The first screen that pops up when you start StkUltra is the main text screen. You can use this screen for creating and/or modifying your scripts. It is also useful for making small corrections in data files, or text Entry files.

Under the "Options" menu item on this screen is the "HOT" option. When the "HOT" option is selected, the label on the "Filter ->" will change to "HOT" and anything pasted into the main text area will be searched for a Race Day name. If a Race Day Name is found it is put into the FileName text box just to the right of the "Save As ->" command button so that a pasted race day file can be saved without typing the name into the FileName text box.

To paste previously copied text into the main text area, click the mouse button that is on the right hand side of the mouse. You can Right-Click and Paste; Right-Click and Select All; Right-Click and Copy selected text.

Some web browsers, such as FireFox, organize text copied from web page tables by placing a tab character between table elements. Internet Explorer does not do this, and so is not a good option for copying and pasting web page text that some programs can organize into .DOC data files.

Step 2: Click the Back Menu Item

StkUltra Show-Files Screen
Where most of the work is done

The programs that accomplish the work are invoked by command buttons and scripts. Some command-button tasks are duplicated by scripts. Scripts are user controlled and easily modified. Command button functions are generally fixed.

A column of command buttons down the center of the screen cause the file-list box to show files of different types. The "Scripts" command button shows the script programs in the working folder.

A working session is usually started by clicking "Scripts" then running the "CLEANUP.BAT" script program. This gets you ready to download new data files and sets up for a new round of handicapping.

Step 3: Click Scripts, run CLEANUP.BAT

Users Scripts
Control Your Data Your Way

If the list of scripts looks like a bag of worms to you, don't be alarmed. In time, your own list of scripts will be familiar to you, but would look like a bag of worms to anyone else. At first, you only need one or two.

Shown selected below, the DRFSTK.BAT script converts zipped BRIS Single-File-Format data files to STK data files and makes them ready for handicapping by StkUltra. Click the script, then click the Run It command button to make it do its thing.

You can left-click any of the scripts to highlight them and show their actual text in the Info text box that is just to the right of the column of command buttons. You can modify scripts by editing them in the Info text box. A Save command button will appear at the upper right of the Info text box any time you make a change within the box.

You can also click the Open command button to open the file in the main text area of StkUltra. There, you can edit and save the changes as well. This works for any file.

Step 4: Download data files, run DRFSTK.BAT to convert BRIS data

Handicapping the BRIS data file
Compacting the file down to its vital essence.

Click the STK command button to show your list of STK files that you made by running the DRFSTK.BAT script against your downloaded zipped BRIS Single File Format data files. Click one of the STK files to handicap. Then click the HnCap command button at the top right of the file list.

All STK files for the track code of the highlighted file will be handicapped, producing a compact .DOC file for each one. You can also use the Command Central HnCp command button to handicap all STK files of the track code that is in the text box to the right of the Nxt command button of Command Central.

Step 5: Click the STK command button
Step 6: Click the .STK file to highlight it
Step 7: Click the HnCap command button to make the .DOC files.

StkUltra's Compact Data File

When the HnCap command button is clicked, StkUltra calls StkU.exe to do the work of creating the DOC files.

StkU.exe makes a list of all STK files that match the track code of the highlighted file and produces one DOC file for each STK file. StkU.exe uses the handicapping criteria for that track code as a guide.

Click the DOC command button to see a list of DOC files you have created. If you have DOC file information in your working directory it will pop into the Info text box. If you do not have DOC file information, a complaint will appear in the Info text box, naming the Info file needed.

To make tip sheets for the track code of a highlighted DOC file, click the DOC file, then click the Mk Tips command button. StkUltra calls StkU to create tip sheet web pages, and analysis web pages from all DOC files with the track code of the highlighted file.

You can also make these same cross-linked tip sheets and analysis web pages from the Command Central console by clicking the Make ABC's command button with the track code of interest in the track code text box.

Step 8: Click the DOC command button
Step 9: Click the DOC file to highlight it
Step 10: Click the Mk Tips command button and we have --

The Finished Products
Cross-linked web page tip sheets
and analysis reports.

StkUltra produces web page style tip sheets based upon the track and distance-specific criteria and profile set for each track. A profile set for each race track can be trained using a list of races from that track or from any track or from any group of race tracks.

Artificial computer intelligence style training finds the best way to treat the data elements fixed in the .DOC files. The same .DOC files may be trained many different ways to produce multiple profile sets. There are five different methods and nineteen different items that users may train profiles for.

StkUltra uses the scientifically correct method to produce an odds line for horses in a race. The odds may be spread making low odds lower and high odds higher, but the overall odds numbers are held to the scientific principle that the sum of the winning probabilities of all horses must be one. In scientific terms, the sum of the reciprocals of the odds must equal one. In StkUltra this is true. Probabilities are the reciprocal of the odds and are shown multiplied by 100.

Maybe we should say almost scientifically correct, because this assumes that some horse will win the race. This is not absolutely correct because there is a very remote possibility that no horse will win. But the probability of that is so remote that we can safely ignore it in the odds calculations.

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