Horse Racing Moments

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.

Betting on the favorite horse seems to be the logical way to go when it comes to horse racing. After all, the odds are already in the horse’s favor, right? So then, your chances of winning are quite high already. It really makes sense. However, though this argument makes total sense, there are other factors which you must consider. First and foremost would be the fact that countless other people would be thinking the same way as you do. The result of this would be less winnings. How so? Let us say that the favorite horse that you bet on does win. So you get a part of the money. However, the chances are that hundreds, or even thousands, of people also bet the same way as you did! Now you would have to split the earnings with each of them. There goes the huge amount of money you were hoping to get.

So how do you bet on favorite horses without having to spread all that cash around with other people? There are several factors that you must take into consideration. First of all, just because a horse is a favorite does not mean that you should automatically bet on it. Take note of all the favorites in various races and then narrow your choices even more. How do you do this? Come up with a set of qualifying factors. Eliminate certain risks that might just make the horse lose. As a result, you will have a few secure favorites on your hands. That makes for higher chances of winning. But don’t bet just yet!

Take other factors into consideration. One thing to look at would be the horse trainer and the jockey. Their past records would be a good indication of whether your favorite has good chances of winning or not. After taking a look at these two factors, also take into consideration the recent forms. That is, the past three or so races of the horses. Another factor to look into would be the track or course that would be run. See if the favorites are best suited for this track.

Now it is time to actually place your bets. Maximizing your wins would also mean increasing your bets somehow. It is simply not realistic to expect large amounts of winnings with a mere dollar. Bet not merely to win but to place. It might mean a little bit more investment on your part but if your selection process is sound, then your returns would be bigger than usual.

The age of a race horse is very critical in determining the physical capabilities of the horse. As such, the type of race they are running would depend on their age as well. Race horses typically have the same birthday in the year. That is, two horses born on the same year but different months are considered to be of the same age. In the Northern Hemisphere, the birth date of a race horse is considered to be the 1st of January. In the Southern Hemisphere, the birth date of a race horse is designated as the 1st of August.

Horses that are meant for racing do not see action until they are at least 2 years old. As a matter of fact, at this age, horses are still considered to be immature. That is, they have not reached their potential yet and their physical capabilities have a stretch to improve as of yet. Therefore, horses which are 2 years of age are only raced for short distances. More so, horses at this age are only raced against each other. That is, they are not entered into races with horses of other ages. Despite the fact that 2 year old horses are considered to be at less than their full potential, there are some big horse races for their age group. Some of them are The Golden Slipper, the Dewhurst Stakes, the Breeder’s Juvenile and the Blue Diamond Stakes.

At the age of three, horses are still not considered to have reached their potential but they are now allowed to compete with horses beyond their age group. In order top run at some of the most popular horse races, a horse has to be at least 3 years old. The Derby, The Oaks, The Guineas and the St Leger are some of these classic races.

Male horses that are 3 years old and below are called colts while females are called fillies. If a male has been desexed it is called a gelding. When a horse turns four, he cannot enter the age restricted races anymore. Males are then called horses while females are called mares.

A horse can retire from racing anytime, especially if it has become injured. This can occur when a horse is at any age. Due to the physical rigors of racing, a horse cannot stay in the action for far too long.

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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Horse racing being one of the most popular spectator sports in the US, there are countless horse racing tracks to be found all over the country. Yet there is a handful that the general public would consider to be the best. Here are the 5 top horse racing tracks in America today.

Churchill Downs
Undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best, horse racing tracks in the country today. Located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, this horse racing track is most well known for being the annual host of the Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875. This was the same year that the Kentucky Derby was first held. Aside from the popular Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup has been held at Churchill Downs six times already, the most recent one being in 2006.

Belmont Park
Located in Elmont, New York in Nassau County on Long Island, this thoroughbred racing facility features a main track a mile and half long. It is in fact the longest dirt track in thoroughbred racing. First opened in May 4, 1905, Belmont Park is known all over the world as the home of the Belmont Stakes which is the third leg of the Triple Crown.

Hollywood Park
Located in Inglewood, California, this race course was opened in 1938 by the Hollywood Turf Club. It was also host to the first Breeders’ Cup in 1984. There is a one and one-eighth mile dirt track and a one mile turf track. Ten thousand people can be seated at a single time.

Santa Anita
Another track in California, Santa Anita offers some of the most prominent races during autumn and winter. This track went into operation in 1934 and is a proud host to the Santa Anita Derby and the Santa Anita Handicap. It has a one mile dirt track with an inside turf track measuring 9/10s of a mile. It also has a unique hillside turf course which crosses the dirt, one of the few in existence in the US.

Saratoga
Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, this race course opened in 1863. A year later, a tradition was started with the first Travers Stakes. This race course has earned two monikers over the decades – The Spa and The Graveyard of Favorites, the latter due to the large number of upsets that have occurred here. There are three different tracks at Saratoga.

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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.

Arbitrage is generally used in economics. An arbitrage occurs when there is price difference between two or more markets and, to make money on the imbalance, matching deals are struck with the parties involved. Profits are made on the differences between the different market prices.

Arbitrage in sports occurs when the opinions given by bookmakers on the possible outcome of the competition vary, or in some instances, when the odds listed are erroneous. If a bettor wants to make money on this discrepancy, he would place bets on the different perceived outcome. Since bookmakers do not condone this activity (may translate to losses for them), bettors normally place bets with different betting companies. Arbitrage betting is also known as “risk free betting” although, since this is still about gambling – a game of chance, there is still a certain degree of risk involved. Common risks involve a change in price halfway through the betting process, refusal of some bookmakers to honor the bet; and (if the bookmaker loses), the probability that the book maker would not remain solvent (may take longer before money changes hands)

To be involved in arbitrage betting, you must do some research on the odds of the game and / or race. When you’re satisfied with the results, you then place bets on different betting companies and at the end of the competition, you collect your winnings (or walk away empty-handed). Arbitrage is done in most sporting activities, and horse racing is one of them.

Any bettor can involve himself in arbitrage betting. This may be done personally or through the internet. Since most book keepers will not agree on arbitrage bets, it may be harder to complete arbitrage transactions on a face to face basis. Most bettors of arbitrage find it easier to make these kinds of bets on-line. They simply need to register in different on-line betting companies and they are good to go.

It is possible to arbitrage a horse race, and there are several websites that help people understand the concept. These websites also have tools such as on-line calculators where you can plug in the odds and the bets. These tools aim to give users an idea on how much they stand to earn (or win) when a horse race is arbitraged.

Many people opt to place arbitrage bets because technically, you win something no matter who wins the competition. However, since this technique almost assures one of a win, the thrill and suspense of rooting for your horse is simply not the same.

It may come as a big surprise to find out that some men (and women), when asked about their favorite childhood memory, would fondly recall the family weekends they spent at the horse tracks. They can vividly remember almost everything in detail: from the color of the clothes they wore, the weather on that day, the taste of the ice cream they had while watching their horse race across the finish line, to the feeling of exhilaration when the horse they favored was declared the winner. Ever wondered why their memories are always so exact?

Memories are retained when an event that occurred is an extreme: extremely exciting, extremely happy, extremely sorrowful (though people would rather forget events that trigger extreme sorrow), and so on. This happens because, when a person is undergoing a particularly vivid experience, the brain releases a chemical: a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine, which researchers believe is responsible for memory retention. This is what happens when a child is brought to the horse races. When the family goes to watch a horse race, a child experiences many things.

First, he is extremely happy to be with his whole family. Next, seeing real animals will always bring a thrill to children. Imagine a child seeing several horses at one time! That would be an extremely exciting experience for a young one. When the horses line up at the starting box and the race begins, a child, being sensitive to the changes that happens around him, may be caught up with the general furor felt by all the spectators. Imagine feeling all this at one time and imagine looking forward to experiencing all these wonderful emotions on every family outing. This is the reason why many men and women who grew up when going to the race track as a family was an accepted and frequently done activity, remember these events.

You and your family can recreate the joy you felt when you were younger. Going to the race track as a family may not be widely practiced nowadays, but what’s to stop you from starting your own tradition. Bring your family to the race track one weekend and relive the excitement you felt when you were a kid. Your children may feel a little uncomfortable at first but if you take the time to explain the concepts to them, they will gradually warm up and feel more relaxed in the place and will soon experience the one-of-a-kind excitement only a trip to the horse track can provide.

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