Bally's Summer Stakes-Day 1

[Mall]

A little less than 200 entries, so approx $200k in total prize money, as well as 2 nhc qualifying spots, based on 6 mandatory & 9 optional $2 wps bets from sar, dmr, crc, ap, elp, mth, & lad. Leader after day 1 is at $202, & using the 1st day "same horse on multiple tickets" strategy, two of our 4 are less than a cap horse away, while the other two are only $90 away. As hoped, there is considerable overlap in the Bally's & Amtab Open races today, so all systems are go for what appears to be a longshot rich environment.

Not sure who or how to do this otherwise, but many thanks to those responsible for getting the racefiles up early on an as available basis the last few days. It is a great help when you're looking at 75 or so races two days running. Keep up the good, & prompt, work!

[Mall]

http://www.drf.com/nhc/2005/nhc.html

[km]

After finishing 2nd and 3rd at the Gold Coast - the Bert's are on fire - winning the Ballys tourney by a mile. They have to be early book favorites for the NTRA and the WSH.

How do they do it? Why are they so consistent at scoring big in contests that require 'bombing'? Sheer madness, believe me. The boys are extreme-hyper-handicappers!!

We talk to Robert Bertolucci at every tourney - he has no bones about sharing his m.o. Buy as many entries as possible (they had 10 at the GC, probably 6 at Ballys) and fire away at everything over 20/1. One day at the Orleans, all the HTR players were on a 50/1 shot that was Fr1 or Wk or something. The horse ran well and was involved in a close photo (lost). Robert was jumping & screaming at the television for the photo on the same horse. I asked him, why did you pick him? -- "i didn't pick him, he was 50/1, that's enough..."

Joe Hinson, the previous king of tournament players, uses a similar strategy, although much more quietly. Basically buying the maximum number of entries, identifying races that tend to produce high prices (a.k.a low Vi) and fire the shotgun. There are no handicapping secrets involved, shoot for the moon over and over, sometimes you hit an eagle.

No question that the Bert's (uses Racing Form) and Hinson (Homemade Computer Software) are expert handicappers though, particularly their ability to spot races where the favorites are vulnerable and 'chaos' is likely. That is a skill that goes a long way in these type contests.