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Tips on Horse Handicapping

by Doug Desjardins

Overview

Handicapping a horse race is far from an exact science. There are a number of variables that come into play, including the ride a jockey gives a horse, weather conditions, the quality of the competition and the past performances of a horse. It's tough to pick a winner in any race _ the favorite in a race only wins 33 percent of the time on average _ but there are handicapping tips that can give you an advantage.
Buy a Daily Racing Form

The most important tool for any horse handicapper is the "Daily Racing Form." The daily newspaper contains a full rundown of the horses running at various tracks that day and a history of their past performances. It's also indicates if a horse is moving up or down in class. You can tell this by comparing the purse of the race he's running in that day ($10,000, $20,000 etc.) to the purse of his previous races. The only time this information won't come in handy is in a race where a horse is running for the first time (they're called maidens).

Jockeys, Trainers and Gate Position

Trainers work for horse owners and it's their job to keep a horse in shape and place him in races where the horse has a reasonable chance of winning. Some trainers are better than others and the same goes for the jockeys. You can see a jockey's performance record in the Daily Racing Form. You should also consider the post a horse is breaking from. Being on the rail (the 1 post) usually isn't good for shorter races and being on the far outside is typically a disadvantage in longer races.
Recent Workouts and Other Vital Signs

All workouts at a track are timed and fast workouts leading up to a race are a good sign that a horse is in top form. The distance of a race is also important. A horse that is "stretching out" _ running a longer race than usual _ is often a good horse to bet if its lineage (racing history of its mother and father) suggests it will like the longer distance. Track conditions are also important. Races run in the rain and mud can completely change the outlook of a race, since some horses like running in the mud and others don't. The Daily Racing Form includes track conditions in the past performance section so check to see a how horse has run on a muddy track. And always look at the odds of horses a few minutes before the race and compare them to "morning line" odds in the program. The morning line odds are established by a professional handicapper. If the odds of a horse are much lower than the morning line, that means the betting public may know something that you don't. Horses going off at much higher odds than the morning line could be getting overlooked and may be worth betting. Finally, a horse's racing style should also be considered. If there are several speed horses in a race that like to go for the lead, they tend to burn each other out. That increases the chances that a closer, a horse that comes from behind, will pick them all off. And to truly enjoy the "sport of kings," always bet within your means.