then, 6 lbs. Claiming price $25,000, if for $22,500 allowed 2 lbs. (Races when entered for 20,000 or less not considered.)
Since, it it is a Claiming $25,000 race, first we look to your CLASS RATING CHART under CLAIMING RACES. Find the column in which $25,000 would fit. You will notice a column that reads 29,000-23,000. To the right you will see a rating of 10. Jot this number down for future reference. Notice next that the race is for fillies. When conditions of the race are for Fillies and Mares an additional 2 points is added, if it is a sprint race to the 10 rating number and 3 points would be added if the race was a route. This race is a route race (+3). You total the 2 numbers 10 + 3 = 13.
Next, this race states that is for 3 year olds. When a race is strictly for 3 year olds, we go to our 3 year old chart and look up the distance of the race. This race is 1 Mile and the date was June 12. Look at the chart 7 1/2 F , 1M, 1.4M. Under that find where June 12 would fit - June-July 14. The rating is 3. Add this rating (3) to the other 2 ratings - 10+3+3=16.
The race track that we are making a variant for is Keeneland. To complete the Speed Class Rating for this race look to your chart called CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART. Keeneland (Kee) is listed as a 2. Add the 2 to your Speed Class Total of 16+2=18. This is now your completed Speed Class Rating.
Here's another example.
EIGHTH RACE - MEADOWLANDS - SEPT. 25
6 FURLONGS ALLOWANCE. Purse $25,000. 3 year olds. Non-Winners twice other than maiden, claiming or starter. Weight, 122 lbs. Non-Winners of such a race since August, allowed 3 lbs.
This is an allowance race. Go to your chart titled and ALLOWANCE STAKES CHART. The conditions of this race represent a Non-Winners of 2 Allowance (NW2). In the Allowance, Handicap or Stakes Chart find the chart SPRINTS - SEP- OCT Chart. The race is a Sprint (6F) and it was run in September. In this column across from Non-Winners 2, you will see the number 6. This race is for 3 Year Olds only. Go look up your 3 year old Chart. The date of the race is Sept. 25 and is 6 F. So the rating is 1. This is found under the 6 Furlong chart and beside July - Oct. Total the 2 numbers 6+1=7.
To complete the Speed Class Rating look up your CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART. The race track you are doing is Meadowlands or MED which is listed as 1. Add that to your totalled Speed Class Rating of 6+1+1=8.
Continue this same procedure for all the races of the day.
After you have completed finding a Speed Rating Adjustment Rating and a Speed Class Rating, you are going to total both of these ratings together. Mark each race either by a S for Sprint or R for Route.
EXAMPLE: ADJUSTED SPEED RATING SPEED CLASS RATING TOTAL
1. S 75 15 S 90 2. S 80 15 S 95 3. Maiden RAce (Not to be Used) 4. 2 Yr. Old Race (Not To be Used) 5. R 70 20 R 90 6. R 72 15 R 87 7. Turf Race (Not to be used) 8. S 80 7 S 87 9. R 74 12 R 86
When you total your Adjusted Speed Rating and your Speed Class Ratings mark whether it is a sprint race or a route race by S or R.
Now, compare each number to each other to make sure that all the numbers are within 5 points of the next number lower or higher than it. We suggest putting them in order from high to low. Example using the day of races listed above:
Race 2 95 Race 1 90 Race 5 90 Race 6 87 Race 8 87 Race 9 86
Notice the highest number of the day is 95 and the second highest is 90. They are within 5 so there is no difference there. The second number and the third number are both 90 so there is no difference. Between the third number - 90 and the fourth number 87 there is a 3 point spread. Following the above procedure for the remaining races you will see that all the races are within 5 points of each other. If though, the 95 was a 96, then you would have a 6 point spread (from 96 to 90). If this situation comes up, you would eliminate the 96 for the next step in making a Daily Variant.
SPRINTS
Race 1 90 Race 2 95 Race 8 87 TOTAL 272 Divided By 3 Races Equals 90.66. Always round off the decimal to the closest whole number. EX: 90.66=91.
ROUTES
Race 5 90 Race 6 87 Race 9 86 TOTAL 263 divided by 3 races equals 87.66. Again round off to the closest whole number. EX: 87.66=88.
After you have found your average,write this number down. Subtract this number from 100. The above example, the sprint average 91 subtracted from 100 equals a +9 Daily Variant. The route average of 88 subtracted from100 equals +12 Daily Variant. You have a +9 Daily Variant for the sprints and a +12 Daily Variant for the routes. This number represents the number of fifths of a second that the track was slow that day. If the average is under 100 the track is slow and if the average is over 100 - let's say 102 the track is fast. The difference between 100 and 102 or -2.
Go back now to each adjusted speed rating and add the sprint variant to the sprint races and the route variant to the route races. Remember, if the track is fast, in other words, you have a minus variant, subtract the variant from the races rather than adding it
EXAMPLE: S +9 R +12 Race 1 S 75 + 9 = 84 Race 2 S 80 + 9 = 89 Race 3 --------- Race 4 --------- Race 5 R 70 + 12 = 82 Race 6 R 72 + 12 = 84 Race 7 --------- Race 8 S 80 + 9 = 89 Race 9 R 74 + 12 = 86
We did not use Races 3,4 and 7 to make the Daily Variant. Race 7 was a Turf race. You cannot compare turf to dirt so we cannot give this race a speed rating. Races 3 and 4 were on the dirt but were a Maiden race and a 2 year old race. Any race other than Turf races and Steeplechase races must be given a speed rating. To do this you go back to the final time of the race written in the Racing Chart and give the race a speed rating. All races except turf and steeplechase races should have an adjusted speed rating. Add the approriate variant to the speed rating, sprint variant for a sprint race, route variant for a route race.
Be sure to add the Daily Variant to the Adjusted Speed Rating only, not to the total of the combined numbers (Speed Rating Adjustment and the Speed Class Rating). These new numbers represent the winner's speed rating for that race.
This number now represent the winner's speed rating for that race. This will be the number that you will use when a horse comes back to the races from this race day.
Write down the new speed ratings with the Daily Variant added to it in a notebook labelled by the track and by the day of the month. This work must be kept up on a daily basis and it is advisable not only to do the track in your area, but also other tracks that frequently ship horses to your area. If you keep a record of each speed rating for each race day, you can refer to it when handicapping any horse that has run in a particular race by just subtracting his lengths off (unless he won the race) from the speed rating found in your notebook according to our Time-Conversion Chart which be will explained in the next class.
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