TimeformUS

[cmorioles]

Went live today, available directly through TimeformUS now.

[hoovesupsideyourhead]

great job at Delmar.the u.s. guys are killing it.

[TheSpyder]

They're worried about you:

http://www.drf.com/drf-plus-free-preview

[Alabama Stakes]

Originally Posted by cmorioles

Went live today, available directly through TimeformUS now.

shouldn't it be obvious how to sign up or log in ?

[cmorioles]

Originally Posted by Alabama Stakes

shouldn't it be obvious how to sign up or log in ?

Note the arrows in the attached image.

[pweizer]

Can I ask again about the spotlight numbers and the star ratings now that you are live? In the free race today (Del Mar 5), the 7 horse had a 10 point edge in the spotlight number suggesting that the horse laid over the field. However, the 6 horse was the only five star in the field (and the race winner at short odds).

Do either of these metrics have value and how do you suggest they should be used?

Paul

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by pweizer

Can I ask again about the spotlight numbers and the star ratings now that you are live? In the free race today (Del Mar 5), the 7 horse had a 10 point edge in the spotlight number suggesting that the horse laid over the field. However, the 6 horse was the only five star in the field (and the race winner at short odds).

Do either of these metrics have value and how do you suggest they should be used?

Paul

Paul, it's my understanding they ran tests on the Spotlight figure and found that the horse with the top Spotlight figure won at about a 30% clip with very good value in a sample of over a thousand races.

The Spotlight figure is supposed to be a best representative recent speed figure for each horse based on surface and distance.

The problem I see with them comes in a situation like the race you mentioned. Today's 5th race at Del Mar.

The horse with the clear-cut best Spotlight Figure, #7, entered the race today off of a 264 day layoff and was dropping in class from Graded Stakes company. For a horse off such a long layoff, it's hard to trust them to come right back to form. In the example of the #8 horse in that race, whom the pace projector favored, none of his three most recent races were on grass. So the computer system took the figure he ran in his shortest dirt sprint, and used that as his Spotlight figure.

I will run the idea past the guys in New York, of just using a question mark for the Spotlight figure of any horse who is entering off of a long layoff or surface switch.

The Star system is a 100% TimeformUK thing. I will find out more about the formula they use for it.

[pweizer]

Thanks Doug. The ? is a really good idea.

Best of luck with this.

Paul

[Calzone Lord]

Here's sort of a recent highlight reel race for the Spotlight Figures in a big race, last Saturday's Virgina Derby:



The horse with the top spotlight figure, War Dancer won and paid $16.80. Charming Kitten had the second best and finished 2nd. Jack Milton had the third best and finished 3rd. So, it was essentially a $356 cold trifecta for the spotlight figs.

Still, in most cases, the human brain is way better than the computer.

In your case, Paul, you're way better off determining for yourself which figures are representative figures. If you're someone who isn't an experienced, or you're in a hurry, the computerized system does a pretty good job of isolating figures that are representative for a horse in non-unusual situations. Like situations not involving layoffs, important trainer changes, or surface switches.

[pweizer]

Originally Posted by Calzone Lord

Here's sort of a recent highlight reel race for the Spotlight Figures in a big race, last Saturday's Virgina Derby:



The horse with the top spotlight figure, War Dancer won and paid $16.80. Charming Kitten had the second best and finished 2nd. Jack Milton had the third best and finished 3rd. So, it was essentially a $356 cold trifecta for the spotlight figs.

Still, in most cases, the human brain is way better than the computer.

In your case, Paul, you're way better off determining for yourself which figures are representative figures. If you're someone who isn't an experienced, or you're in a hurry, the computerized system does a pretty good job of isolating figures that are representative for a horse in non-unusual situations. Like situations not involving layoffs, important trainer changes, or surface switches.

It is just one more piece of information that I would probably use to give a second look at a horse I didn't consider the first time through.

Once again, however, in the example above, the stars don't match up at all. I think I am probably better off just ignoring them.

Paul