Book excerpt: Discover the irresistible allure of horse racing and the thrill of winning. This invaluable book shares a proven, easy to learn system that you can use to beat the odds and win big at the racetrack. It helps you determine which horse to pick and what size your wager should be based on tote board data, and it reveals strategies for maximizing your winnings. With clear writing and entertaining real-world examples, authors William Ziemba and Donald Hausch explain the fundamentals of track racing and show how patterns of public inefficiency in betting pools can lead to you reaping big payoffs. Rather than focusing on the complicated details of thoroughbred handicapping, the groundbreaking "Dr. Z" system offers mathematical models based on stock-market analysis. After their initial scientific analysis of historical data from past races, the authors verified their betting method by testing it with real bets--and it worked. It teaches you when to bet and what a good bet is, and advises how much to wager based on your betting stake. When properly applied, the method's average profit per dollar wagered is about 10%. Using it, you will be able to minimize risk and increase your winnings. "This book is for people who want to win. The gambling system it presents is one of the few I have ever seen that I think really works. I am convinced enough to bet my own money on it." Edward O. Thorp, from the book's introduction