"This is not a book about how to pick winners at the racetrack," writes Steven Crist in the opening lines of this unique and long-awaited book about playing the races.
Exotic Betting instead argues that how to bet is as important as who you like, especially in the 21st-century world of horse racing, where a new menu of wagers such as the superfecta and pick four have overtaken the familiar win, place, and show betting of yesteryear.
Both serious and casual horseplayers will benefit from understanding the strategy and mechanics of making these complex wagers, a topic generally ignored in the literature of handicapping but now more important than ever. Crist explores each of racing's so-called exotic wagers, including exactas, trifectas, superfectas, doubles, pick threes, pick fours, and pick sixes. Drawing on his personal experiences as a bettor and as a racing journalist and executive, Crist outlines both the common mistakes made by the betting public and some alternative approaches that can lead to more profitable returns and to greater enjoyment of an endlessly intricate and fascinating game.
Crist, known as the King of the Pick Six for his exploits in that jackpot wager, also explores a wide range of practical issues, including the advantages and pitfalls of betting on the sport's biggest events, such as the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup, and the unfairly onerous requirements imposed on exotic bettors by the Internal Revenue Service.
Whether you're a two-dollar bettor considering his first exacta or a high roller regularly chasing seven-figure jackpots, Exotic Betting will forever change the way you look at and wager on horse racing.
Steven Crist has been playing the races and writing about them since a chance trip to Wonderland Greyhound Park in 1976 put a quick end to studying 18th-century English literature. He was the horse-racing columnist for The New York Times from 1981 through 1990; founding editor-in-chief of The Racing Times in 1991-92; a New York racetrack executive from 1994 to 1997; and in 1998 assembled an investment group that purchased Daily Racing Form, where he served as the chief executive until 2002 and remains as the chairman and publisher. Crist is the author of the books Offtrack, The Horse Traders, and Betting on Myself. 201 pages, hardcover
Howard Rowe has not only written about thoroughbred racing history, he has lived it. He has devoted most of his life to the sport as a writer and observer. A first-hand knowledge of the sport, a sharp intellect and longevity combined to make him a va...
For centuries, horses have raced exclusively on dirt or grass, but many of today's thoroughbreds are now running over various mysterious mixtures of polypropylene fibers, recycled rubber,wax coated sand, and even something called jelly cable. Synthet...
Established to give "horses-to-watch" fans more timely action. American Turf Club is a weekly, eight-page newsletter with info on ready-to-win horses from as many as 24 racetracks. With the advent of simulcasting (out of town races), thoroughly resea...
Price: $37.00
Sale Price: $28.00
Now 24% discount!
This classic handicapping book, which introduced thousands of bettors to the importance of such pioneering concepts as track bias, key races, and trainer patterns, has been substantially revised, updating those ideas while providing fresh approaches ...
"Colorful" hardly seems enough to describe the life of Steven Crist, Daily Racing Form's chairman and publisher. His new memoir tells of the roller-coaster ride he's taken to get where he is today.Whether you're someone who has never seen a Ke...
While there are many handicapping tools for horseplayers, one of the most rewarding is pedigree handicapping. Even players who do not know much about pedigrees now realize it is an essential part of the game, whether it is part of betting exotics, e....
Ruffian's tragic story still has a powerful hold over horse racing enthusiasts. Dramatically recounted by Jane Schwartz, during only two short seasons at the track, Ruffian has been hailed as the greatest thoroughbred filly of all time. Then t...
