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The Odds Must Be Crazy: Beating the Races With the Man Who Revolutionized Handicapping
A horseracing expert explains the system that has made him a legendary figure, detailing the nuts and bolts of handicapping and successful betting, along with his own life story
320 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 1997
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July 30, 2022
Len Ragozin is a character, a former communist sympathizer turned statistical whiz who’s made millions (for himself and others) by handicapping horses. Anyone who has been to the track knows it is a very, very hard game. The house (the track in this case) takes a piece of every bet, and the betting pool is a parimutuel spread, which means there is no “house money.” It’s punters going head to head with the house raking in their take, and—should you be one of the few players who actually does make money—the IRS waiting to swoop in.
How did Ragozin do it? By excluding age-old beliefs in things like class and breeding, and focusing only on patterns culled from personally acquired precision data, he was able to create his own version of the Racing Form. These are the infamous “sheets” he sells to serious bettors. They look inscrutable at first, daunting and filled with bizarre little sigils, figures, and seemingly randomly assigned plus and minus symbols. But a helpful symbol key removes a lot of the confusion, and the author’s personable style, leavened with anecdotes and Borsch Belt jokes, does the rest.
No, you’re not going to become a millionaire just using this book. And since the data sets are constantly being updated, parts of this work are going to be dated no matter when you get your hands on a copy. To be as good as Len, you’d have to work as hard as him. So unless you’re willing to buy marine chronometers and hire spotters to do things like measure furlongs down to inches and get data on Lasix doses, fuhgeddaboudit.
But the info here is better than that officially given by track handicappers, and by other famed theorists like Andy Beyer, whose ratings are an industry standard. Even Beyer finally admitted—after many ill-words were exchanged—that he wasn’t fit to the touch the green brim of Ragozin’s eyeshade.
So do yourself a favor. Fork over ten or fifteen bucks for a copy and save yourself thousands, or if you’re serious (and lucky enough) win yourself millions. Highest recommendation, especially for the quantitatively-inclined and those always looking for a new “money ball”/sabermetrics angle.
How did Ragozin do it? By excluding age-old beliefs in things like class and breeding, and focusing only on patterns culled from personally acquired precision data, he was able to create his own version of the Racing Form. These are the infamous “sheets” he sells to serious bettors. They look inscrutable at first, daunting and filled with bizarre little sigils, figures, and seemingly randomly assigned plus and minus symbols. But a helpful symbol key removes a lot of the confusion, and the author’s personable style, leavened with anecdotes and Borsch Belt jokes, does the rest.
No, you’re not going to become a millionaire just using this book. And since the data sets are constantly being updated, parts of this work are going to be dated no matter when you get your hands on a copy. To be as good as Len, you’d have to work as hard as him. So unless you’re willing to buy marine chronometers and hire spotters to do things like measure furlongs down to inches and get data on Lasix doses, fuhgeddaboudit.
But the info here is better than that officially given by track handicappers, and by other famed theorists like Andy Beyer, whose ratings are an industry standard. Even Beyer finally admitted—after many ill-words were exchanged—that he wasn’t fit to the touch the green brim of Ragozin’s eyeshade.
So do yourself a favor. Fork over ten or fifteen bucks for a copy and save yourself thousands, or if you’re serious (and lucky enough) win yourself millions. Highest recommendation, especially for the quantitatively-inclined and those always looking for a new “money ball”/sabermetrics angle.
Displaying 1 of 1 review