Horse Racing Moments

This is the continuation of the last post about tips for coming up with your own horse racing system.  I ended with the idea that you should check out when the horses last raced.  I remember writing that the more recent the last race is, the better it is.  However, let me qualify that.  If the horse raced only a few days ago, this principle would not hold.  The horse would probably still be tired from the last race.  The idea is to stay away from horses that have been out of the race track for extended periods of time.

Another consideration would be the distance of the race.  Not all horses are the same – some run better for certain distances.  A race that is too short may not be enough for a horse to show its true form.  On the other hand, some horses cannot run the distance.  As such, you have to take into account the horse’s capability and the distance to be run.

Take into consideration what the “experts” say.  I know you are trying to come up with your own system and you may not want to rely on tipsters.  Yet the whole process of finding your own system would include paying attention to those who have experience.  I am not saying that you should merely listen to what they say.  My point is that if a lot of experts (say 60% - 80%) predict a certain horse winning, find out why.  Then take your cue from there.

One of the most important – if not the most important – things in horse racing is to find a system that works for you and to stick with it.  There are countless systems already developed by other punters out there.  Yet if you are still on the lookout for a system that works, why not try coming up with your own?  Here are a few tips that would help you on this matter.

First, be prepared to do research – a lot of research.  You would have to look into the horses running a certain race and find out as much as you can about them.  This information can be had for free – just look on the Internet.

Next, you should also look into other details such as the size of the field.  The more horses you have running the race, the lesser the chances of a single horse winning.  You should factor this into your system.

Another consideration would be the type of ground the race is going to be run on.  Each horse has its own strength when it comes to this.  You should know which horse runs best on soft or firm ground and adjust your system accordingly.

When picking the horse to place your bet on, make sure that it is in top form.  A horse that ran its last race a season or two ago would make for poor betting.  According to some experts, the shorter the period between races, the better.

(to be continued)

The last post we had was a introductory course in British horse racing.  We ended with the types of enclosures that one can visit and what one would expect from each.  Whichever type of enclosure you go to, it is best that you buy a race card once you get to the race course.  You would only need to spend about 2 – 3 quid for one and it will give you most of the information that you would need throughout the day.  Now let’s talk about the two types of racing.

The first one is flat racing, which, as its name suggests, is carried out on a track where there are no obstacles - the track is flat.  You can watch flat racing anytime in the year although the main season runs from April to October.  The other type of racing is the National Hunt.  As opposed to flat racing, this type of race has jumps.  You can also watch this race all throughout the year but the main season runs from October to April.  Some race courses have both kinds of races while others feature a single type.

Now how about betting?  There are two main ways – with the bookmakers and with the Tote.  The former offers fixed-odds betting.  That is, you always know how much you will win in case your pick makes it.  The latter offers pool betting, wherein all the bets on a horse are put into a pool.  The winnings are then shared among the bettors.

Here are more things to look out for when conducting a paddock inspection.

1.    Pay a lot of attention to the details.  No matter how tiny it may be, do not discount any particular detail.  The negative signs that you should look out for – aside from those mentioned in the last post – are: a dull coat, runny eyes or nose, open sores, front wraps, tendon problems, and popping the tail up and down.

On the other hand, you should also be on the lookout for positive signs.  After all, what you want is to find the horse that will increase your chances of winning.  So what signs should you look for in a good horse?  It does not always follow but in most cases, a dressed up horse is a good sign.  A very neat mane and even a plaited mane is a simple statement that says that horse is well taken care of.  A prancing horse is a good sign as well.  other signs are a shiny coat, dapples, and bright shiny eyes.

2.     After you “around the paddock” inspection, do not think that your job is done.  Wait for the jockey to actually mount the horse and head on to the track.  You should also see if any negative or positive signs show up at this point.

3.    At this point you should be ready to make your pick.  Go ahead, trust your guts and wager!  Best of luck to you.

These days, old timers claim that the art of paddock inspection is fast on its way out. Yet they all say the same thing – paddock inspection is one useful tool when it comes to handicapping. If you want to get that edge that you have been looking for, then paddock inspection might just do the trick for you. Here are some tips on how to conduct one.

1. Make sure that you are at the entrance as the horses arrive. This might mean being their hours earlier than you normally would but remember you end goal. It would be worth it.

2. As the horses enter one by one, pay close attention to each of them. Inspect them as closely as you can from your vantage point. Check for signs of weakness, lameness, tiredness, the smell of liniment, and such. You may want to take a close look at the groom as well. You never know when they might give away certain information based on their expressions and behavior.

3. Don’t leave even when the horses have entered the paddock. You have to stay and watch them walk around. Again, watch for signs that may tell you negative about the horses. Some things to watch out for are excessive sweating, excessive nervousness, over excitability, foaming around the mouth, and whinnying too much. Of course, it goes without saying that if you do see a horse or two with these signs, you should go wager on another horse.

(to be continued)

If you are new to horse racing and you would like to learn more, there is nothing like actually hooking up with a veteran and going to the races to learn hands on.  Yet the next best thing is to get hold of a good book and learn anytime anywhere you want to.  Here are some of the best horse racing books for beginners.

Win, Place, Show
Published by National Book Network, this paperback is a handy introduction to the world of Thoroughbred racing.  Learn all the basic terminology and processes with this book.

Betting on Horse Racing for Dummies
Books for “Dummies” have achieved popularity in the past years and they have always delivered.  This book for new horse racing enthusiasts is no different.  Written by Richard Eng, a renowned Review-Journal columnist will definitely help beginners understand the ins and outs of horse racing.

Handicapping 101
Are you having trouble understanding handicapping?  Are you getting disappointed with the constant string of losses you are experiencing early on?  Get hold of this book and be informed enough about the sport.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Betting on Horses
Not a very attractive title, that is true, but this book gives a lot of background information on horse racing.  If you are the type to go into the history and how the sport works, then you would find this book very informative.

Ainslie’s Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing
After reading up on the background of the sport, try this comprehensive guide for the actual betting.  You will learn all about pace, speed class, jockeys, trainer angles, and more.

Newcomers to the world of horse racing are usually exposed to big names such as the Kentucky Derby and the Breeders’ Cup.  The thing is, these are the races that every horse dreams of – or at least their owners.  Before they can reach this stage, they have to undergo different levels of racing to get the experience and exposure that they need.

The maiden race is one of the first types of races that a horse has to run.  Any horse who has not won any prize yet is called a maiden.  Maiden races are also classified into different levels.

In a claiming race, horses come with a price tag.  Anybody can claim a horse for the price tag, given that the person wanting to claim the horse puts in his request before the race.  Regardless of what happens to the horse during the race, the person can claim the horse and the owner keeps the purse money (if any).

Next in line is the allowance race which simply means that there are certain conditions to be met in order to join the race.  For example, an allowance race could only be for non-winners of certain races except for the maiden, claiming, and stakes races.  Allowance races usually have large purses associated with them.

Last (for now) we have the stakes race.  This category is where the Breeders’ Cup fall under.  Of course, not all stakes races are as big as the Breeders’ Cup.  What makes a race a stakes race is that the purses are the highest.  Local races may have restrictions such as the horse has to be bred locally.  This kind of stakes race is called restricted stakes.

Here are some general terms used in horse racing that you need to know.

Across the board – this means you bet on a horse finishing first, second, and third place. If the horse wins first place, you get winnings on all your three wagers. If the horse wins second place, you get winnings on your second and third place wagers. If the horse wins third place, then you get winnings only on your third place wager.

Also Ran – the term used for horses which raced but did not finish in the money.

Backstretch – the straight area of the track in between turns.

Blanket finish – this happens when horses reach the finish line packed together.

Box – used to refer to a wager in which you choose all the possible combinations that a horse can come in.

Claiming race – a race wherein the horses in it can be bought. If a winning horse is bought, the earnings from the race go to the previous owner.

Clocker – a person who times races and workouts.

Closer – a horse that saves its energy for the last leg of the race. A closer has more chances of winning a race wherein the other horses expend all their energy early on.

Daily Double – the first and second races of the day. In these races, you pick the winner.

Exacta – an exotic wager wherein you have to bet on the exact win and place of a race. For example, a 5-6 exacta means the 5 horse must win and the 6 horse must place.

Field – all the horses running or racing in a particular race.

Firm – a term used to refer to the condition of a track of Turf.

Front runner – a horse that leads the field as far as possible.

In the money – the term used to refer to horses that finish in the first, second, and third places.

Maiden – a horse that has never won a race.

Maiden race – a race wherein all of the horses racing are maidens.

On the nose – betting on a horse to win only.

Photo finish – when two or more horses reach the finish line almost simultaneously, a photo is examined to see which one finished first.

Purse – the total prize money distributed to the owners.

Router – a horse that performs well in distance races.

Show – third place finish.

Turf – a grass track.

Win – first place finish.

Wire – the finish line.

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When you mention the words “horse race”, the first thing that comes to one’s mind would be betting slips. It is normal because horse racing is already almost synonymous to betting and gambling. This is due to the fact that horse racing is one of the most common and legal types of sports gambling in the world.

In most horse racing tracks, the gambling system employed is called pari-mutuel, a French term which means mutual stake. In this system, all the money bet by all the gamblers are placed in a pool and at the end of the race, the total money in the pot less the commission or percentage that automatically goes to the track, is split amongst all the winning bettors.

There are three ways by which you can make money on horse races: you can bet to win, bet to place and bet to show. By making a bet to win place, you place all your money on a particular horse and bet that in that particular run, that horse will place first. If your horse only reaches second, you will not win anything. If you make a bet to place on a particular thoroughbred, if the horse finishes in either first or second place. A bet that is for “show” means that if the horse finishes in the first three places, you will collect something.

If you want to make a lot of money on your bet, you should bet to win. Since there are fewer chances for a horse to come out on top, the returns on your bet would be greater. A bet to show can be considered as safe bets thus, the winnings are generally smaller.

Another kind of bet is termed “each way”. Generally, this means that your total bet is split “each way” and by so doing, you have bet half the amount to win, and the other half to place. How winnings are given out would depend on the country you are in. The rules for paying off winners in Each Way bets in the United States differ from how winners are paid in Europe, Britain and the rest of the world. In the UK, for each way bets, bookmakers cut the odds for each bet. Full odds are given if the horse places first, but only a portion of it is given for horses that place second, third and otherwise.

There are other betting jargons and betting arrangements in horse racing such as the superfecta, box, triple and sweep, to name a few. To know more about these, ask a bookmaker or a worker at the horse track to explain these concepts to you.

Betting on horse races may probably be one of the oldest forms of gambling in the modern world. Initially, only members of the upper crust watched and bet on the outcome of the races but, during the depression, more people started attending horse races. What initially started as an alternative form of entertainment – something to do to while away the time, became one of the most popular gambling activities in the world.

Regular attendees of horse races already know which horses are worth gambling on, and which steeds are not. If you are new to this game, you won’t have that advantage and, chances are, you may just bet on the horse that looks nice or has an easy to remember name.

Betting on horses, however, is easier than it seems. Just like pro athletes, horses too have statistics and these can be viewed through the horse-racing information flyer which you can easily obtain at selected areas of the race track. The flyer lists down all the races scheduled for that day and all the horses slated to race. Underneath or beside the name of the horse, are statistics. Highlighted are details of the horse’s last few races (what his standing is at the end of the race), where the races where held, when he last ran and other information which would aid newbies in deciding which horse to bet on.

When reading the statistics, see how many winning streaks the horse has had. How he performed in a particular kind of race (in terms of distance), and the horse last ran, are other factors which you should look at and consider. From there, you can interpolate or interpret the figures. Do you think that the horse will reach his peak during the race? Will he be tired after running several races or will he be raring to go?

Prior to the races, you can also go around the race track. Normally, the horses that will be running in the next race warm up or trot in a pre-designated area that can be viewed by the public. Through this, you can gauge the physical attributes of the horses and can make a decision based on this.

You can also check on the odds. If you want to win big, bet on the horse that is least likely to win. Horses that are favored to win have smaller odds and the return you get from a bet will not be substantial.