ALLDATA - Horse Racing Past Performance Spreadsheet
History
I am a thoroughbred horse racing handicapper. My experience dates back to 1978. The journey has been a long, satisfying one. Over these past 35+ years I've run into some pretty tough obstacles, as most handicappers have. One of those obstacles was the use and manipulation of past performance data. I started, like most players of that era, with the "Daily Racing Form". I don't know about other handicappers, but, finding a place at the track where I could sit and lay out the "Form", without infringing on the space needed by adjacent players, was hard to come by. I soon came to the realization that there had to be a better way. This "realization" was the beginning of the search for that "better way". Several years later, sometime in the early '80s, I bought my first computer, a "TI 99-4a", I think (?) Anyway, I began to learn the "Basic" computer programming language, and, even as limited as this dinosaur of a computer was I recognized that there was potential there. I graduated to a "Tandy Color-Trak 2" (again, I think), and discovered that it was possible to write a program that could be used for handicapping. After struggling for months trying to get the program working, the way I envisioned, I gave up on it, but, not the idea.
Sometime in the late '80s I discovered spreadsheets and was the proud owner of a PC, with an internet connection. After much trial and error, with them, I discovered "Excel" and past performance data files and I was "off to the races"! It was much easier to manipulate these data files in "Excel" than using a programming language. So, I started designing and creating my first handicapping spreadsheet.
Through a friend in New York, thanks Tony, I was shown a way to convert the comma-delimited file format of the data files into a format that could be imported into Excel. He introduced me to a utility program, available free through "Brisnet.com", a horse racing data provider. The name of the utility is "Infotran". The problem with "Infotran", as I was introduced to it, was that I was unable to utilize all the data available in the "Bris" data files, due to column limitations in "Excel". There was a 256 column limit in "Excel" while there was over 1400 data fields in the raw "Bris" data files. Well, I wasn't using all those fields anyway so I managed to get all the data I used into "Excel" and my first handicapping spreadsheet was born.
Through the use of "Excel" macros and a little bit of "Visual Basic" programming code I was able to automate the spreadsheet, sufficiently, to save myself lots of time copying and pasting, sorting, printing, etc.. Four versions, and many years later, I was still using only a portion of the available data , but doing quite well despite that fact.
Now we're closer to present day and I'm a member of a racing forum named "Pace Advantage.com", the best such forum on the internet, in my humble opinion. I can't count the number of posts I've read, over the years I've been a member of "PA", that centered on the inability of members to import "Bris" or "TSN" comma-delimited data files into "Excel". I helped several members to accomplish this task the way I was doing it and they were grateful and, for the most part, satisfied with the result. All this "help" took lots of time and much duplication of effort on my part, explaining the workings of "Infotran", writing control files, recording or writing "Excel" macros for automation, etc.. Just a short time ago I decided to try to simplify this process by creating what I call a "template" for "Excel" which would include the importation of data files from either "Brisnet" or "TSN", both data providers are very popular and the data files are inexpensive, compared to some of the other sources available, both public and private. The "template" also includes all 1435 data fields in the Brisnet and TSN single file format data files.
My "brain child" is what I call "AllData PPs". "AllData PPs.xls" is an Excel spreadsheet that imports a race card into "Excel", allows the user to select any of the races on the card and view a "Daily Racing Form" style past performance structure.
This brings us to the present. This website exists as a vehicle to enable anyone to have access to this "template", being able to download the latest version of the spreadsheet free of cost (donations are, of course, accepted with my sincere gratitude, but, not required). This is my way of giving back to the game I have enjoyed all these years.
With collaboration from another handicapper/Excel user named Harry (Hcap on the PA forum), again, from New York, we have bridged the gap, finally, between comma delimited data and Excel, without the need for using "Infotran" to parse the data prior to importation into Excel. The latest version of AllData PPs is named "AllData-NI Batch", "NI" meaning "No Infotran" and "Batch" meaning that AllData NI now has "batch processing" capabilities (importation and processing of many data and results files automatically), which will be needed for integration with our next addition to the AllData family, the "AllData Database". All processes for importing the 1435 data fields of the Bris and TSN data files is now done from within Excel. No more typing in DOS windows!!! Just point and click.
We are now on the cutting edge of thoroughbred handicapping, in Excel, and the sky's the limit.
So, go to the "AllData-NI Batch" page and download the latest non-Infotran version.
If you hover your mouse curser over the "AllData NI Batch" tab, a drop-down menu will appear that is named: "AllData NI Batch - Instructions". Click that sub-menu and read the instructions (with screenshots) for "AllData NI Pre2007 Batch" and give it a go!
Note: the latest version of the "NI Batch" program is named "AllData_J1" and accepts, not only Brisnet data files, but also, HDW JCapper data files. The program operates exactly the same as the former version.
NOTE: The free racing database for AllData is now a reality! It's named "AllDataBase". So, go to the "AllDataBase" page, here on the site, read the instructions, and download "AllDataBase".
Your own horse racing database, finally!
My latest project is now available, to a limited number of users. It is my AllData RS Black Box program. It is geared to win/exacta/picks players, but can be used in other exotics like trifectas and superfectas. This program is based on running styles, early speed points, and pace pressure/pace matchups. The program has proven highly successful at many tracks that I have personally tested. It's fully automated, just like the other AllData Project workbooks. So, if you can operate any of the Alldata Project workbooks, you can operate the RS Black Box program easily. Just click a few buttons and the program spits out your plays. No handicapping involved, it even tells you when to play and when to pass races. The program does it all for you, instantly.
So, click the AllData "RS" Black Box tab at the top of this page and check it out!
If you need to contact me by email, here is my email address: [email protected]
My Excel Spreadsheet Forum is here >>http://AllDataExcel.freeforums.org
Sometime in the late '80s I discovered spreadsheets and was the proud owner of a PC, with an internet connection. After much trial and error, with them, I discovered "Excel" and past performance data files and I was "off to the races"! It was much easier to manipulate these data files in "Excel" than using a programming language. So, I started designing and creating my first handicapping spreadsheet.
Through a friend in New York, thanks Tony, I was shown a way to convert the comma-delimited file format of the data files into a format that could be imported into Excel. He introduced me to a utility program, available free through "Brisnet.com", a horse racing data provider. The name of the utility is "Infotran". The problem with "Infotran", as I was introduced to it, was that I was unable to utilize all the data available in the "Bris" data files, due to column limitations in "Excel". There was a 256 column limit in "Excel" while there was over 1400 data fields in the raw "Bris" data files. Well, I wasn't using all those fields anyway so I managed to get all the data I used into "Excel" and my first handicapping spreadsheet was born.
Through the use of "Excel" macros and a little bit of "Visual Basic" programming code I was able to automate the spreadsheet, sufficiently, to save myself lots of time copying and pasting, sorting, printing, etc.. Four versions, and many years later, I was still using only a portion of the available data , but doing quite well despite that fact.
Now we're closer to present day and I'm a member of a racing forum named "Pace Advantage.com", the best such forum on the internet, in my humble opinion. I can't count the number of posts I've read, over the years I've been a member of "PA", that centered on the inability of members to import "Bris" or "TSN" comma-delimited data files into "Excel". I helped several members to accomplish this task the way I was doing it and they were grateful and, for the most part, satisfied with the result. All this "help" took lots of time and much duplication of effort on my part, explaining the workings of "Infotran", writing control files, recording or writing "Excel" macros for automation, etc.. Just a short time ago I decided to try to simplify this process by creating what I call a "template" for "Excel" which would include the importation of data files from either "Brisnet" or "TSN", both data providers are very popular and the data files are inexpensive, compared to some of the other sources available, both public and private. The "template" also includes all 1435 data fields in the Brisnet and TSN single file format data files.
My "brain child" is what I call "AllData PPs". "AllData PPs.xls" is an Excel spreadsheet that imports a race card into "Excel", allows the user to select any of the races on the card and view a "Daily Racing Form" style past performance structure.
This brings us to the present. This website exists as a vehicle to enable anyone to have access to this "template", being able to download the latest version of the spreadsheet free of cost (donations are, of course, accepted with my sincere gratitude, but, not required). This is my way of giving back to the game I have enjoyed all these years.
With collaboration from another handicapper/Excel user named Harry (Hcap on the PA forum), again, from New York, we have bridged the gap, finally, between comma delimited data and Excel, without the need for using "Infotran" to parse the data prior to importation into Excel. The latest version of AllData PPs is named "AllData-NI Batch", "NI" meaning "No Infotran" and "Batch" meaning that AllData NI now has "batch processing" capabilities (importation and processing of many data and results files automatically), which will be needed for integration with our next addition to the AllData family, the "AllData Database". All processes for importing the 1435 data fields of the Bris and TSN data files is now done from within Excel. No more typing in DOS windows!!! Just point and click.
We are now on the cutting edge of thoroughbred handicapping, in Excel, and the sky's the limit.
So, go to the "AllData-NI Batch" page and download the latest non-Infotran version.
If you hover your mouse curser over the "AllData NI Batch" tab, a drop-down menu will appear that is named: "AllData NI Batch - Instructions". Click that sub-menu and read the instructions (with screenshots) for "AllData NI Pre2007 Batch" and give it a go!
Note: the latest version of the "NI Batch" program is named "AllData_J1" and accepts, not only Brisnet data files, but also, HDW JCapper data files. The program operates exactly the same as the former version.
NOTE: The free racing database for AllData is now a reality! It's named "AllDataBase". So, go to the "AllDataBase" page, here on the site, read the instructions, and download "AllDataBase".
Your own horse racing database, finally!
My latest project is now available, to a limited number of users. It is my AllData RS Black Box program. It is geared to win/exacta/picks players, but can be used in other exotics like trifectas and superfectas. This program is based on running styles, early speed points, and pace pressure/pace matchups. The program has proven highly successful at many tracks that I have personally tested. It's fully automated, just like the other AllData Project workbooks. So, if you can operate any of the Alldata Project workbooks, you can operate the RS Black Box program easily. Just click a few buttons and the program spits out your plays. No handicapping involved, it even tells you when to play and when to pass races. The program does it all for you, instantly.
So, click the AllData "RS" Black Box tab at the top of this page and check it out!
If you need to contact me by email, here is my email address: [email protected]
My Excel Spreadsheet Forum is here >>http://AllDataExcel.freeforums.org