The 2001 Moneymaker, billed as the "Fast Gun" of Thoroughbred racing, is a handicapping calculator sold by C.N. Electronics of Louisiana and advertised in the Daily Racing Form. According to their advertisement, it "goes to the track or simulcast location with you. Complete race handicapping in less than 15 minutes. Makes between-race handicapping a snap."

We took the Moneymaker for a test drive to see how effective a handicapping tool it might be. We found that, yes, you can handicap a race in 15 minutes, with practice. The package includes the "computer" and very easy to follow step-by-step instructions using Nick Bradley pace figures. To handicap a race you need past performance lines; either the Daily Racing Form or Equibase from a track program will work.

We chose the Fair Grounds and Aqueduct for the test drive, and at each track chose a sprint and a route. Here are the results:

Fair Grounds, 6 furlongs
The top ranked horse finished fifth in this event, but he ranked only marginally better than the second choice who finished third. The third choice finished second. The winner was ranked fifth in the field of eight.

Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 miles
The top ranked horse finished fourth in the field of five. The second pick won, paying $5.40, followed by the fourth then third pick to round out the trifecta.

Aqueduct, 7 furlongs
The top ranked horse and the second choice finished 2-3 in this event, beaten by the fifth choice, who paid $9.90. The third choice finished last in the compact field of five.

Aqueduct, 1 1/8 miles
The top ranked horse won the race, paying healthy mutuels of $9.60, $5.90, and $4.10, with the fifth and fourth choices rounding out the trifecta. The second and third choices were fourth and fifth in the field of seven.

We thought it would be interesting to try the program on the two largest-attended races of 2001, the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby. For the Oaks, the "computer" ranked Flute on top, just slightly ahead of its second choice Platinum Tiara and third choice Mystic Lady. The 1.70-1 betting favorite Fleet Renee was ranked fifth. When the race was run, sure enough the top pick Flute won the Lilies, rewarding her backers $8.60, $5.80, and $5.00. However, tenth-ranked Real Cozzy and fourth-ranked Collect Call completed the trifecta. Platinum Tiara was never in it, finishing far back in tenth, while Mystic Lady battled for the early lead but faded to seventh.

Now testing the "computer" on the Derby, the top ranked horse was Thunder Blitz, who went on to finish fourth, followed by Balto Star (fourteenth), and Millennium Wind (eleventh). Bob Baffert trainees Congaree (third) and Point Given (fifth as the 9-5 favorite) were tied for fourth ranking. Seventh ranked Monarchos, at 10-1 won the Roses. Invisible Ink, ranked dead last in the field of seventeen, finished second at odds of 55-1.

Clearly, the "computer" has its merits, but like any handicapping system, has its limitations. No one system will pick the winner every time, and the "one size fits all" aspect of the method used here exposes this. The major deficiency of the system is that it attempts to rank horses based on the entrant's best race of his last three starts, and it totally ignores very important factors such as bias, surface (dirt or turf), and track condition (fast or muddy).

For casual fans who want a quick and dirty mechanical system to use instead of blindly using the public handicappers' selections, the Moneymaker may well be a good investment, selling for $80 with shipping included on their website or by calling 1-800-376-9255 extension 207.