DiPleco looks at a specific racing situation and makes its conclusion keyed to a database of more than 76,000 races. The book examines what handicapping factors lead to first-time starters achieving a win. What this book does is to put the situation in a question format, then provide an answer and explain what the statistics show. As we all know, first-time starters can be highly profitable, yet quite deceptive, and therefore difficult to handicap. For example, Seabiscuit didn't win until his 18th start and others like Forego, Alysheba, Buckpasser all failed in their first try. DiPleco looks at speed ratings, breeding, age, distance, workouts, surface, equipment, medication, wagering, body language, maiden claiming price, trainer, track conditions, post positions, the starting gate, shoes, and jockey. The horse's body language first time out (with illustrated examples) and how they performed to their odds are also covered. 103 Pgs. 2004