Horse racing news and analysis from TheFreePPs.com
ATTENTION: You can now access free past performances using the URL FreePPs.com.
Help the player. Help the game.
Free Past Performances
Home / CAW / Scooping the Piranhas: Why Computer-Assisted Wagering is Bleeding the Soul Out of Horse Racing

Scooping the Piranhas: Why Computer-Assisted Wagering is Bleeding the Soul Out of Horse Racing

horse race handicapping algorithm Canva

By TheFreePPs Editorial Team Published on TheFreePPs.com – December 9, 2025

Imagine this: You’re at a high-stakes poker table in a dimly lit casino, the air thick with cigar smoke and anticipation. You’ve studied the players, read the tells, and placed your chips with calculated precision. The pot’s building, and you sense an edge. But just as the cards are about to flip, the house dealer slides in an extra hand—one that’s not human, not fallible, but a relentless algorithm programmed to sniff out every overlay and devour it whole. It doesn’t bluff. It doesn’t tire. And worst of all? The casino takes a cut from its winnings while you foot the bill for the game.

That’s not a dystopian nightmare; that’s the current state of horse racing’s wagering pools, infested by Computer-Assisted Wagering (CAW) systems. These digital predators—often backed or owned by the very racetracks hosting the races—are turning what was once the greatest game on turf into a rigged slot machine, where the house always wins bigger. As lifelong handicappers and free PPs enthusiasts, we’ve seen the thrill of the game erode under this mechanical onslaught. And if you’re still betting the ponies in 2025, you feel it too.

Inspired by Mark Paul’s blistering two-part letter to the editor in the Paulick Report—a cri de coeur from a breeder, owner, and bestselling author who’s poured his heart (and wallet) into racing for decades—we’re launching this series to shine a spotlight on CAW and rally for real reform. Paul’s vivid analogy of “piranhas in the pools” isn’t hyperbole; it’s a wake-up call. Over the next few articles, we’ll dissect the mechanics of CAW, expose its impact on everyday bettors, interview industry insiders who’ve fought back, and blueprint solutions to restore fairness. But let’s start at the beginning: What the hell is CAW, and how did it slither into our game?

The Birth of the Beast: From Sharp Bettors to Soulless Algorithms

CAW isn’t some shadowy cabal; it’s the evolution of high-volume, data-driven betting taken to predatory extremes. Picture sophisticated gamblers—think hedge fund managers with PhDs in statistics—teaming up with software engineers to build automated systems. These aren’t your grandpa’s tote board scribbles; they’re lightning-fast programs that monitor live odds across multiple tracks, crunch millions of data points per second, and pounce on inefficiencies like a hawk on a field mouse.

What started as a tool for “sharp” players has ballooned into a multi-billion-dollar industry. CAW outfits now handle billions in annual wagers, often with the blessing (and rebates) of the tracks themselves. Rebates? Yes—you read that right. While we grind for a $50 trifecta payout, these behemoths get 10% (or more) kicked back on their massive handles, courtesy of takeout reductions negotiated with racetrack operators. It’s like the casino comping the slot machine for playing itself.

Paul nails it in his letter: “For years, I was a horse racing mainstay, betting five figures annually. My average daily bankroll was $600; it ballooned to $3,000 on big days.” He chased the dream—the rush of unearthing a hidden gem in the Pick 4, the camaraderie of the railbirds. But then the CAWs arrived. “My exotic payoffs… now seldom offered any value, because the CAWs knew, instantly, where the overlay bets were hiding.” Overnight, the pools turned toxic. What used to be a 20-1 longshot paying like gold? Now it’s arbitraged to oblivion before the gates even open.

The Human Cost: Chasing Away the Heart of the Game

This isn’t just about bruised egos or lighter wallets; CAW is eroding the soul of horse racing. The sport thrives on its gamblers—the die-hards who buy the programs, study the FreePPs (shoutout to Brisnet, the owners and trainers who subscribe to BrisWatch, and sites like ours for keeping that tradition alive), and turn a afternoon at the track into poetry in motion. But when the pools are dominated by faceless algorithms, that magic evaporates.

  • Small Bettors Sidelined: With CAWs flooding in late-money plays, public bettors see their fair-value wagers diluted. A $2 exacta that should pay $40? It’s crushed to $18 because the bots detected the steam and bet the favorite heavy.
  • Exotics in Exile: Multi-race wagers like the Pick 3 or Superfecta, once the lifeblood of big days, are now CAW feeding frenzies. Payouts shrink, handles stagnate, and tracks wonder why attendance is down. Spoiler: It’s because no one wants to play against a supercomputer with an inside line.
  • The Irony of “Innovation”: Tracks tout ADWs (all-sources wagering) as saviors, but they’re complicit. Many partner with CAW providers, sharing revenue while preaching “integrity.” Paul’s Part 2 correction drives this home: These systems weren’t born to “save racing”—they were weaponized by high-rollers to extract every last cent. And in a sport already battered by scandals (doping, breakdowns, offshore betting raids), this feels like the final betrayal.

We’ve felt it personally. Last summer at Del Mar, we had a rock-solid analysis on a turf sprint—form, pace, trainer angles all aligned. Our $100 wheel was poised for a $1,200 score. Boom: Final odds shift inexplicably in the last 30 seconds. Post-race? A payout that barely covered lunch. Coincidence? In the CAW era, it’s the rule, not the exception.

A Call to the Paddock: It’s Time to Drain the Pool

Horse racing isn’t doomed, but it will be if we let CAW metastasize unchecked. Paul’s letter ends on a poignant note: “Until the piranhas are scooped out of the pools, you’ll find me where the action is fair: See you in the sports bar.” Ouch. That’s not defeatism; that’s a gauntlet thrown. We can’t let the greatest game devolve into a video game for venture capitalists.

In this series, we’ll explore:

  • Next Up (Part 2): The tech behind CAW—how it works, who profits, and why regulators are asleep at the switch.
  • Part 3: Voices from the trenches—bettors, trainers, and track execs weighing in.
  • Part 4: Actionable fixes, from rebate caps to “human-only” windows.

But we need you. Tag us on X (@AnglePicks) with #ScoopingThePiranhas. And if you’re a policymaker reading this—listen up: Ban track-owned CAWs from exotics. Enforce transparency on late-money surges. Make the pools fair again.

Horse racing isn’t just bets; it’s heritage, heartbreak, and horseflesh poetry. Let’s protect it before the algorithms write the final chapter. Who’s with us?

Stay tuned for Part 2. In the meantime, download your free PPs for tomorrow’s cards right here on TheFreePPs.com. Bet smart, bet fair.

Mark Paul’s original letters are must-reads—check them out on PaulickReport.com for the full fire. This series stands on his shoulders, but the fight is ours.