Picking Winners: How Andy Beyer Revolutionized Betting on Horse Racing

Andy Beyer wrote a book in 1975 called "Picking Winners" that revolutionized the art of horse racing handicapping. Beer was a writer and columnist for the Washington Post and the D.C. Daily News for nearly 50 years. He introduced the concept of speed figures to the handicappers. He also created winning pars for each level of races. The figures were based on the average of sprint and distance times. They were then compared to their relative speed. A mile in 1:38 was given a figure of 94, six furlongs in 1.12 2/5 was assigned an 88, seven furongs a 1/3, a mile in 3/4, and a quarter furs in a 3:5.