Media

Frank DiTondo joins Tom Amello and Nick Klink on a live Capital Region OTB Cable Broadcast from Saratoga Race Track on August 31, 2008 to discuss Frank's unique handicapping concept as explained and illustrated in his book.

Bob expresses his unsolicited views on the merits of The OMH handicapping concept.

Watch the November 9 Capital Region OTB web cast discussion with OMH author Frank DiTondo and Capital Region OTB web cast hosts, Tom Amello and Nick Kling, review completion of OMH Worksheet using DRF Past performance charts to pick RICKMAN the Winner of the 1st Race at Aqueduct on November 9th.

A Long-Time Horseplayer Offers the Benefits of His Experience

Frank DiTondo is proof that it's never too late to start winning at the racetrack. DiTondo, who turns 76 later this year, says he's been cashing regularly, and it's no coincidence that this happened just after he authored the One Minute Handicapper, a very different approach to finding and profiting on winning horses.

DiTondo was only 12 years old when he first attended the races, but his initial experience left him with an indelible memory.

"I went to Suffolk Downs," he recalls. "Whirlaway was running. He won the Triple Crown in 1941 and is the only Triple Crown winner to ever win the Massachusetts Handicap."

DiTondo is not so much a professional handicapper as a guy who has created a way to refine the extraordinary amount of data contained in the Daily Racing Form.

"The information is in the DRF," he says. "You simply have to know where to look and what to look for."

Following his own advice has led DiTondo to many happy moments of recent vintage at the track.

"The last three years, I've been cashing bets that I never thought I would cash," he says. "I cashed a ticket last year on a $46 winner. The exactor paid $878, and the trifecta was about $3300. That was one situation called 'first flash' .I had a $534 exactor on an overlay and then I had a $48 winner and a $178 exactor and $1800 trifecta on what I call 'reclaim'"

In the One Minute Handicapper, DiTondo elaborates on the betting situation known as first flash.

"First flash can be the smart money. The backside money goes there," he argues. "At my web site, www.oneminutehandicapper.com, I've got a testimonial from a guy at the Daily Racing Form He said, 'I'm watching the second at Gulfstream. The first flash is on the 1-horse, Letsringthebell, who is 20-1 in the morning line, but opens at 3-5'. It goes up to 12-1 and he puts $20 to win on it and it wins for fun and pays $37."

And what's the deal with the 'reclaim'?

"I was at Fort Erie and there was trainer Ralph Biamonte," he says. "His whole family was there and I was wondering why, and in the past performance charts, I saw that he had a horse in the race that he had reclaimed and it won. I had been skipping this situation my whole life. This was like a beacon that shone upon me."

DiTondo's book also emphasizes taking a long look at beaten favorites.

"When I have a beaten favorite, I go back to the charts and I might see that he had a troubled trip or a poor ride. If you give it second chance, you probably get a better price on it. I picked Nobiz Like Shobiz to win the Wood Memorial because he was a beaten favorite in the Fountain of Youth. He had a troubled trip."

Preferred Distance is another situation that bettors can profit from.

"Just look at the form." he emphasizes. "And see what the horse's favorite running distance is. It tells you right on the form. Canada has a nice sire, Langfuhr; at a mile he was the best. There's a horse called Lord Langfuhr who was a maiden until they turned him into a miler and then he ran at a mile and won."

DiTondo's book illustrates several examples where the trainer/jockey stats told you that a horse was ready for a better race. The One Minute Handicapper also directs its readers to horses with plenty of back class.

"That works a lot at Fort Erie ," says DiTondo. "You get a horse that was good early in his career, won a lot of money, should be retired, but people want to keep him running. You should watch the board. That's when the first flash might come into the situation."

To be honest, the One Minute Handicapper probably requires a lot more than one minute. It's a pretty thick book, filled to the brim with actual examples of races that produced nice payoffs according to DiTondo's theories.

The book itself goes for $39.95 and includes 11 preprinted Betting Situation worksheets. The One Minute Handicapper Workbook is $7.95, extra worksheets are $3.95, and a package of non smudge markers that work nicely on the worksheets are $5.95. However, a visit to his website, www.oneminutehandicapper.com will reveal a discount for anyone interested in the whole package.

To read the 3 page article in Practical Punting Magazine, click the link above. PPM has been Australia's favourite racing magazine for almost 25 years and you can visit them here.

Click above to listen to August 10 Thoroughbred Connection interview of OMH author Frank DiTondo by John Hernandez and Dick Harbin about guest handicapping at Del Mar on August 4 and 5.

Visit the Thoroughbred Connection at www.thoroughbredconnection.com

Click on the Play button above to listen to Frank DiTondo's appearance on the Gamblers Book Club podcast from 10/27/2010.

Read the American Turf Monthly OMH Betting Software review's full article here!