Handicapping 101 - The Old School Way

Handicapping is an art that takes years to develop.  Some people try for years and years and never get it right, no matter how hard they work at it.  How many times have you heard someone say that they picked five winners and still lost money.  What's up with that?  The key to being a successful handicapper is not only picking winners, but making the right bets with the right combinations.  Easier said than done.

Those right bets include exactas, trifectas, supers, rolling pick 3's and 4's and the elusive pick 6.  The gimmicks or exotics, as they are known, are the key to leaving the track with a boatload of money.  No doubt, you've got to have a little horseracing lady luck on your side to win, but I think the biggest factor is tying-up your selections in the right order.  Some people are definetely better at doing that than others.  Joe Scheuremann is one of those guys.

Joe Scheuermann, better know as "Coach Joe" around the track is a good handicapper.  Before we talk about handicapping let me familiarize you with "Coach Joe".  In addition to being a Fair Grounds regular he's also a pretty good baseball coach.  Joe learned baseball and handicapping from a great teacher, his dad, the late Louis "Rags" Scheuremann.  "Coach Rags" , who had a horse named after him, was an institution in local college and All-American baseball.  In his spare time he dabbled in handicapping and cashed more than his share of mutuel  tickets at this oval.

Joe inherited the knack for scoring enough runs to win baseball games and the ability to cash tickets from his dad.  He's the head coach of the Delgado Dolphins Community College baseball team and handles television relations for the Nokia Sugar Bowl.  In his spare time he bets on horses, and he wins.

I spent a few minutes at the races on Friday with Joe and we talked about handicapping.  Here's the questions I asked and the answers he gave:

Q; How old were you when your dad first took you to the track and you made your first bet?

A:  "In the old days minors were not allowed at the track, but I wanted to see Steve Cauthen ride real bad, so my dad brought me with him to the Fair Grounds.  Sure enough, they wouldn't let me in, so my dad had admissions call the then Director of Security Irwin Magri.  Mr. Magri came over to the admissions gate and my dad convinced him that if Steve Cauthen, then just a kid himself, was old enough to ride, then I was old enough to come in and watch.  Mr. Magri said "Rags, I'm gonna let this kid in, but keep him away from the windows."  As for making my first bet, I broke my maiden at 10-years-old and I'm still firing away."

Q:  When handicapping, is there something specific you look for?  Do you favor speed or are you a trip handicapper?  Do you use Ragozin numbers, Beyer Speed Figures or Tomlinson numbers on the turf?

A: "I'm strictly an old school speed handicapper.  My dad taught me that speed is dangerous.  They have to cover the ground you've already been over.  I'm not a numbers guy, but I do pay attention to trainer-jockey combinations that are hot and I believe there are horses for courses.  Certain horses always run consistent on certain tracks.  Another angle I like is horses stepping-up in class.  If a good trainer or a particularly hot trainer is stepping-up a horse, that gets my attention.  If they think enough of their horse to run them back on-the-raise, then I'm giving them a very serious look."

Q:  You know a lot of people on the track.  Are you sometimes a victim of TMI (too much information)?

A:  "No kidding.  I do know a lot of people and everybody has a story and believe me, I've heard em all.  Don't get me wrong, I do like information, especially if someone in the position to know, knows a horse might not be at the top of his or her game.  Sometimes eliminating that type of horse can really help you cash a decent bet."

Q:  There is a mixture of ingredients for successful handicapping.  How much knowledge, luck and instinct is involved in making the right plays and combinations?

A:  "You've got to do your homework and know how to read the form.  You've got to be able to look at the pp's and get something out of what your reading.  The most important factor in being successful is luck.  Plain and simple, you've got to be lucky to win.  Everything has to go right out there on the track.  Discipline and money management are also big keys to cashing tickets.  As far as secrets for cashing big tickets, there are none.  Again, you've got to do your homework and get lucky.  Remember, its easy to go overboard , so I set a gambling budget and stick to it.  Some guys play golf or fish for a hobby, my hobby is handicapping."

Q:  Your 16-year-old daughter Nataly is your constant companion and sidekick at both the ballpark and race track.  Are you raising a third generation baseball coach and horseplayer?

A:  "I don't know if she'll turn out to be a baseball coach, but she does love the horses and the track.  So I guess the chances of her being a horseplayer are pretty good.  She's pretty sharp about this game and knows what's going on.  I've had some really good days while she was with me, so she could be my good luck charm."

Next up will be a report on 21-year-old jockey agent Anthony Martin.