Actually, all that stuff you wrote doesn't apply much to the way I cap them. BIGGEST part of my handicapping is .... knowing the how the TRACK works.. it's the track that counts. PLENTY of times I used to not even bother with the pps at Philly and did VERY good. Still don' t bother with them sometimes even now, but I usually getem cause they're free for frequent bettors at TT. After that it's knowing the horses that run at that track (some liike inside posts, some do better for one TRAINER than a different one, Some JOCKEYS and HORSES get along better than other pairs do. Don't even bother that much with Beyer's or speed ratings.
EVERYbody looks for the "ALL AROUND" solution to pick horses.. IMO - that doesn't work. No "universal" system is worth a damn.
Here's what I did ... watched Philly for something like FIVE YEARS, and ONLY Philly. Got to know the horses by WATCHING them, not on paper. Good tracks to follow are ones that pretty much keep a constant colony of horses, riders, trainers, AND OWNERS. Pick a track HM; one that I know of would be Laurel, Philly, even Suffolk. Calder was a very good one before they went El Spanole. And Aqueduct, that's prob the best one, but you'll be betting favorites there. Still, putting in the study and TIME and that track will payoff.
Sorry, their ain't no crying in Basebawl and their ain't no shortcuts in hoss wacin, HM. Your biuddy who knows football like the back of his hand is on the right track. That's how ya gotta know the hosses at YOUR track. Touts peddled "universal systems" for years, the public gave up on them cause they got tired of losing their moola. Look at the attendence figures and handle.
Besides, if I spilled ALL the beans that took me a lifetime to develope.. . just think what all them PTs (Peepers) would do to us at a small handle track like Philly. LOL
Be happy and just follow the picks while thems coming.