OK all you so called Experts- we now have a Handicapping Tour

[NoCarolinaTony]

See the attached article for some of the details.

http://www.drf.com/news/article/91634.html

Thanks to our \"Seasoned Contest Veteran\" Mall for getting this off the ground.

Now there is a way to see who is the best of the best over a period of time/formats/etc, and not the Luck of the one or two bombs in any one contest.

Miff,SoCal,TGJB,Richiebee,Michael D,TGAB, Silver Charm, Liftin, Stauffer - even you Chuckles the Clown can prove once and for all who is the best Handicapper in America.

NC Tony

[richiebee]

NCT:

This sounds great!

(I hope my wife will give me the $125).

[miff]

NC Tony,

The buy in ($125) is very light but a step in the right direction.

1.Is every race in the contest mandatory, if not,a poor choice imo

2.Is it win only?

3.Is the cap more than 10-1?


I think if you are ever going to get the best handicappers in a contest over a long period of time,they must do all to eliminate the \"little old lady\" who stabs every bomb with her favorite colors or those who only stab odds because they have no serious money wagered.


Thanks and good luck(I believe you are in the finals) May the bomb be with you.

Mike

[SoCalMan2]

Do you have to be physically present at each event or can you participate electronically?  Will be hard for those of us who live an 11 to 14 hour flight away to partake (also, have to wonder if the added airfare may just make it an unwise prop).

[Michael D.]

NoCarolinaTony Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> See the attached article for some of the details.
>
> http://www.drf.com/news/article/91634.html
>
> Thanks to our \"Seasoned Contest Veteran\" Mall for
> getting this off the ground.
>
> Now there is a way to see who is the best of the
> best over a period of time/formats/etc, and not
> the Luck of the one or two bombs in any one
> contest.
>
> Miff,SoCal,TGJB,Richiebee,Michael D,TGAB, Silver
> Charm, Liftin, Stauffer - even you Chuckles the
> Clown can prove once and for all who is the best
> Handicapper in America.
>
> NC Tony



not for me Tony.

I could be persuaded to battle during the month of August, but in general, I\'m happy enough trying to solve a few stakes race riddles on Saturdays.

[Silver Charm]

Tony,

I\'m in. Mall probably rigged the rules to tracks and plays that suit his style but we will kick his ass anyway. I see where Ron Geary owner of Ellis Park qualified for the NTRA Finals for about the 10th year in row.

Make sure you don\'t invite him.......

Michael D as cold as your handicapping has been lately I could why a pass at a public handicapping contest would be in order.  

You back to using Ragozin off an on again.........

[Mall]

It's good to hear you're ready to take the plunge SC. One thing I'm pretty sure you'll find is that competing in contests will improve your cash game considerably.

 It\'s the longest of shots, obviously, but it\'s at least conceivable that someone could win one of the $1 million bonus qualifying contests, finish on top in the Tour standings, and then make it a sweep at next year\'s NHC, all of which would add up to a cool $3.6 million.

There are aspects of Dave\'s article which might, and shouldn\'t, be overlooked, such as automatic membership in NTRA Advantage, which every year saves me considerably more on the cost of printer cartridges than the $125 it\'s going to cost to join the Tour, not to mention a much needed coalition which might be able to do something about the archaic and nonsensical tax withholding we have to deal with  

Also keep in mind that this is just the first year. As the article indicates, the NTRA is already looking at ways to improve things again in 2009.

[weekend warrior]

Mall,
My father and I are excited to load up the VW Vanagon and join the tour. Look forward to discussing further next week in the few down minutes (seconds) we\'ll have.

I agree that the contests have aided my cash game. (Small though it is.) It teaches being selective ... but I\'m still learning. To those that dub it \"stabbing\" that is an unfair description of the hard-working Thorograph users who have qualified for the NHC many years running.

Best of luck to all participating at The Red Rocks. And I\'ll see you Rock Stars on tour.
 Jamie

[Chuckles_the_Clown2]

I\'m sure Mall is a great handicapper. If he was involved in putting together the \"Tour\" I\'m even more certain of it. I have a simple theory when it comes to handicapping and it\'s this:

\"If you turn a year in and year out profit against the Pari Mutual Pool you are Top Flight\".

I have great weaknesses. I\'m weak on grass, weak on Poly, weak on Claimers. Therefore, I don\'t bet those types of races unless there is some extraordinary insight involved and even then I usually don\'t fair well. So I focus upon picking my spots, laying in ambush for just the right time to beat a horse everyone else is going to bet. Long story short I don\'t have the ability to take on a card at an unknown track with all differing classes of animals and fair very well as is required in these \"Handicapping Contests\" and therefore I don\'t attempt it. Most of those guys would clean my clock. Even then, the winners generally caught lightning in a bottle. The long-shot managed to come in for the directed race.

On the other hand, I am the best Triple Crown Handicapper the game has ever seen, because it is in the Triple Crown and it\'s run-up that all aspects of handicapping merge into one. It all applies there, if one has the background to deduce where it\'s going. My Triple Crown horses win or are right there. I\'ve won my share of Derbies and lost just as many by a length or less.

CtC

NoCarolinaTony Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> See the attached article for some of the details.
>
> http://www.drf.com/news/article/91634.html
>
> Thanks to our \"Seasoned Contest Veteran\" Mall for
> getting this off the ground.
>
> Now there is a way to see who is the best of the
> best over a period of time/formats/etc, and not
> the Luck of the one or two bombs in any one
> contest.
>
> Miff,SoCal,TGJB,Richiebee,Michael D,TGAB, Silver
> Charm, Liftin, Stauffer - even you Chuckles the
> Clown can prove once and for all who is the best
> Handicapper in America.
>
> NC Tony

[Silver Charm]

Hey Weekend Warrier,

Considering you are a Former World Champion and to hear, \"It teaches being selective ... but I\'m still learning.\" makes me really believe the Tiger Woods of the World are constantly looking for ways to get better.

Good Luck in Vegas again.

[BitPlayer]

Mall –

The Tour is well beyond my humble bankroll and ability level, but I think it's great for the game, and I compliment you for your role in bring it about.

I have one thought:  It would be nice if non-participants were able to follow Tour events in real time via the Internet.  I was surprised last year at how hard it was to follow the NHC.  In something similar to what the PGA does online, Tour events could post scorecards for all players (complete with picks), updated after every mandatory race.  There could be a live blog (perhaps via the DRF) from each event.  Ideally, someone (perhaps the NTRA) could also stream mandatory contest races live on its website.

Good luck next week and on Tour.

BitPlayer

[P-Dub]

Chuckles_the_Clown2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> On the other hand, I am the best Triple Crown
> Handicapper the game has ever seen, because it is
> in the Triple Crown and it\'s run-up that all
> aspects of handicapping merge into one. It all
> applies there, if one has the background to deduce
> where it\'s going. My Triple Crown horses win or
> are right there. I\'ve won my share of Derbies and
> lost just as many by a length or less.

> CtC


Good luck to all of you fighting over second place. The modest one is obviously the best.

[Michael D.]

Silver Charm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tony,
>
> I\'m in. Mall probably rigged the rules to tracks
> and plays that suit his style but we will kick his
> ass anyway. I see where Ron Geary owner of Ellis
> Park qualified for the NTRA Finals for about the
> 10th year in row.
>
> Make sure you don\'t invite him.......
>
> Michael D as cold as your handicapping has been
> lately I could why a pass at a public handicapping
> contest would be in order.  
>
> You back to using Ragozin off an on again.........



hi Silver,

agree.

with the streak I\'m on, you\'ll win a Pulitzer prize for your writing before I win a handicapping contest.

it is a game of streaks though.

[Michael D.]

P-Dub Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Chuckles_the_Clown2 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > On the other hand, I am the best Triple Crown
> > Handicapper the game has ever seen, because it
> is
> > in the Triple Crown and it\'s run-up that all
> > aspects of handicapping merge into one. It all
> > applies there, if one has the background to
> deduce
> > where it\'s going. My Triple Crown horses win or
> > are right there. I\'ve won my share of Derbies
> and
> > lost just as many by a length or less.
>
> > CtC
>
>
> Good luck to all of you fighting over second
> place. The modest one is obviously the best.



ctc did acknowledge his shortcomings, and does enter \'08 as the most prolific Derby handicapper; he called the \'07 exacta in February.

[P-Dub]

Michael D. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> P-Dub Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Chuckles_the_Clown2 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> >
> > > On the other hand, I am the best Triple Crown
> > > Handicapper the game has ever seen, because
> it
> > is
> > > in the Triple Crown and it\'s run-up that all
> > > aspects of handicapping merge into one. It
> all
> > > applies there, if one has the background to
> > deduce
> > > where it\'s going. My Triple Crown horses win
> or
> > > are right there. I\'ve won my share of Derbies
> > and
> > > lost just as many by a length or less.
> >
> > > CtC
> >
> >
> > Good luck to all of you fighting over second
> > place. The modest one is obviously the best.
>
>
>
> ctc did acknowledge his shortcomings, and does
> enter \'08 as the most prolific Derby handicapper;
> he called the \'07 exacta in February.


Please Michael, don\'t indulge him. Those that have to yell from the highest mountain proclaiming themselves great......probably aren\'t.  If you truly have talent, its apparent and you don\'t have to brag.  Calling the exacta in February is nice but lets calm down. Touting picks on a message board doesn\'t mean you are the only one to successfully pick winners.  It often means you need a way to boost your self-esteem because simply cashing tickets isn\'t enough........Most prolific Derby handicapper according to what?? I\'ve nailed many Derby\'s, but I don\'t need to brag about it.