What the heck are we doing? Part 2

Hey Kid fans, Here is the second half of our Lesson #1 as promised. Last time we left off with making decisions about what we can and can't do as handicapper. Picking a home circuit is important. But where do you go from there? Well a good place to start is opening a free Virtual Stable on Equibase. A virtual stable allows you to save horses of interest by name and is automatically updated as they work and are entered in races. It also has an area to leave notes about the horse.
So how would we use this as handicapper's. Imagine you see a 2yo first time starter in a maiden race at Hollywood. The colt comes from a decent barn, has O.k. if not great works leading up to the race and runs according to form, finishing an even 6th 4 or 5 lengths behind the winner. Its possible the colt well be cranked a little More next time out and through back into maiden company at Hollywood. But what if the trainer decides he needs a little easier company to win and ships to Bay Meadows or Turf Paradise to try and break his maiden there.
As person without ties to the backstretch to find things out, you wouldn't know the colt had been shipped out to run. But if you have a virtual stable ,you'll know he has been slated to run at another track and can decide to act accordingly. The Virtual Stable is also a powerful tool to judge whether a horse coming off a long lay off is ready for a winning effort.
So now you've decided on a home Circuit and gotten a Free Virtual Stable from Equibase. What do you do now? Watch as many races as possible. There is no greater tool for handicapping then your own two eyes. And I don't mean just what a race once. If you have TVG or HRTV at home, which thanks to the magic of cable and Satellite tv many people do now adays, get yourself at pack of VHS tapes and start recording. This can be done when your at work or doing something else and can be reviewed at leisure. Many trainers and owner view races over and over again when preparing for a race or preparing to claim a horse. As handicapper's its no different.
Do just notice who finishes in the money, play close attention to those horses that might have had an excuse. An simple line like "Bump Start" in the form, might be viewed as a total annihilation with your own eyes. So Watch Watch Watch. And above all learn.