Harness Helper was first introduced in 1986 as a DOS-only application. Starting with version 6.0 the application was transposed to run under the Windows operating system. Currently Harness Helper (manual input) stands at version 8.1 (still available here).

The DDCH-SS (Data Download with Charts AND LohgShot SnapShot) version is a progression of our 25 years of experience with Harness Racing.

This is Harness Helper DDCH 1.40 _AND_ Harness SnapShot 1.2 incorporated into ONE application called Harness Helper DDCH-SS.

It has ALL the features of DDCH version 1.40 and SnapShot version 1.2 as ONE application.

SnapShot is the proverbial Back Box. There is very little user control. It purposely is stingy when it comes to how it predicts long shot possiblities. It works from a proven criteria that, to be effective, should not be tampered with -- except for adjusing Days Ago and Morning Line Odds cutoff.

Although combined into one package, Harness Helper DDCH and Harness SnapShot are independent engines. They both feed from the Past Performance Data Files but react to the data in VERY different ways.

Please see the Harness ShapShot webpage for a more in-depth explanation of how SnapShot works.

The Adjustor allows the user to alter the way some aspects of Harness-DDCH-SS are calculated to determine the outcome of the Ratings. This places more control in the hands of the user as an individual. The Adjustor is a sophisticated tool for the more experienced handicapper. In most cases, there is no need to adjust the Harness-DDCH-SS Ratings. However, experienced handicappers have the ability to see things that 'could' determine a different outcome than HH-DDCH-SS may suggest for certain tracks under certain conditions.

Of course, there is no reason an inexperienced handicapper cannot use the Adjustor to research 'what if' possiblilities!

• Late Speed
• Early Speed
• Pace
• Effort
• Class
• Post Position
• Money Per Start
• Horse Win Percentage
• Driver Win Percentage
• Trainer Win Percentage

Pace Chart

The Pace Chart shows Quarter Times (for example: 29.1, 30.2, 31.0, 28.3), 1-2 Quarter combined time, 2-3 Quarter combined time and 3-4 Quarter combined time of the very last (previous) race of all the horses in today's race.

The times shown in the Pace Chart are the times of the Horses on the Chart (not the leader) ran in their 'very last' race.

Each time you display a Pace Chart you have the option of clicking on the FILEBOX Icon to save the Chart as part of (or all of) a CSV/TXT file or clicking on the PRINTER Icon to print the single Pace Chart directly to your printer.

Exporting the Chart or multiple Charts (by clicking on the FILEBOX Icon) can come in handy for a number of reasons.

The most important reason for many is that you have the ability to print ALL or just the Races you choose, as a continuous printout. If you chose to Export Races 1, 3, 5, 7 and 11 after importing into another application (like Excel) you could print out the five races on 2 sheets of paper (opposed to 5 sheets when using the PRINTER Icon output).

If you use spreadsheets, databases and analysis charts, you should be familiar with importing data to these types of applications. Most all the major spreadsheet, database and graphs applications have an import feature that is compatible with CSV/TXT data. The documentation goes into great detail on importing the file into spreadsheets.

Individual Chart

Clicking on any entry on the Ratings Screen will bring up a Chart of the horse's last five races. The Chart shows times, lengths ahead/behind, park outs, breaks, positions at all calls and more. It also shows whether the horse was On the Pace or Off the Pace. Using the Pace numbers can provide a relatively accurate picture for the horse at the calls of the race.

Statistics Chart

This Chart shows:

* the average winning times for Pacers and Trotters on fast, good, sloppy, slow and muddy/heavy surfaces.

* the number of wins from Post Positions 1-10 and the percentage of the wins.

* the number of wins and the percentage of wins for post time odds.

The Statistics Chart data is taken from the current data file (race card) you are handicapping. It provides 'current' data -- not data that was compiled last year for the year before!

The user can use the average times data to change/update the offset times used internally by Harness-DDCH.

All Charts can be Maximized, Minimized, Moved, Sized. The Charts can be displayed at the same time and you can 'Overlay' Charts to make comparisons.

Average Quarters/Positions Chart

This chart shows the 'average' time THIS horse ran the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Quarter. The QAvg is the 'average' of the "averaged" quarters ( 1Q-28.0, 2Q-30.0, 3Q-30.0, 4Q-28.0 = QAvg of 29.0).

This chart also shows the 'average' position of THIS horse at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Quarter and Finish.

Again, the Quarter Times and Positions in the Quarters are for THIS horse -- NOT the leader.

Listed below are SOME of the aspects covered by Harness-DDCH-SS:

Harness-DDCH-SS does an excellent job of prediciting the probable outcome of a harness race, given the data avaliable to the handicapping engine. Picking the winner of every race or even 50% of all races on every race card is a monumental task for any handicapper or handicapping program.

There are many times when HH-DDCH-SS's engine will pick over WELL OVER 50% of the winners on a single race card. But, expecting that type of performance from every race card is unreasonable.

If there were a software program that would pick a consistent 50% winners of all race cards (and, there isn't), there would be many more millionaires -- until the program caught on widely -- then all parimutual payoffs would be reduced to $2.10, $ 2.10, $2.10.

All good handicappers know that playing every race is foolish. Good handicappers are extremely selective of the races they play.

For example, Maiden Races with 'conditions' are generally a Fool's Game. Unless there is an entry that is so outstanding that everyone see it. If so, the Fool's lay out $2.00 and IF they win get a whopping $2.10 - $2.40 back. Quite chancy for the such a small return. Good handicappers would stay away from that type of race.

Why? Because they should either not be betting that race or are betting it incorrectly.

We won't bore you with outrageous claims regarding the effectiveness of Harness-DD. Statistics can always be generated to favor whatever one wants to embellish.

Why are we telling you this? Because we know that Harness-DDCH-SS works for those who use their head!

Harness-DDCH-SS will work for you if you let it. Our user upgrade percentage is 73%. That tells us that something must be working for close to 3/4 of our users.

If you bet every race and expect to win 50% or more then please click your BACK button -- Harness-DDCH-SS is not for you.