In her final work for this coming  Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, Zenyatta turned in a flawless six-furlong work in 1:12.40 on Saturday morning at Hollywood Park with regular jockey, Mike Smith aboard.

Zenyatta worked in company with her  staablemate Green Cat.

They began the work at the 5 1/2-furlong pole with Zenyatta starting about three lengths behind. Zenyatta gradually crept closer oin the turn, then drew away through the stretch and finished five lengths in front.

Russell Hudak, the official clocker at Hollywood Park, timed Zenyatta in fractions of 24.60 seconds, 36.60, 48.40, and 1:00.20.

Hudak timed her galloping out seven furlongs in 1:25.20.

Zenyatta looks ready for the Cup race.

We’ll be updating this site regularly this week, in anticipation of this weekend’s cup races.

I received news the other day from Churchill Downs Inc., saying they are going to (finally) install permanent lights at their racetrack, which is of course the home of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby 2010.

This follows on the hoofs of a review by the racetrack of their Churchill Downs’ Spring Meet night horse racing schedule. It was successful.

The racetrack had its first EVER night racing on June 19, June 26 and July 2, 2009. The average attendance each of the three nights was 29,705 with 33,481 in attendance the final evening, bringing the total attendance for the three nights of racing to 89,115.

“We found our racing fans loved the experience, officials said.  The Company plans to invest in racing’s future despite the troubled economy and reduced handle throughout the industry.

Churchill Downs will poll fans and horsemen to assist in determining the optimum mix of day and night racing.

The excitement is building.

Indian Blessing had her final timed work for next Saturday’s Gallant Bloom Handicap ($150,000 added), a Breeder’s Cup 2009 Challenge race for fillies and mares 3-years old and up, at Belmont Park. 

The 4-year-old two-time Eclipse award-winning mare Indian Blessing covered 5 furlongs Sunday morning in 1:00.46, third fastest of 26 moves at the distance.

“Last week was her big work, but she went beautifully this morning,” said Tonja Terranova, New York assistant to Hall of Fame race horse trainer Bob Baffert. “She’s been training great and doing amazing.”

Indian Blessing last ran second in the Ballerina Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Aug. 29, her second start following a long layoff after finishing second against males in the Group 1 Dubai Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba in the UAE.

Next Saturday, Indian Blessing will likely face a Gallant Bloom Handicap field of 5 other fillies and mares.

We’ll keep you posted on the results.

Thanks to the New York Racing Authority, for this information about Indian Blessing.

Horse betting by Stéfan

So you’re into horse racing. You think that you can just choose a horse and win big? Think again. Horse racing is not an exact science but neither is it purely a matter of luck and intuition. Here are some factors to consider when making bets.

The Form
Naturally, I am talking about the horse’s form. You have to know how fit the horse is and whether it is performing at its best. Just the slightest bit of faltering and your horse can lose everything.

The Course
Your horse might be in top form, but it does not mean that he will perform at his best in the given race track. You have to consider the bends, the incline, and the condition of the surface. THEN, you have to analyze how your horse normally performs in these conditions.

The Distance
You have to know which distance your horse runs best at. This is a basic concept in horse racing. Some horses do best in sprints while others are excellent in the long run. Know what your horse is best at and what kind of race he is running in.

The Trainer/Jockey
Horses do have their inherent strengths but the trainer and the jockey have a lot to do with their performance in the race track as well. It would do you good to do research on the trainers and jockeys and make sure that you take their track record into consideration when picking your horses as well.

Here’s to a big win!

You may have been betting on horse races for a while now, and you might even think that you are quite good at it. But just like any other activity or hobby, you might find yourself in a rut every now and then. If you are in this situation, maybe it’s time that you take a look at what got you there. Here are some tips to help you get back on the groove and out of the rut.

Don’t push yourself too much.
Just like any other job, you can get burned out. If I were you, at the first signs of frustration and burn out, I would stop for a while and clear my head. It is never a good idea to keep pushing yourself and get closer to the brink.

Remember that handicapping is an intellectual activity.
That means that you can’t simply let your mind go to waste. In order to be successful in handicapping, you need to keep your mind sharp. This means that sticking to a routine might not always be a good idea. When you start falling into a rut, you need to try working out your mind – you just might get new inspiration.

Keep in touch with other people.
If you are too obsessed with handicapping, you might be overlooking an important part of your life – socialization. Do not lock yourself up in your home or office trying to figure out how to win every single race. Instead, go out, meet friends, interact. The break can help you find new energy and motivation.

Betting in horse racing can be the most fun activity that you engage in, that is, if you know how to go about it and win as much as you can. Backing losing horses all of the time is not that much fun, let me tell you. With these top 3 tips, however, you can increase your chances and make you more successful in horse racing.

Realize that betting on horses and being successful takes WORK. Yes, it can be fun but you have to work at it. You cannot simply sit back and relax, hoping that your picks will bring you success. This is actually true of other similar activities such as betting on other sports. The soonest you realize that you have to work at being successful, the faster you will get on your feet to ensure that success comes your way.

Study as many systems as you can, learn from the best people out there, and then come up with your own betting system. You see, while there are systems that are tried and tested, it does not mean that they work in the same way for all people. That is why I do not suggest merely copying what other successful people do. Your best bet is to learn from them and then adjust their strategy to match yours.

Learn how to manage your money. Money management is something that every handicapper, every gambler knows about. Without this in mind, you are bound to lose all your winnings at a moment’s notice.

I am a technophile. If I can use a piece of technology to do something – whether it’s for work or for leisure – I will do so. But when it comes to making your picks for horse races, does technology apply as well? Should you rely on computer programs when it comes to betting on horse races?

There are many computer programs, or software, available these days that are designed to help you select horses to bet on. The idea is simple, actually. The program is fed data that you would normally see in form books and past race results. At the click of your mouse, the program will give you selections based on the data that is inputted.

If you think about it, it is actually the same as going over those form books and past racing results yourself. You are only mechanizing the process, making it faster and giving you less work.

So why am I sending off vibes which do not seem to be all positive (with regard to the software)? The answer is this: while computer programs can accurately give you selections based on the data inputted, the results are limited by the nature of the information you feed them. Software can only read hard facts. They do not take into consideration other factors that may come into play when you actually select your horses “manually.”

What I am saying is that computer programs can help you to a certain extent but I would not suggest relying solely on them. Use a program and then trust your instincts as well.

Royal Randwick by Kourosh Azar

In the previous post, we took a look at some things that you can consider when betting on horse races. Those are tried and tested tips, trust me. Here are a few more which I would like to share with you.

Learn to accept losing.
This is a basic concept. As with any other gambling endeavor, horse racing will certainly be rife with losses. There really is not much that you can do to avoid a losing streak every so often. Even the best punters will experience such streaks. What is left for you to do is to accept that it will happen and make your plans revolve over the long term.

Be careful of accumulator bets.
These bets are pushed so hard and are advertised as “high returns for small stakes.” On the surface, it is the ultimate dream. You only risk a little bit and stand to win huge. However, they are really harder to win and the more extra selections you make, the higher the odds go in favor of the bookie.

Consider betting to place.
While some people think that it is not the best part of betting, it is actually a good way to maximize your earnings. You can choose races with 8 to 10 horses in it. They pay out for 3 places, so you have higher chances of winning. However, it is not advisable to do this for races with more than 10 horses as it will only make it harder to choose 3 placers.

There you go, my tips for now. Have fun making your bets!

So you’re new to horse race betting? I have two main things to tell you. One, do not be overconfident and think that you can just jump into the water without equipping yourself. No matter that you think you have the talent to win big. You have to know the basics of betting. Two, do not despair that you might not learn all that there is to learn about horse race betting. There are many resources that can help you, and this blog is one of them. Here are some of the most useful betting tips that you can use on a regular basis.

Pick out a system and then set your stakes low enough.
There are many betting systems out there. You may want to choose a tried and tested one or you may want to come up with your own. If you are just beginning, though, I suggest reading up on the various existing systems and adapt one for your own first.

Then, remember not to make your stakes too high. In every betting system, no matter how good it is, there will be low patches. You have to make sure that you are not losing too much during these low patches, so set your stakes to a reasonable level.

Don’t bet in every race.
This is tempting, oh so tempting. It is especially true if you have a large enough bankroll. More so, if you are currently on a high roll, then you might want to bet on every single race. Nope. Don’t do it. Choose your races wisely and only pick those which you are really confident about.

(More to follow)