handicapper

Handicappers use the term "bounce" to explain a poor performance of a horse or to project a possible poor performance. This handicapping angle is more pronounced in demanding stakes races where a horse will often meet a field where only a top performance will result in a placing. But what does a "'bounce" really mean? It refers to a horse that had a recent fast performance, several tough races in a short period or many races in a racing campaign. The handicapper is implicitly (and unknowingly) using basic biology to...

With the first week of the 2022 Saratoga meet in the books, NYRA and Fox Sports TV analyst Andy Serling joined the TDN Writers' Room Tuesday as the to talk about how Saratoga somehow continues to exceed its sky-high expectations.

by Victor Correa The Brazilian Thoroughbred industry lost one of its most brilliant personalities when Samir Abujamra passed away in Soo Paulo on July 14. Abujamra, who had no family connections to the Brazilian racing industry growing up, was a lawyer by trade. He worked as a handicapper for the Jockey Club of Sao Paulo beginning in the 1960's. Later on, he became the editor of the magazine Revista Turf & Fomento. The publication became the most important magazine in horse racing in the country, covering not only Brazil, but...

Nick Tammaro has been known in public handicapping and tournament circles for nearly a decade now, but he took on what he calls the "biggest professional challenge" of his life earlier this year at his hometown track, Sam Houston Race Park, when he started his first job as a full-time racecaller. He caught up with Joe Bianca on the third episode of Bettor Things with Joe Bianca.

Joe Bianca, Associate Editor for the Thoroughbred Daily News, kicks off a new podcast called Bettor Things, where he hosts one-on-one conversations with some of the handicapping world's brightest minds. In this first episode, he chats with David Aragona, handicapper and morning line maker for NYRA.

Handicapping and turf writing legend Steve Crist joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to share how he is enjoying retirement and to discuss his thoughts on growing the game.

Jessica Paquette, long-time handicapper at Suffolk Downs and most recently Sam Houston, will make her debut at Colonial Downs this summer. She replaces Merv Huber, who is unable to travel to Colonial Downs this season, but will stay on as morning line odds maker and provide guest analysis. "I've heard the Secretariat Turf Course is the best grass surface in the country, and it's my favorite kind of racing," Paquette said. "Being able to talk about beautiful pedigrees on a great grass course just lights my soul on fire. Turf...