The Bottom Line
Pros
- Very in-depth statistical analysis of the BC
- Honest narrative of their successes and failures at Churchill in 2006
- Useful information on first-time host Monmouth Park in Oceanport, NJ
Cons
- Couldn't find any. This is an excellent publication for any Breeders' Cup bettor.
Description
- The first chapter describes last year's Cup, listing in detail their bets, how they came up with them, wins and losses.
- Unlike other publications, they don't just brag about their successes and not admit their failures.
- Examines Monmouth Park's biases at Cup distances in great detail, useful both on Cup day and the rest of the year.
- Each of the eight original Breeders' Cup World Championship races is featured in its own chapter.
- Some races feature more winning favorites, some favor late ralliers, while others may favor a certain prep race.
- Each winning angle is accompanied by a chart showing which past winners satisfied the requirement.
- They also examine angles which point out horses most likely to finish 2nd, 3rd, or 4th for intrarace exotics players.
- With increasing foreign participation even on the dirt races, Euro-shipper angles are prominently featured.
- Each chapter ends with the DRF past performance charts of past winners of the subject race, so that trends can be seen.
- Mazur and Mallett have done their homework, drawn from sixteen years of Breeders' Cup experience. A job well done.
Guide Review - Crushing the Cup 2007
This year marks the 16th anniversary of Progressive Handicapping's legendary flagship publication Crushing The Cup. In it, handicappers Jim Mazur and Peter Mallett compile all sorts of statistics from past Breeders' Cups in order to come up with a winning profile for each of the eight orginal World Championships races (there are 3 new races added this year). Factors such as track biases, prep races, number of days since last start, and Beyer speed figures attained must all be considered when looking for a potential winner of a Cup race. If a horse going off at long odds satisfies several of the requirements, a Crush may be in order. The book's appendix is posted online (the password to access it is included in the book), which includes statistical charts that used to appear in print but were cut out last year for space considerations. These include how the favorites have finished, running styles of the top 4 finishers, pace angles, winning dosage profiles, and jockey/trainer statistics.With the Championships coming to a new site, Monmouth Park in Oceanport, NJ, this can present problems for horseplayers unfamiliar with the Jersey Shore oval, which usually does not race in the fall. Mazur and Mallett spend an entire chapter on this issue, discussing what the facility looks like, and the track's biases at each of the Cup race distances. This chapter is useful not only to those betting on the Cup races themselves, but also to fans visiting Oceanport for the first time and wanting to bet on the races earlier in the week or on the Sunday after.
The book is a real eye-opener for a casual bettor/fan since it gives such a participant so many different angles to work with to find that elusive "crush" on the big day. With record betting handles every year, this book gives you an extra weapon in the parimutuel wars to take home a bigger piece of the pie.
