Though their past gaffes haven’t faded away, those fearless pro forecasters, heading into a new decade, have no hestitation in putting a . . . : Finger on Fate : Picks and Ponies

Bob Baedeker of Laguna Hills, whose family produces the thoroughbred racing tip sheet sold at Santa Anita and other race tracks, remembers well his best streak of predictions:

“On our Baedeker Guide, we give three choices for each race, the first one being our top pick: On the three days of the Labor Day weekend in 1984, my dad (Frederick) was traveling, and I did the handicapping. Out of those 27 races, my top picks won 19 times.”

On the other hand, there was a low point, in 1968--ironically, the first day the son was on his own to produce picks: “My dad was preparing to join a picnic group in the Santa Anita infield, and he asked me to do the card. Out of my three choices for each of the nine races--a total of 27 selections--I had a grand total of one winner.

“I had to suffer along with dad as the afternoon party wore on in the infield. When I got home, my mom said: ‘Well, you’ve got nowhere to go but up.’ ”

It was nearly half a century ago that Frederick Baedeker, now 76, began the tip sheet, selling it on the streets leading to the tracks. His high point came on opening day at Hollywood Park in 1950, when he had eight winners out of eight picks, one of them paying $27.

Nowadays the father and his 43-year-old son alternate the job.

“One of the first things my father stressed to me,” the son said, “was to visualize the race in advance--which horses will be the early speed, which will be in mid-pack, which will be coming from behind.”

Whoever is to do the next day’s card, the younger Baedeker said, spends three or four hours the night before studying the Daily Racing Form and his own notes and running and rerunning race videotapes.

The next morning he calls the racing secretary’s office for the scratches, then has the selections printed.

For the clients, it’s in the card.