Setting QuickDog to Display the Best Method
When using the 5 included handicapping methods, Standard, Knife, Knife Adapted, Morgan, and Consensus. You can select this feature so that QuickDog automatically selects the method that has worked best in the past for the track currently selected.
For QuickDog to "know" which method is best, you must Supertune or at least Backtest a method so that QuickDog knows the "method's success".
Recall, or read the sections on Backtest or Supertune, and you'll understand that when you backtest or supertune a track profile, that track profile is updated with a line that records the success of the method over the last X number of races at the track. This figure is updated each time you re-backtest or re-supertune.
There while you work offline with QuickDog to keep your handicapping methods fresh by backtesting or supertuning them, you can use this feature - BEST METHOD - to automatically select the best handicapping method of the 5 for the current race conditions. It's all automatic once you select it.
BUT REMEMBER! It will only find the best method of those 5 that have been backtested or supertuned. If you try using this feature and it doesn't appear to work, then you can select each of the 5 methods for a particular race and look at the "method's success" line - just above the lower large Predicted Order of Finish Box at the bottom of each method. Also, keep in mind that this feature is not including any Custom Methods you may have created.
Now let's see how to enable this feature. Click on this feature using the Handicapping_Tools drop down menu. Select "Best Method".
Figure 1 - Setting up Best Method
This first popup which allows you to enable or cancel the Best Method warns the user once again that all 5 methods must be backtested first. Since Supertune does many backtests then supertuning a method will also backtest it. If you're read to go, then click OK, otherwise click on CANCEL to return to the currently selected method so that you can begin backtesting.
Before leaving this popup, notice the third option. "SORT BY SCORE" means that not only do you want to use the Best Method, you'd also like QuickDog to sort your selections best dog first, worst dog last. Let's select this button.
Figure 2 - QuickDog's Best Method for Gulf Maiden 550 Races
After QuickDog has checked on each of the 5 methods for best performance, the Standard Method has been automatically selected for race 1 above. This race is for Maidens and goes 550 yards. Note also that the dogs are no longer listed in Post Position order, rather they are listed best to worst - note the scores. Also look at the Method's Success line which reads - "Win 56.00 Pct WGR-1234/1234 $24 - 125 Races". This line tells us that when we backtested we used 125 back races and won with a box 4 exacta 56% of the time.
What will the next race produce? Let's click on the Race Forward arrow at the top left of the display to find out which method will handicap race 2 the best.
Figure 3 - Race 2 at Gulf Grade D Distance 550
QuickDog has selected the Knife Adapted Method for this type of race. So, by now it should be obvious that if you print the entire race program's selections you may have different methods for each race.
A last note - make sure when backtesting each method that you use the same backtest criteria. In other words the same wager, the same target value, and the same number of races. Notice above that the number of races used for this backtest was 300 races. Whereas in race 1, the number used was 125. Try to keep these values as close together to more accurately record the method's success for all 5 methods.