Dr. David Johnson, a resident of Rancho Santa Fe, CA, spent his professional career as an accomplished professor and researcher in economics and statistics. His avocation, however, has always been thoroughbred handicapping and wagering.

Since he was first introduced to the fascinating sport of thoroughbred racing, Dr. Johnson's overriding objective has been to make a profit betting on the races.

He fondly recalls one of his earliest wagering experiences that took place many years ago at Pleasanton, a popular stop on the Northern California county fair circuit:

"Something I spotted in the Daily Racing Form prompted me to bet $2 to win on a longshot named Big Zida. The public favorite in the race was a horse named Pound Cake. Now, Pound Cake appeared to be the easiest of winners during the running of the race, but was beaten at the finish line by Big Zida. And Big Zida paid $96 to win!!!"

As a university professor, Dr. Johnson enjoyed an abbreviated work year that gave him plenty of time time to pursue and refine his thoroughbred handicapping and wagering skills.

Through trial-and-error, Dr. Johnson's experiences led him to the conclusion that there is no shortcut to profitability in simply betting angles or betting angles in conjunction with a casual reading of past performances.

By 1990, he was convinced that he must become a comprehensive handicapper of one track or develop an alternative approach that included comprehensive handicapping.

His conclusion ultimately led to the development of The Valuline, a robot or computer solution that presents the most likely win contenders in each race at tracks throughout North America. Today, The Valuline reports are a popular and top-selling product on prestigious handicapping/wagering web sites such as TVG, Trackmaster, Equibase, and YouBet.

Dr. Johnson's new book, Value Betting at The Racetrack, is his legacy to the horseplayers of the 21st century.

For this reason, says Dr. Johnson, "I am truthfully sharing my experiences with horseplayers as a memoir, even though it may alienate my angle-promoting and angle-selling colleagues."