Mastering Speed Figures: Choosing the Right Tool for You

Resources

Books

• "Speed On Speed" by Andy Beyer - Beyer's seminal work on speed figures, explaining their methodology and importance in handicapping.
• "Handicapping Speed" by Andy Beyer - Another book by Andy Beyer that delves into the intricacies of speed figures.

Articles & Papers

• "The Big Short" (Scene description) - Mentioned as an analogy for contrasting methodologies, specifically comparing Jerry Brown and Andy Bayer's approaches to speed figures.

People Mentioned

• Andy Beyer (Founder of Beyer Speed Figures) - Revered figure in horse racing handicapping, credited with pioneering speed figures.
• Randy Moss (Horse racing analyst) - Mentioned in the context of discussions with Andy Beyer regarding industry perception of speed figures.
• Jerry Brown (Creator of TheraGraph sheets) - Instrumental figure in the development of "sheets" for horse racing handicapping.
• Clay (Horse racing analyst) - Mentioned as a regular on the "plus side" for discussions about Oaklawn.
• Marshall (Horse racing analyst) - Mentioned as a regular on the "plus side" for discussions about Oaklawn.
• Jake Jacobs (Creator of RacingFlow.com) - Creator of a product that quantifies flow handicapping, offering figures to upgrade/downgrade front runners versus closers.
• Craig Milkowski (Creator of TimeformUS) - Mentioned as the person who does a great job making the TimeformUS figures.
• Kim Weir (Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga) - Being honored for her work with therapeutic horses; will be featured on the podcast next week.

Organizations & Institutions

• Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga - A charity partner mentioned, with a focus on the work of Kim Weir.

Tools & Software

• TimeformUS - A handicapping tool that provides pace components and algorithmic upgrades for speed figures.
• RacingFlow.com - A website offering a way to quantify flow handicapping, with figures to help upgrade and downgrade front runners versus closers.
• Bris - A handicapping tool that provides pars for different sections of a race and a late pace rating.
• Equibase - A source for speed figures, often used in large-scale study products.
• RaceLens - A product that uses Equibase figures for large-scale study.

Websites & Online Resources

• In the Money Players Podcast (in the money podcast com) - The podcast itself, serving as a platform for discussions and listener feedback.
• In the Money Media - The production company behind the podcast.

Other Resources

• Sheets (TheraGraph, Ragazin) - A methodology for handicapping that uses a numerical scale where lower numbers are better, often plotted on a graph, with differing views on whether horses are getting faster over time.
• Beyer Speed Figures - Commercial speed figures based on final race times, adjusted for track variants.
• TimeformUS Pace Lines - Highlight slow paces in blue and fast paces in red, used to identify horses running against the grain of the race.
• Ground Loss - A concept related to how far horses are from the rail, particularly relevant when analyzing "sheets" handicapping.
• Split Variant - A variance that differs based on race distances on a given day, accounting for factors like wind or track conditions.
• Run Up - The distance from the gate before the clock starts in a horse race.
• Projected Figures - Educated guesses for speed figures when standard calculations are not feasible, often due to extreme pace scenarios.
• Upgraded Figures - Speed figures that are adjusted upwards after new information becomes available, indicating a potentially faster performance than initially assessed.