The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-01
What's What in Sports
All the Time

How do the bookmakers know what
odds TO place on the horses in race?
This question was asked hundreds OF
times at the past race meeting In me
following article on 'HanGicapping. M
J. Neafsey. one of the best posted handi-
eappers in the business, tells of the in
side figuring done by bOOkmakers and
shrewd players. He says;
Handicapping is a matter OF common
sense use of items Of racing The turf
mathematician can supply no flexible
measure that can be applied to the field
of horses. Acquaintance with individuals
(men and horses is one of the keenest
items in handicapping. No turf student
can give an idea of the liking Of horses
for the different kinds of soil, or define
human combinations. Both are matters
of judgment and personal observation.
The disposition of the thoroughbred IS
almost as broad in scope as that OF hu-
mainly The really great horse, like the
true acute man, OVercOmeS all dlff1cul-
ties and wins. There are really few great
horses; some of supreme speed are ohiy
creatures of speed. The judgment useu III
placing such a horse is often fatal. Sy-
sonby and Colin are modern types OF the
high-class and sensible horse They won
their races with superior manasemeht
and skill. Both showed sense ana am
bition in their yOuth-before they raced.
Speed is the basis of handicapping
because it is the keen factor which bears
mostly upon performance, but IS value
less unless calculated upon the basis of
how speed was applied in the past Hand
icapping is the calculation out of what
has already been done. Some horses Ia
VOr racing in front; others choose TO
come from behind.
Our timing is inaccurate and one of
the evils Of the American turf. Some
timers miss the application OF their
watches at the start and then average
matters on the basis of what horses IN
the race should do. Officials generally
are paid large salaries, while timers re
ceive small wages for their services. Inc
timer in a public way is just as important
as either judge or starter.
Take Own Time.
The important spectators on the east
ern tracks, who bet large sums on the
performance of the horses, finds ii prof
liable TO keep their own time. These
same men watch performance closely ana
bet on the judgment that comes from
pure observation, for the winners OF To-
day come from the losers of past days.
Mathematics can consider and apply the
weights distance and time of past per-
Torrance to the probabilities of the tu-
ture. But figures cannOt-unless min
gleG with judgment born out or Obser-
walton OF racing and knowledge of indi-
Viduai pecUliarities-be intelligentiy APP
piled to racing. Figures even from the
foundation of imperfect timing outclasses
all other methods of picking winners, and
for that reason alone the general hon
esty of racing can be proven ana &C
The average Handicapped guesses at his
estimates Man is not a machine. he
has moods-strOng points, weak points,
good days and bad days, just like the
thoroughbred horse. Only the great horse
and tie great man do great things reg
ularIy SO-called inside information
should never be used in handicapping.
The bookmaker flOurishes upon his per
centages, attention to details and the fail
ure of the public to allow for individual
peculiarities.
Must Study Horse.
The player should study the horses and
their disposition, and always figure on the
basis of universal honesty, and use hand
leap figures only as a check on his own
observations and ideas of class. and
should never seek TO get even on losing
dn.- nv Il aino q chance on a long-shOt