If you are a casual player and feel overwhelmed by what seems to be an excess of information to work with, begin your handicapping of each race by eliminating half of the horses in each race by highest odds. 

Use a graded handicap listing morning line odds. This can be in the Daily Racing Form, the track program, etc. Example: a race has twelve horses. Half of 12 is 6. Find the six horses listed at the highest odds and throw them out. (If a race has an odd number of entries, round up: 11 horses entered, use the 6 lowest odds horses). 

Statistics show that the majority of winners come from the half of the field going off at lower odds. This may be stronger today than just a few years ago as some tracks must card short fields compared to average field size in the past. 

Sure, you'll miss some longshots, but in the absence of in-depth handicapping, this simple start can be a great help for the casual player. It's a lot easier to handicap 6 horses than 12!