Horse Racing is the Most Exciting Sport Out There

• Author: David Gately
• Filed under: Horse Racing
• Date: Aug 29,2009

A horse race is the pure embodiment of excitement and thrill–massive animals hurtling forth, chomping at the bit, deciding fates in the course of a couple short minutes. As long as horse racing has existed, betting on the horses has existed as well and today there is more opportunity than ever to get involved in this exciting sport, and to make a little money as well. Despite the opportunity, there is considerable risk and it is worth your while to do your research before laying down money. So many punters just bet on whims, but with the amount of information available to the public it makes more sense to use it to one’s advantage. Here are some pieces of advice to get you started.

The form should be your bible, learn to understand what it says and how to use it. Its many abbreviations can be confusing, but here is a brief explanation of the most common ones: “T” tells you that the horse won in the past at this track, but in a race of a different distance; “D” indicates that the horse, in the past, has won at this distance, but not on this track; “C” tells you that the horse won at the same distance on the same track as today’s; “B” is an indication for “beaten favorite;” “H” means “home track” for that horse; “W or M” tells you that this horse has won on wet tracks, rated either slow or heavy.

Begin your research by looking back at the horse’s last races. Look for a hot streak. Handicappers can’t agree on the most important factor, but lots of people will tell you to start your search by finding a horse that lead the pack in its last race. Take it from there.

Horse tables in the papers will show numbered ratings next to the horse’s names, with 100 being the highest chance of winning and all other horses in the race at numbers below 100. While these are a good guide for novices, do not be fooled into thinking that 100s are always winners. Again, look at these numbers for an idea, but do further research as well.

In reality, favorites take the crown about 30% of the time, which should dispel any notions of a “sure thing”.

Trainers use equipment such as eye blinkers, lugging bits, and nose rolls to control the horse or correct problems it has been having. Take note of any mention in the comments of changes, such as taking off or putting on blinkers. These might indicate a change in chances of winning.

Horses that have recently dropped in class may be good bets, in the absence of other negative factors. On a racing form, look for either an arrow up or down, or “U” or “D” next to the horse’s name to know whether or not it is moving class.

Track conditions are a big factor in predicting winners. Fast, slow, dead, and heavy describe the moisture on a track, with fast being a dry hard track and heavy being a wet track. These words also correspond to a numeric scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the driest and 10 being the wettest. If a horse is a recent winner but has not won in wet conditions, it may not be a good bet. Tracks have their personalities and idiosyncrasies, and you may find it easier to win on some tracks than on others. This is normal, and most veteran punters will tell you that they have tracks they love and tracks they hate. Avoid the ones you hate.

As race day approaches, odds on a horse will change. Keep an eye on the odds for sure, but do not make bets based solely on them.

To elucidate, a horse for which odds improve is known as a firmer, while the opposite is known as a blower. Remember all firmers do not win, and all blowers do not lose.

Above all, remember that horse prices are the product of many opinions. Your opinion should be based on your interpretation of all of the information available to you, but it very likely will differ from the quoted price. That is ok. This is how to find value-look for the horse on which you and the market do not agree, and go with it.