The Myth of the Single Ticket: Why Spread Strategy Beats Caveman Plays
Why Caveman Tickets Fail Smart Players
Most players build their multi-race bets the same way: they list every horse they want in each leg, then multiply it out—2x4x4x3—and play it as a single, all-or-nothing ticket. That’s what Steven Crist famously called the “caveman” approach.
The flaw is simple: it assumes you like every horse on your ticket equally. But you don’t. You might love one horse in Race 3, be unsure in Race 4, and just include a price horse in Race 5 because “you never know.” Treating all those opinions the same—same weight, same cost—is inefficient.
ABC betting breaks that mold. Instead of one big ticket, you build multiple smaller ones—most of your budget goes through the horses you like best (“A” horses), less through your backups (“B” horses), and a tiny sliver through the desperation plays (“C” horses). You spread smart.
What Is the ABC Method?
What Is the ABC Method?
The ABC wagering strategy was popularized by Steve Crist, who described it as the best way to express nuanced opinions in multi-race sequences without ballooning the cost of your ticket. It doesn’t pick the winners for you — that’s still your job — but it helps you bet smarter by weighting your strongest opinions more heavily.
Instead of treating every contender equally, the ABC method divides your horses into three tiers:
- A horses: Your most likely winners — the ones you’re willing to lean on. They’ll be on every major ticket.
- B horses: Win candidates, but not strong enough to be counted on fully. You’ll want them as backups in case your “A” horses fail.
- C horses: Longshots or chaos candidates. You don’t expect them to win, but you’ll use them defensively if they help trigger a big payout.
By creating tickets that emphasize your A horses while still protecting against upsets with B and C horses, you can cover more ground without going broke.
How to Structure Your Spread
Sample ABC Ticket Construction
Let’s take a look at how ticket construction changes when you apply the ABC approach to a real sequence. Say you’re looking at a Pick 4 and you’ve labeled your contenders like this:
- Leg 1: A: 2, B: 6
- Leg 2: A: 4,5
- Leg 3: A: 3,4, B: 5,6
- Leg 4: A: 2,4, B: 7
If you were to throw all those horses together on a single caveman-style ticket, you’d be looking at:
2 / 4,5 / 3,4,5,6 / 2,4,7 = 48 combinations at $1 = $48
Now here’s how that same set of opinions might look when structured using the ABC method:
Core A Ticket
$2.50 Pick 4: 2 / 4,5 / 3,4 / 2,4 = $20
This is your strongest conviction ticket. It runs entirely through your top-rated horses in every leg.
Single B Inclusion (1 per ticket)
$1.50 Pick 4: 2 / 4,5 / 3,4 / 7 = $6
$1.50 Pick 4: 2 / 4,5 / 5,6 / 2,4 = $6
$1.50 Pick 4: 6 / 4,5 / 3,4 / 2,4 = $6
Double B Coverage
$1.00 Pick 4: 6 / 4,5 / 5,6 / 2,4 = $2
Add C-style protection
$1.00 Pick 4: 2 / 4,5 / 3,4 / 7 = $4
$1.00 Pick 4: 2 / 4,5 / 5,6 / 2,4 = $8
Total spend: $46
Notice what happens here: you’re still covering all your contenders — but you’re weighting your strongest opinions the heaviest. The ticket with all A’s is worth $2.50. The tickets involving B or fringe runners are either played less often or at a smaller base. This means if your A's win, you get paid. If a B or C hits, you still cash — but you haven’t burned your whole bankroll chasing chaos.
The ABC method isn’t about finding the winners — that’s your job as a handicapper. But once you’ve done the work, it helps you express your opinions with maximum efficiency. That’s not guesswork. That’s strategy.
Crist’s Case for Structured Wagering
Steven Crist didn’t just popularize the ABC method — he dismantled the flawed logic behind flat, one-size-fits-all betting. His argument was simple: you shouldn't be spending the same amount on a strong favorite as you do on a last-minute desperation toss.
In Exotic Betting, Crist wrote:
“The caveman ticket assumes you like all your horses equally, which is rarely the case. Why spend the same amount of money on a tepid backup as you do on a standout opinion?”
This isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about investing with purpose. Crist’s approach gave everyday players a practical way to mimic how professional syndicates manage risk and reward across a sequence. Bet hardest when you're most right. Scale back when you're guessing. Don’t let emotional attachment or fear turn your ticket into a mess.
Smart ticket construction is what separates handicappers from hopefuls. Crist gave the game a blueprint — and it’s still sharp as ever.
Building Better Tickets with ABC Strategy
Once you’ve assigned A, B, and C labels to your contenders, the real edge comes from how you build your tickets around those opinions. This isn’t just about coverage — it’s about confidence weighting.
- A horses: These are your most likely winners — but that doesn’t mean they’re the favorites. A horse earns this label if you believe it has a high chance of winning relative to the field, not just the odds. Some of the best A’s are horses the public overlooks.
- B horses: Contenders with a chance, but not your top pick. They might be solid runners who need a trip, or favorites you respect but don’t love. You include them — but with less weight.
- C horses: These are bombs, chaos horses, or “use just in case” types. You include them in small denominations where they can blow up the tote and still get you paid.
- Structure your tickets accordingly: Focus your budget on the A-heavy tickets. Sprinkle in B support, and use C horses where the payout justifies the risk.
At its core, this strategy lets you express your edge without overspending. And when your A’s fire — especially the ones the public misses — you’re in position to capitalize in a big way.
Why the ABC Method Outperforms Caveman Tickets
The single-ticket approach — known as the “caveman” ticket — is the exact kind of wager the house hopes you’ll make. One big ticket that treats every horse you kind of like the same way, with no regard for confidence, value, or probability. It’s easy to build, and even easier to beat.
Why? Because when you lump your A, B, and fringe picks into one flat structure, you’re spending the same amount of money on shaky opinions as you are on standout ones. That’s the worst thing you can do as a serious player — and the best thing you can do for the track’s handle.
The ABC method changes that. It lets you press your edge where you’re strongest and scale back where you're uncertain. Instead of wasting bankroll on backups, you’re putting it to work — emphasizing your top-tier horses while still protecting against chaos with low-cost alternatives.
Over time, ABC players don’t just hit more — they hit smarter. And when a price horse comes through one leg after three A’s, they’re alive for a serious payoff on a $2 ticket while the caveman player is left with 50 cents spread across every “maybe.”
In Crist’s words:
“The caveman ticket is what the track wants you to play — not what you should be playing if you’re serious about cashing when it counts.”
Grading Horses: A, B, and C Explained
The ABC method only works if you're honest about your opinions. Grading horses isn’t about following the tote board or labeling the favorite as an automatic A. It’s about assessing your confidence — and your edge.
An “A” doesn’t mean low odds. It means a horse you believe has a strong winning chance relative to the rest of the field and the price being offered. Sometimes that’s a 2-1 shot. Sometimes it’s 10-1 who’s sitting on a peak effort and will be ignored by the crowd. That’s where your value lives.
“B” horses are those that can win, but you have questions. Maybe the pace doesn’t favor them, maybe they’re second off the layoff and still figuring it out — but they’re logical enough to include in supporting tickets.
“C” horses are chaos plays. Ones that require things to break their way — a hot pace meltdown, a troubled trip for others, or an unexpected move forward. You don’t lean on them, but you also don’t want to miss a $40 horse that sneaks in and makes your day.
Grading isn’t science — it’s skill. The better you get at assigning A, B, and C based on your reads (not just the public’s), the more powerful this method becomes.
Multi-race betting isn’t just about picking winners — it’s about how you bet when you're right. The ABC method lets you press strong opinions and spread smartly around uncertainty, without blowing your entire budget on one big, flat caveman ticket.
This strategy keeps your bankroll alive. By focusing your firepower where it matters most, you preserve funds for the next opportunity — instead of handing over unnecessary margin to the takeout. The house already has enough of your money. Give them as little as possible.
If you're serious about return on investment, confident in your own opinions, and disciplined enough to structure your tickets accordingly, ABC isn’t optional — it's essential.
Grade your contenders. Weight your tickets. Play smart. And stay in the game longer.