One Step

The ONE STEP - THE EPITOME OF THOROUGHBRED HANDICAPPING is a ONE STEP procedure that takes all the fundamentals of handicapping and reduces them to the most powerful factor CLASS.

Please don't be fooled by the simplicity of this procedure because it has been worked up through hundreds of races with very favorable results. Let's first start off by understanding CLASS. Class has been primarily used by our Association to separate horses, the horses that we thought were contenders through condition and speed. But now what we do is just the flip side of the record. We are using class to find our contenders first and when necessary separate by condition and speed.

I am sure you have heard the expression "CLASS WINS RACES. IF YOU CAN FIND THE TRUE CLASS OF THE RACE THEN YOU WILL HAVE THE KEY TO THE VAULT". Well ONE STEP - THE EPITOME OF THOROUGHBRED HANDICAPPING will find the true class. And you will pick many, many winners.

But determining the right class is VERY IMPORTANT. That's what we are about to do. Teach you how to find the true class using the ONE STEP.

Using the conditions of each race, give each race that you are going to handicap a Class Rating as described below. Be sure to classify each race before you attempt to classify each horse.

We have included 2 Class Charts to help you with this. The first chart is our CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART. The 2nd Chart is our MASTER CLASS RATING CHART.

The MASTER CLASS RATING CHART will rate the type of race, and the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART will rate the racetrack. Each racetrack is not the same class. So we have rated each track for you. When using the charts remember one factor and that is - the lower the number the better the class. So a horse that is a Class 10 is better than a horse that is a Class 12.

Quick Note: Most racetracks in the same circuit are classified as the same quality. Example: All Major New York tracks are the same - Aqueduct, Belmont and Saratoga. All Southern California tracks are the same - Del Mar, Hollywood Park and Santa Anita. This will make it faster for you.

This is accomplished by reading the conditions of the race that you are handicapping and relating those conditions to our MASTER CLASS RATING CHART and our CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART. (The charts are included).

As an example - We are handicapping a race from Santa Anita. It is a Claiming $10,000 race at Santa Anita.

1. Look at the MASTER CLASS RATING CHART for Claiming $10,000. You will see under Claiming Races the classification 11,500-9,000 and the corresponding number is 14.

2. Then look at the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART to class the track, Santa Anita - Abbreviation is SA. and the corresponding number is 0.

3. You then add the 2 numbers together. Add the 14 and the 0 together. It totals 14.

So if you are handicapping a Claiming $10,000 race at Santa Anita the Class rating is 14.

As examples we will rate a Claiming $50,000 race at Santa Anita and a Claiming $50,000 race at Louisiana Downs.

The race we are handicapping is a Claiming $50,000 race at Santa Anita. Look at the MASTER CLASS RATING CHART for Claiming 50,000. You will see under Claiming Races the classification 50,000-41,000 and the corresponding number is 7.

Then look at the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART to class the track, Santa Anita - Abbreviation is SA. The corresponding number is 0. You then add the 2 numbers together. Add the 7 and the 0 together. It totals 7. So the Class Rating for a Claiming $50,000 race at Santa Anita is 7.

Let's rate the Claiming $50,000 race at Louisiana Downs. Look at the MASTER CLASS RATING CHART for Claiming 50,000. You will see under Claiming Races the classification 50,000-41,000 and the corresponding number is 7. Then look at the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART to class the track, Louisiana Downs - Abbreviation is LAD. The corresponding number is 4.

You then add the 2 numbers together. Add the 7 and the 4 together. It totals 11. So the Class Rating for a Claiming $50,000 race at Louisiana Downs is 11.

To find the class of all Maiden Claiming races, take the class rating from your claiming list and add the Class Rating

Adjustment Number for the track you are handicapping and ADD 3 points.

Allowance and Handicap or Stakes (Not Graded) races are broken down into 4 classifications - NW1 Allowance, NW2 Allowance, NW3 Allowance, Classified Allowance (NW4 or higher) and Non-Graded Handicaps or Stakes races.

Classified Allowance (NW4 or higher) and Handicap or Stakes (Not Graded) races are equal to each other. All Classified Allowance and Handicap or Stakes (Not Graded) races for instance at Santa Anita are a Class 3 (3+0). The 3 is found in the MASTER CLASS RATING CHART under either Classified Allowance, Handicap or Stakes (Not Graded) races. The 0 is found in the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART under Track SA.

A Grade 3 is one class level better than a Classified Allowance or Handicap or Non Graded Stakes. A Grade 2 Stakes is one class level better than a Grade 3 Stakes and a Grade 1 Stakes is one class level better than a Grade 2 Stakes. At all tracks in the United States, as well as in Europe, the Graded Stakes are equal to each other. The South American Tracks are much cheaper tracks. A Grade 1 Stakes in Argentina, for example, would be equivalent to a Classified Allowance or a 3 Class at a major track.

Classified Allowances and Handicaps or Non Graded Stake races are also graded in a similar manner. A Classified Allowance and a cheap Handicap or Stakes race for instance at Santa Anita is a Class 3. A Handicap or Stakes race of $100,000 or more would be one class level better or a Class 2. A Handicap or Non Graded Stakes race should be treated as the same class level as a Classified Allowance for your circuit, while a Handicap or Non-graded Stakes race with a top purse structure ($100,000) or more should be treated as 1 class level better than your Classified Allowance.

A Grade 1 Stakes is a 0 Class rating, one class level better than a Grade 2 Stakes. A Grade 2 Stakes is rated as a 1 Class. Grade 2 Stakes is 1 level better than a Grade 3 Stakes. A Grade 3 Stakes is rated as a 2 Class and a Grade 3 Stakes is one class level better than that of a Classified Allowance or Non-Graded Handicap or Stakes. So a Grade 3 Stakes is a 2 Class and a Classified Allowance or a Non Graded Stakes is a 3 Class. No Class Rating Adjustment for the different race tracks is added to the Grade 1, 2 or 3 races.

However, Classified Allowance (NW4 or higher) and Handicaps or Non-Graded Stakes are rated differently. They are penalized through the use of the Class Rating Adjustment Chart for the track that you are rating.

Example: What is the Class Rating of a Classified Allowance or Non Graded Stakes race at Arlington Park.

Look at the Master Class Rating Chart under Classified Allowance. It is 3. Then look at the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART to class the track, Arlington Park - Abbreviation is AP. You will see a 2.

Add the 3 and the 2 together. It totals 5. So the Class Rating of a Classified Allowance or Non Graded Stakes at Arlington Park is 5.

Sum Up - (3 + 2) = 5 for a Arlington Park Classified Allowance or Handicap or Non Graded Stakes Race.

Be sure to classify each race before you attempt to classify each horse. Once you have accomplished the above you are now ready to class each horse.

Now that we have accomplished how to find the class of a track, let's learn how to find the class of each horse.

We use the lengths behind the race that the horse finished to help determine the class of a horse. The first step is to understand how to convert a horse's class using the lengths behind that he was at the finish of the race. If a horse wins a race he will be given credit for the class of that winning race. However, if he does not win, we will penalize the horse. Penalize means we add the amount penalized to the class rating found using the following chart.

When a horse is 14 1/4 lengths or more behind the winner, you could penalize by 4 class levels, but it is advisable not to rate a horse off this type of finish.

Let's say it was a Claiming $32000 at Santa Anita and the horse finished 4 1/2 lengths behind the winner of the race. His class from this race would be a 10. (9 + 0 +1 = 10).

IMPORTANT: We add the Class Conversion Number from the chart above to both the Master Class Rating Number and the Class Rating Adjustment Number.

First you look at your MASTER CLASS RATING CHART to find the class of the race. The race was a Claiming $32,000 race. Look at the MASTER CLASS RATING CHART for Claiming 32,000. You will see that 32,000 fits under the classification of 35,000-29,000. And the corresponding number is 9.

Then look at the CLASS RATING ADJUSTMENT CHART to class the track, Santa Anita - Abbreviation is SA. You will see a 0. Add the 9 and the 0 together. It totals 9.

Now the horse was 4 1/2 lengths behind the winner at the finish of the race. Using the Class Conversion Chart above under "Lengths Behind Winner" 4 1/2 would fit in "1/4 to 5 Lengths" behind. And the corresponding Class Conversion Number would be 1. So the Class Rating for the horse's last race out is 10. (9 + 0 +1 = 10)

A horse that wins a race or finishes the race you are rating for class by a head, nose or neck do not penalize the horse 1 class level. But do penalize State bred races by 1 class level unless the horse has won in open company for a similar class level or higher. Any horse that wins a race is not penalized.

HOW TO DETERMINE THE CLASS OF EACH HORSE