Chapter 23 - Four Multiple-Entry Systems

An argument that will last as long as racing itself endures comes up every time someone raises this question: can more than one horse be played in the same race profitably?

The length of time a player has been following the races has nothing to do with his convictions on this question. Many old-timers view with alarm any attempt to play more than one horse in a race. Other veterans believe it might be even more easy to show a profit by multiple selections than by playing just one individual horse.

Newcomers to the sport seem divided according to their luck on any particular day. If they play two or more in any one race and end up with a profit, they feel confident they have the answer. If all their choices in the next race lose, they feel equally as confident that one, and only one choice, can produce profits.

A professor of mathematics at an eastern university came out of his classroom a number of years ago with declaration that he had a method by which he played every horse in the race and wound up with a profit. His system was based on playing specific amounts on each horse, according to his odds.

Somehow, word never penetrated to his classroom that bookmakers for years built up their fortunes on a variation of the same principle. But worse, no one had the heart to tell the professor that his method, perfect as it may have been, was useless because the odds on the tote board change every minute. If the professor could persuade the track to stop betting and flash on final odds several minutes before the horses reached the post, he would have something. Until then, all he has is an interesting item to put with the other literary gems that gather dust on university library shelves.

The following systems, however, show what some people have done about playing more than one selection in the same race.

System Number 1

Of all the selectors in the Daily Racing Form, the two who consistently hit the most long shots are Trackman and Handicap.

True, all selectors come across a winner now and then that pays off in box-car numbers, but Trackman and Handicap make it seem fairly easy. The difficulty in deciding to stick by either one of these two selectors is that while one is having a "field day" with long shots the other is in a slump. The player who switches to the other to catch the string of long shots, soon finds that he is in a tailspin while the selector he just abandoned now comes romping along with a host of good-priced winners.

Attempts to draw up rules to show when to get on to a particular selector and when to abandon him proved futile. Then the thought came: would it be possible to play both selectors at the same time?

Obviously, no one wants to play all three choices of each selector. In the first place, playing six horses in the same race would be financial suicide. In the second place, the bookkeeping involved would require the player to hire an accountant.

Since the idea is to catch long shots, the logical procedure was to play on the long-priced selections. The next problem was to devise some method of selecting just which long shot to play from the three selections of each selector. The following system, then, was worked out:

1. The selections of Trackman and Handicap only are considered.

2. No selection is played unless he is at least 4 to 1 in Sweep's graded entries.

3. Play is by two "due" columns, labeled "Track man” and "Handicap" although the selections are alternated. In other words, a horse chosen from Trackman's three selections goes in Trackman's column in the first race and a horse from Handicap goes in Handicap's column in the first race. In the second race, a selection from Trackman's choices goes under Handicap's column and vice versa. Then the selections are alternated again
in the third race, and so on. The reason is that we want each column to have a chance to cash in on a sudden "hot" streak by either of the two selectors.

4. Play is one-fifth of the "due" column each time, and the columns are kept separate.

5. Selections are made this way: look for a horse mentioned by Trackman, either first, second or third, which is not mentioned at all by Handicap. This horse, if one is found, becomes Trackman's selection and is entered under Trackman's column, provided, of course, he is 4 to 1, or better. Then look for a horse mentioned first, second or third by Handicap and which is not picked at all by Trackman. This horse becomes Handicap's selection.

Example: Belmont Park, June 2, 1955 seventh race.

Trackman                                 Handicap
Phantom Song, 3 to 1               Phantom Song, 3 to 1
Wigwam, 2 to 1                        Wigwam, 2 to 1
Canarsis, 6 to 1                        Jet Set, 6 to 1

Looking over Trackman's three choices, we find Canarsis has been picked third but is not mentioned at all by Handicap. Canarsis becomes Trackman's selection, for a check with Sweep's graded entries shows he is 6 to 1.

Turning to Handicap, we find that his third choice, Jet Set, is not picked by Trackman. Jet Set also is 6 to 1, and therefore, becomes Handicap's selection.

Canarsis won and paid $38.40.
 
Four Multiple-Entry Systems     223

Example: Suffolk Downs, May 12, 1955 eighth race.

Trackman                                 Handicap
Pop-Bottle, 8 to 5                    Flying Mile, 8 to 1
Lady Cuanta, 8 to 1                  Pop-Bottle, 8 to 5
Flying Mile, 8 to 1                    Little Colleen, 8 to 1

It will be seen at a glance that Lady Cuanta and Little Colleen were picked by only one selector. Each is 4 to 1, or better, and both become the selections of the two selectors.

Lady Cuanta paid $20.20

6. If both selectors pick the same three horses, we proceed this way:

Example: using the Suffolk Downs race but changing the odds and horses just for illustration.

Trackman                                 Handicap
Pop-Bottle, 8 to 5                    Flying Mile, 8 to 1
Lady Cuanta, 6 to 1                  Pop-Bottle, 8 to 5
Flying Mile, 8 to 1                    Lady Cuanta, 6 to 1
We proceed by looking for the selector who picks the first horse of 4 to 1, or better. Handicap has Flying Mile on top, and therefore he becomes Handicap's selection. Lady Cuanta is picked second by Trackman and third by Handicap, so Lady Cuanta becomes Trackman's selection.

7. Sometimes scratches or short prices will not give one selector any play. Then we proceed according to the following assumed example:

Trackman                                 Handicap
Lucky Colonel, 6 to 1               Rockwood Lou, 5 to 2
                                                (scratched)
Easy Dough, 25 to 1                 Lucky Colonel, 6 to 1
Rick's Raft, 3 to 1                     Flying Sparks, 4 to 1
                                                (scratched)
 
Lucky Colonel, being named on top by Trackman, becomes his selection. But after eliminating the scratches, Lucky Colonel alone is left for Handicap. Since Handicap has no selection we turn again to Trackman, and pick up his other horse that qualifies, Easy Dough. Both selections are made from one selector only if the other selector has no horse to qualify. Once in a while, there will be only one choice found among both selectors, and in that event, that one horse is played under the proper column. There is no play in the other column for that race.

8. If either selector has two or three horses, not mentioned by the other selector, always take the highest priced of the two or three horses.

Let's take another assumed example:

Trackman                                 Handicap
Lucky Colonel, 6 to 1               Rockwood Lou, 10 to 1
Easy Dough, 25 to 1                 Flying Sparks, 4 to 1
Rick's Raft, 10 to 1                   Lost Chord, 8 to 1

Since no horse picked first, second or third by one selector is named at all by the other, the choice for each selector is his highest-priced horse.

Thus Easy Dough becomes Trackman's selection, and Rockwood Lou is Handicap's choice.

A month's check of the Form will surprise you with the number of times that Trackman and Handicap come through with long shots.

System Number 2

Here is another plan to make two horses do what neither one alone can do.
The play is by two "due" columns, and each wager is one-fifth of the amount "due." If capital permits, the play might be stepped up to one-fourth of the "due" amount although this should not be done until a careful check shows your capital will stand it.

All selections are made from Sweep's graded entries in the Form. These are the lists of horses entered in each race, comments about all of them, probable jockey, and probable odds.

Selections are made automatically and within a few minutes.

1. The first horse Sweep holds at 4 to 1 becomes the play for the first column. If there is no 4 to 1 horse, then the first 5 to 1 becomes the selection.

2. The first 6 to 1 horse becomes the selection for column 2. If no 6 to 1, the first 8 to 1.

3. If there are no 4 or 5 to 1 and no 6 or 8 to 1, pass the race.

4. After each race, the selections are alternated so that the 4 to 1 for the second race goes in the 6 to 1 column and vice versa. In the third race, the 4 to 1 comes back to column 1 and so on.

5. Pay no attention to weight, finishes in last races, etc.

Example: Sportsman's Park, May 12, 1955, fourth race.

Sweep's Graded Entries

AUNTY ONE—4 to 1 (becomes the selection for column 1)

DON'T CREST—4 to 1

KING CHARLES—5 to 1

STARBOROUGH—3 to 1

PARTY KING—6 to 1 (scratched or otherwise would have been selection for column 2)

PERFECT MISTER—6 to 1 (column 2 choice)

PERFECT MISTER paid $18.60

Example: Churchill Downs, May 12, 1955, sixth race. OIL PAINTING—5 to 2

BULL SKIN—3 to 1

SENOR COATI—4 to 1 (first column which now goes in column 2)

VIXEN FIXIT—5 to 1

LORI-JANE—8 to 1 (second choice which now goes in column 1)

LORI-JANE paid $36.60

Workout Sheet for No. 2 June 21

At Arlington, selections possible for only seven races. Winners included:

JIPI JAPA—$7.20 NEAL ELYSE—$10.40

At Delaware, selections possible for only five races. Winners included:

BLAZON STAR—$23.20

At Belmont, selections possible for only five races. Winners included:

BRIGHTEST STAR—$13.60 YARN—$4.80

June 18

At Arlington:

CHIEF JOE—$26.20

SANDERS ROAD—$10.20

OUTSMART—$6.40

PRIMACY—$15.00 At Belmont:

MAIN SPEAKER—$28.00

MIGHTY TURF—$4.70

REBEL CALL—$5.30

LUCIUS BEBBE—$19.80
SNOOZIE—$10.00

System Number 3

Those turf fans who believe only one horse can be played profitably in one race wince at two selections a race, and here is a method that will make them shudder. It involves playing three horses in the same race.

Only one selector is used but all three of his first, second and third choices are used. Three "due" columns are set up and the selections are rotated every race in order that one column does not get all the long shots while the first column may pull in nothing but low prices.

The choice of selectors lies between Handicap and Trackman. This writer personally favors Trackman, but Handicap, too, has shown himself to be very good at snaring the big payoffs. Choose either selector, but once you have decided don't get down-hearted because you see the other pulled in a whale.

Play is one-fifth the "due" columns. That means a winner paying 5 to 1 (a $12 mutuel) cleans up that column and returns a net profit of a dollar for every race played. The profit is not one dollar for every winner but for every race played.

If a winner pays less than $12, the net winnings are subtracted from the "due" column and play resumed at that point. For example, if the "due" column is $24 and the winner pays a net profit of $8 the "due" column is reduced to $16. Adding the dollar profit we want from the next race, the "due" column becomes $17 and the next play is one-fifth of $17 or $4.

If a winner pays more than $12 (and many will) the extra profit beyond the $1 a race can be pocketed as "bonus" or can be used to reduce any "due" column which may be having trouble.

For example, if a winner pays $24 and our bet was $6 we collected $72 or twice the sum needed to retire that column with the usual $1 per race profit. Let's suppose one of the other two columns had gone to $60 "due" and we didn't want to put out that much capital. We can use all, or any part, of the extra $36 to reduce this stubborn column. It cuts down our bonus but conserves capital.

Taking two days at random, May 12, 1955 and June 2, 1955, both Trackman and Handicap snared some good winners. Naturally, both got a number of shorter-priced winners, too.

Some of the larger winners were:
(May 12) Trackman:

Churchill Downs, CARLO C, $29; LORI-JANE, $36.60.

Sportsman's Park, BUSTER JIM, $11.40;

SAY BELLE, $19.40.

Garden State, WILD RIDE, $24.60; RO-

MANDALE, $12.80.

Belmont Park, HILDRIX, $15.40; MISTY MORN, $11.40; MIM, $11; KING JOLIE, $15.20

Handicap:

Churchill Downs, CARLO C, $29; LORI-JANE, $36.60;

TEN LIES, $14;

MISS REVOKED, $12.80.

Garden State, MISS SHADOW, $14.60.

(June 2)

Trackman:

Belmont Park, GALLANT FANAR, $23.70; CANARSIS, $38.40; ICAR-IAN, $12.60.

Balmoral (at Washington Park), SANDY M., $50.20.

Detroit, FIERY IMP, $21.

Delaware, CALL ME LUCK, $15.20.

Handicap:

Thistledown, DATELINE, $28.80; OKAMSEL, $14.60.

System Number 4

(Trackman's System—or Handicap's System if you use Handicap)

1. All selections are made from Trackman's choices in Racing Form or Morning Telegraph. (Handicap may be substituted for Trackman.)

2. Of Trackman’s three selections, eliminate his lowest priced horse.

3. Play both of his two remaining highest priced horses.

Example: 1st Race, Arlington

Trackman's Selections              Odds
Gold Nugget                             9 to 1
Ivory Tip                                  2 to 1
Fast Break                               6 to 1

Gold Nugget and Fast Break are selections to be played.

4. Play is recorded in two columns labeled A and B.

5. Trackman's first selection goes in column A in first race and his second choice Fast Break in column B.

6. In second race, first horse goes into column B and second horse in column A.

Example: 2nd Race, Arlington

Trackman's Selections              Odds
Wayward Lad                          8 to 5
Hinky Dink                               15 to 1
Casserole                                 5 to 1

Wayward Lad is ignored. Hinky Dink is Trackman's first horse in this race and so goes in column B. Casserole goes in column A.

7. In third race the first horse goes back to column A but in fourth race goes in column B.

These columns are alternate so that each has a chance at both selections.

8. Set up a due column (in workout, due columns were started with $8 due). Play is always 1/4 of amount due.
 
9. This system is designed to yield $2 for every race played although any amount can be set.

10. An extra big winner in any one column can be used to wipe out the other or reduce "due" amount in the other. This cuts down on the amount of capital required.

A $10 winner wipes out a column no matter where it is. Any mutuel beyond $10 can be "bonus" or applied to the other column to reduce capital requirements.

In the workout sheet, for example, Ronus netted $46.40 or far more than enough to clean up both columns.

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