Bob Shirilla has been handicapping thoroughbred races since 1974, when he caught the bug at Waterford Park in West Virginia — buying $1 bet slips in the parking lot before he even made it through the gate. What started as a passion for the puzzle of picking winners has evolved over five decades into a disciplined, analytically grounded methodology that forms the foundation of Daily Racing Edge.

The Analytical Edge

What separates Bob’s approach from typical handicappers is a background that almost no one in the horse racing space can match.

While working full time at Youngstown Sheet & Tube in the mid-1970s, Bob was selected from the labor pool to join the company’s Research & Development Laboratory. There, under the direct mentorship of the company’s chief statistician, he was trained in nonlinear multivariate regression analysis — the statistical science of modeling complex relationships between multiple variables to predict outcomes.

He immediately recognized the application to thoroughbred handicapping. A horse race is a collision of pace dynamics, class levels, surface conditions, trainer intentions, jockey decisions, and dozens of interacting variables. The same analytical framework used to optimize a steel mill’s processes turned out to be a remarkably powerful lens for reading a past performance sheet.

That statistical foundation — combined with Andrew Beyer’s speed figure methodology and fifty years of track observation — is the core of every pick published on this site.

Career Background

Bob earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a major in Industrial Management from Youngstown State University in 1978, putting himself through school entirely self-funded while working full time, graduating completely debt-free.

Youngstown Sheet & Tube (1970–1978) — Selected from the labor pool to join the R&D Laboratory. Trained in nonlinear multivariate regression analysis. Learned Fortran programming and mastered one of the company’s first computers — a Xerox Sigma 5 — revolutionizing the department’s statistical capabilities.

General Motors — Industrial Engineer (1978–1984) — Led the setup of over 400 hourly jobs during the Lordstown plant conversion from H-body to J-body production. Delivered over $1 million in annual cost savings. Became the only engineer regularly invited to UAW labor negotiations due to his ability to bridge technical and human elements of complex disputes.

Electronic Data Systems (1985–2007) — Implemented computer-driven automation systems on GM plant floors. Managed large-scale technology projects consistently delivered on time and within budget. Served as Product Launch Advisor for the 1995 Chevrolet Cavalier and Pontiac Sunfire. In 1989, selected as one of the top 100 engineers and analysts out of more than 10,000 EDS employees for Ross Perot’s prestigious Meeting of the Minds symposium.

R.J. Manray / Simply Bags (2008–2022) — Co-founded and built a successful e-commerce business with his wife. Mastered SEO from the ground up, achieving top Google rankings for competitive retail keywords. The experience of reverse-engineering what Google rewards directly informs how Daily Racing Edge approaches its content.

U.S. Air Force Veteran

Bob served as a Weapons Systems Technician on the F-102 Delta Dagger supersonic jet interceptor from 1966 to 1970, achieving the rank of Sergeant with an Honorable Discharge. His service included tours in Okinawa, Korea, and the Philippines.

On April 15, 1969, when North Korea shot down a U.S. EC-121M reconnaissance aircraft, Bob was serving as team leader for eight airmen responsible for their aircraft’s weapons systems — including radar, infrared, and guidance systems. Despite proximity to active conflict, his team maintained complete operational readiness throughout.

The precision and attention to detail that military service demands never left him. You’ll find it in every race analysis published here.

As Featured In

Forbes

Bloomberg

CNBC

Fox Business

Psychology Today

ZipRecruiter

Glassdoor

StartupNation

MyCorporation

Carol Roth

Practical Ecommerce

CEO Blog Nation

InvoiceBerry

Launch Grow Joy

Bob’s business expertise has been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business, and Psychology Today.

The Handicapping Philosophy

“AI will pick a lot of winners — but at short prices. The public already knows what AI knows. The edge is in what AI misses: the subtle pace scenario, the trainer angle, the track bias developing over a weekend, the horse that ran into trouble last time and is now perfectly spotted. You need both. The machine and the horseplayer.”

Bob’s daily process combines 51 years of past performance analysis, Beyer speed figures, Brisnet and TimeformUS pace figures, AI-assisted pattern recognition, and deep track-specific knowledge of regional circuits like Mahoning Valley and Parx Racing that major services largely ignore.

Why Daily Racing Edge Exists

Most horse racing pick sites offer thin analysis, no educational depth, and anonymous authors with no verifiable credentials. Daily Racing Edge was built on a different premise — that serious bettors deserve serious analysis, complete transparency about the reasoning behind every selection, and genuine educational content that makes them better handicappers.

The picks are free. The analysis is real. The credentials are documented.

Welcome to the edge.

Note: Credentials available upon request.