How to Understand Race Horse Handicapping
In handicap races, handicappers assign weights to each horse. A favored horse will carry more weight and give all horses an equal chance to win the race. Handicapping is predicting which horses have the best chance to win a race. The key is to figure where the horse will be at each point of the race compared to his last race, and if he is a come-from-behind or a front-runner horse.
The Programs You Need To Help You Bet
- Purchase a track program and read about the horses, jockeys, trainers and owners.
- Buy the $4 "Daily Racing Form" to find information about upcoming races. The "Past Performances" section includes the Breyer's Speed figures that tell how fast a horse was in its last race, its post position, the trainer's conditioning, medication, race pace and track conditions.
- Pay 50 cents for a newspaper to check out the handicapper's selections.
- Spend $2 for a race track handicapping tip sheet.
Tips to Help You Pick the Right Horses
- Watch the television simulcast commentator who handicaps the races and listen to the tips he gives you to help you pick your horses.
- Remember that favorites only win about 33 percent of the races.
- Consider how your horse did in the last race, his place and how far from the winner he finished.
- Notice if your horse raced in the last 14 days or longer and if he has been injured.
- Check for the top 10 jockeys in the standings. They win 90 percent of the races.
- See who the last jockey was that rode your horse and how the horse and rider did.
- Check to see if your horse has the same trainer.
- Check the weather on the track. If it is a rainy day, you might want to pick a less favored horse that runs better on muddy tracks.
- Play $2 on horses that are going off at odds two or three times more than the morning line. Oddsmakers pick the morning line by predicting the horse they think the crowd will bet on.
Types of Wagering
- Bet "Place" if you think your horse will finish first or second.
- Pick "Show" if you think your horse will finish first, second or third.
- Choose "Daily Double" to select your favorites for two straight races.
- Bet "Exacta" if you want to pick the first and second place horses to finish in that exact order.
- Pick "Trifecta" for three horses in the exact order.
- Pay more for "Superfecta". The higher the number you pick, the larger the ticket will be, though.
Place Your Bet
- State the race number and the track.
- Reveal the amount of money you want to pay to bet and the type of wager you want to make.
- Disclose your horse's name or number.