The objective of any horseplayer is to turn a profit at the end of the day. Common sense dictates that in order to achieve this goal, the bettor must first be able to select horses with the greatest chance of winning and then play those selections with a sound betting strategy to take advantage of overlays and avoid betting underlays. However, many players excel at one half of the equation but not the other. Poor selections or poor money management will lead to overall losses. In his latest book, California horseplayer Danny Holmes reveals his simple yet successful system that had yielded consistent profits through the years, including a memorable Pick 6 for $132,000 at Del Mar.

Holmes begins his book with his "quick and dirty" methods of eliminating non-contenders. Then, having narrowed the field down to a manageable number of contenders, he demonstrates how best to sort them out. How this is done is dependent on race distance, surface, and class, as the likely contenders in a dirt sprint will not be the same as those in a turf route.

Where this book shines is in the money management department, an area many other handicapping books barely touch on. The key is to only bet overlays and to pass races where no overlay exists, an exercise in discipline where many novices fail, addicted to betting every race just so that there is always action. Also key in Holmes' method is to leave when the daily profit goal has been attained. This avoids the all-too-common story of "I won early but I gave it all back at the end." Holmes prefers to make a respectable profit every day, rather than sustain several days or weeks of losses while trying to win it all back with a huge trifecta or superfecta. In fact, he refuses to play such exotics.

Armed with Holmes' handicapping and money management techniques, it is time to put them into practice. He first introduces a basic system for novices to use while getting accustomed to the method. After showing the effectiveness of this system, he graduates the reader to the advanced formula which increases the risk and rewards. Using a week of racing at Santa Anita and Bay Meadows, he shows that with his simple but elegant system, anyone should be able to have a profitable time at the races. He closes out the book with his "Perfect Day", when the system worked not only to cash him bets on every race, but led to a huge Pick Six.

Holmes has released a handicapping and betting book that suits both novices and veterans alike. More importantly, it allows the new horseplayer a chance to get into the game right away without having to read thick textbooks about very advanced selection systems. His book is strongly recommended for new racing fans who want to jump into the betting side of the game and have a chance of success.

Ten Steps to Winning can be purchased from Gambler's Book Shop for $19.95.

Rating:     5/5

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