Page 12 - May 2007 The Game
P. 12

12 The Game, May 2007 Canada’s Thoroughbred Racing Newspaper
The One Minute Handicapper:
A Long-Time Horseplayer Offers the Benefits of His Experience
By Peter Gross
Frank DiTondo is proof that it’s never
too late to start winning at the racetrack. DiTondo, who turns 76 later this year, says he’s been cashing regularly in the 8th decade of his life, and it’s no coincidence that this happened just after he authored the One Minute Handicapper, a very
different approach to finding and profit- ing on winning horses.
DiTondo was only 12 years old when he first attended the races, but his initial experience left him with an indelible memory.
“I went to Suffolk Downs,” he recalls. “Whirlaway was running. He won the Triple Crown in 1941 and is the only Triple Crown winner to ever win the Massachusetts Handicap.”
DiTondo is not so much a professional handicapper as a guy who has created a way to refine the extraordinary amount of data contained in the Daily Racing Form.
“The information is in the DRF,” he says. “You simply have to know where to look and what to look for.”
Following his own advice has led DiTondo to many happy moments of recent vintage at the track.
“The last three years, I’ve been cash- ing bets that I never thought I would cash,” he says. “I cashed a ticket last year on a $46 winner. The exactor paid $878, and the trifecta was about $3,300. That was one situation called ‘first flash’ .I had a $534 exactor on an overlay and then I
had a $48 winner and a $578 exactor and $1,800 trifecta on what I call ‘reclaim’”
In the One Minute Handicapper, DiTondo elabo- rates on the betting situation known as first flash.
“First flash can be the smart
money. The backside money goes there,” he argues. “At my web site, www.oneminutehandicapper.com, I’ve got a testimonial from a guy at the Daily Racing Form. He said, ‘I’m watching the second at Gulfstream. The first flash is on the 1-horse, Letsringthebell, who is 20-1 in the morning line, but opens at 3-5’. It goes up to 12-1 and he puts $20 to win on it and it wins for fun and pays $37.”
And what’s the deal with the ‘reclaim’?
“I was at Fort Erie and there was trainer Ralph Biamonte,” he says. “His whole family was there and I was wondering why, and in the past performance charts, I saw that he had a horse in the race that he had reclaimed and it won. I had been skipping this situation my whole life. This was like a beacon that shone upon me.”
DiTondo’s book also emphasizes taking a long look at beaten favorites.
“When I have a beaten favorite, I go back to the charts and I might see that he had a troubled trip or a poor ride. If you give it second chance, you probably get a better price on it. I picked Nobiz Like Shobiz to win the Wood Memorial because he was a beaten favorite in the Fountain of Youth. He had a troubled trip.”
Preferred Distance is another situation that bettors can profit from.
“Just look at the form.” he emphasizes. “And see what the horse’s favorite running distance is. It tells you right on the form. Canada has a nice sire, Langfuhr; at a mile he was the best. There’s a horse called Lord Langfuhr who was a maiden until they turned him into a miler and then he ran at a mile and won.”
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DiTondo’s book illustrates several examples where the trainer/jockey stats told you that a horse was ready for a better race. The One Minute Handicapper also directs its readers to horses with plenty of back class.
“That works a lot at Fort Erie,” says DiTondo. “You get a horse that was good early in his career, won a lot of money, should be retired, but people want to keep him running. You should watch the board. That’s when the first flash might come into the situation.”
To be honest, the One Minute Handicapper probably requires a lot more than one minute. It’s a pretty thick book, filled to the brim with actual examples of races that produced nice payoffs according to DiTondo’s theories.
The book itself goes for $39.95 and includes 11 preprinted Betting Situation worksheets. The One Minute Handicapper Workbook is $7.95, extra worksheets are $3.95, and a package of non smudge markers that work nicely on the worksheets are $5.95. However, a visit to his website, www.oneminutehandicapper.com will reveal a discount for anyone interested in the whole package.
“We trust Integricare products for all of
our horses. Tri-Acta has proven to be
a very effective joint care supplement.”
Josie Carroll, trainer of 2006 Queen’s Plate winner Edenwold Owners – The Saparas of Winsong Stable
www.integricare.ca
Alberta Division
Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society - Manager, Alberta Division
The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society is a national breed organization that assists breeders of Thoroughbred horses in Canada. Its Alberta division is recruiting for a Manager, located in Calgary, to manage the activities of the Society and to work with over 350 members, the elected Board and other stakeholders in the racing and horse industries.
The ideal candidate has a background in the livestock breeding industry. With demonstrated leadership skills and ability to manage staff, he/she is a good communicator, able to work with diverse groups of people.
For a full job description or to submit a resume, email dchua@boyden.com or call 403.237.6603, ext. 304
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