In 1977, before he was known as the creator of "The Beyer Speed Figure," Andrew Beyer set out on a gambling odyssey, determined to prove himself as a horseplayer. He would marshal all his handicapping skills for assaults on four racetracks: Gulfstream Park, Pimlico, Saratoga, and the Barrington Fair. The result provides a timeless, entertaining, and decidedly unromantic look at the world of professional horseplaying.