Racing is Fun

Playing the races is a lot of fun, but it can be a little scary if you’re not sure how to go about it. This guide will help you read the program so that you'll know what to look for when you handicap the races. Betting on racing is unlike wagering at a casino. When you bet on a race, the house takes a percentage of your bet and distributes the rest to your fellow horse players. For example, if you bet a $1 on a horse, the house takes approximately 20 cents and distributes 80 cents to other players in winnings. At the casino when you lose $100, the casino keeps everything.

Racing is unique, because you’re not playing against the house, but against the person sitting next to you and everyone else who is betting into the same pool. This is called pari-mutuel wagering. It originated in France and was called parier mutuel meaning mutual stake or betting among ourselves. Each person has the ability to influence the odds. If people bet a lot of money on a particular horse, the odds will be low, while if a little money is bet on a particular horse, the odds will be high.

At Sports Haven, Bradley Teletheater and all Off-Track Betting branches, you can wager on thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing as well as jai-alai.




Odds
The morning line odds are what the line maker gives each horse based on how he thinks the public will bet. Reviewing the morning line will give you a good idea who the contenders are. The actual line may vary. For example, if a horse is listed at 3-1, he’ll pay $8. A horse may actually pay $8.20. This is because the 3-1 odds are approximate. The odds are based on a $2 wager. 3 x 2 = 6 + your original $2 bet = $8. Your winnings are $6.

Speed Numbers
Speed figures are a valuable handicapping tool. The higher the number the better. Speed numbers allow you to compare one horse’s race with another even if they were run at different distances at different racetracks. Use them to compare a horse’s ability. A horse who has been running in the nineties, is better than a horse who has been earning speed numbers in the seventies. Use speed numbers to figure out who the potential contenders are and who you can safely eliminate.
Handicapping Axiom: Horses who run big races have difficulty repeating that effort in their next start. A big race is when a horse runs a speed number that is significantly higher than anything he has ever run. For example, a horse may have run a 65 and then run 97. Some handicappers believe that he will "bounce" or run poorly in his next start. This is because the horse may have over exerted himself when he ran the 97 and will need time to recover from the effort.

Horse's Record
All the way to the right of the horse’s name, you'll find his racing record. His record on the Turf and on an off track are listed. A wet track may by sloppy or muddy. A track rated sloppy has not fully absorbed the rain. A muddy track is thoroughly soaked. It is gummy.

Some horses love a wet track, while others have difficulty handling it. Other horses are great Turf runners, but run poorly on dirt. This will also be evident when you look at the horse’s record. You will also find the horse’s record for the current and previous year as well as his lifetime record. The horse's earnings are also listed.

Class
Horses are athletes with varying degrees of talent. Horses compete at different levels in order to make the races competitive. The better horses run in allowance, handicap, and stakes races, while others run in claiming races. In a claiming race, a trainer or owner can claim a horse for the price listed. A trainer would not put a horse who is competitive in $50,000 claiming company in a $14,000 race because someone would claim the horse from him. Claiming races insure that horses of comparable ability compete against each other. There are also maiden claiming and maiden special weight races, which are for horses who have never won a race.

Art Book ran in a non-winners of 3 in November before dropping into $35,000 claiming company.
Handicapping Axiom: When betting a race, it is better to look for horses moving up in class rather than one dropping down. When a horse is dropping in class, there may be something physically wrong with the animal. On the other hand, the horse dropping in class may still be seeking his appropriate level. His previous races could have been against much higher competition.

Distance
Sprints are considered races run at less than a mile. The most common distance is 6 furlongs or three-quarters of a mile. A furlong is an 1/8 of a mile.
Handicapping Axiom: It is easier for a horse to run a shorter distance after having run in a longer race his last time out. For example, a horse will have an easier time going from a 1 1/8 mile race to a race at a mile than if the horse was stretching out from a sprint to a distance race.

Jockeys/Trainers
Jockeys are important. The better jockeys get to ride the better horses. In New York and California, the jockeys are all very talented so picking one rider over another will not give you a great advantage, but always pay attention to who is riding. Trainers are also important.

The top trainers saddle horses who can run and it’s a good idea to pay attention to them. As you begin to follow the sport of racing you'll become familiar with who are the good jockeys and trainers. The jockey and trainer standings are periodically listed in the program.

Surface
There are grass races and dirt races. Some horses absolutely hate running on dirt and when they are switched to the turf, they become running machines. Some horses are bred to run on the turf. Some notable grass sires are Nijinsky II, Cozzene, With Approval, Sky Classic and Danzig. Races that are run on the turf are generally won by horses who have shown some speed and are nimble enough to take the tight turns of the turf course. Horses with outside posts are at a disadvantage while horses with some speed and with inside post positions have a slight edge.

Where will my horse be when the gates open?
(Pace makes the race)
Horses have different styles of running. Some like to run on the lead, others are effective sitting just off the pace of the front runners while others like to come from behind. Look at the past running lines to determine where the horse is likely to be when the gates open. If there are several horses in the race that look like they will go to the lead, a speed duel could develop in which the front-runners knock each other out. If the front runners tire, the race then sets up for a horse who likes to come from just off the pace or to one who likes to come from far behind. Also check the comment line at the end of a horses running line. It will tell you if the horse had traffic trouble or had any problems in the race.

Analyzing the race
You have a number of factors to consider when betting a race. Look at the morning line odds (1) to see who the contenders are. Look at (2) the speed number. It gives you a number that you can use to judge the ability of the horses in the race. You might want to eliminate horses with a low speed number. Check out the (3) class of the horses running. Is someone making a drop in class? Is someone moving up? Are the horses about the same. Look at the (4) distance. Can the horse you like run this far? Examine the running styles of the horses. If there appears to be a lot of speed in the race, look for a horse to come from off the pace. If there is little speed in the race, look for a horse who might take the lead and wire the field. As you play the races, you'll begin to learn the little nuances that make this sport fun to play.

Factoids

• Horses who are running with the diuretic Lasix for the first time show an improvement in performance. Lasix is given to horses who have bled in the respiratory system while exerting themselves in races or workouts.The L1 symbol indicates that a horse is running on Lasix for the first time, while the L next to a horse’s name indicates the horse has been on Lasix and will be doing so today.
  
  
• It’s better to bet a horse moving up in the claiming ranks than a horse who is moving down.
  
  
• Horses who have been running on the turf and then switch to dirt tend to improve. This is generally true if the horse has shown some previous dirt form.
  
  
• Horses who run career best races have difficulty repeating that effort in their next start. Handicappers call this a bounce.
  
  
• Be wary of maidens who have had a number of chances to win, but have failed to do so. In these maiden races look for horses who have demonstrated some ability. When betting horses who have never raced look at their work outs and take into consideration who is riding and training the horse.
  
  
• The following are some wagering averages. The favorite will win 33% of all races. The second choice in the betting will win 21% while the third choice will win 14%. Also, the favorite will come in second 53% of the time. Second choices will come in second 42% of the time while third choices manage to get second 30% of the time.

Its no necessary to spend hours pouring over your program in order to cash in a few tickets. Just spending a few minutes will give you a competitive advantage. Read the program and handicap the races.