Horse Racing and Betting?

Question

I'm a newcomer to horse racing. When you have the drf or past performances what are the main things that help you determine that your going to bet on that horse to win. Also , i have heard of a tote board analysis strategy. If anyone knows how this works can you explain the strategy. Thanks

Answer 1

The Daily Racing Form has everything you need to know about a horse except for how they're feeling that day.  Main things to look for are class: is this horse running at the right level (as 35K claimer who wins occasionally moving up to allowance or stakes races)?  or down to cheaper races? distance: does this horse run best at 6 furlongs, a mile or more?  surface: runs better on turf or dirt?  Consistant good or bad Beyer speed ratings are useful.  Use whatever you recognize that works for you, focus on that and don't waiver.  My tote board watching is for early money and late money.  This money usually comes from insiders who know a lot about how that horse is doing coming into the race.

Answer 2

in a race where no one horse has improved on their finishes from their prior rtaces, thats a good time to bet a longshot.

when a horse has improved on his finish from the last race and had poor finishes from previous races, that horse is a good bet, especially if the other horses have not won recently.

Answer 3

Some people swear by the Beyer speed figures.

I always check out the figure - it helps me weed out the "goats" in the field (usually, lol).

Answer 4

1. Make sure you know how to read all the parts of the past performance. It is only a history of past races but can give you many clues.

2. Class or level that the horse has been running at. Horses that are running vs. better horses better be real sharp/talented.

3. jockey and trainer combos...some work better together, know the track and are just better at getting the most from their horse.

4. How the horse runs most of his races...this would be the pace of the race. Some horses like to run in front, some in the middle/or just off the front and others like to come out of the clouds. For me, this can potentially be the most fruitful place to find good betting interests. ex.You can have what looks like two or three front runners but when you take into account how fast the fractions were run in the past race(s), you may find one legitimate front runner

5. condition of the track (fast, good, sloppy, muddy, etc)

6. workouts...I like horses who have bullet works the second work back and if its on the track the race is being run on, the better.

7. If the horse was in any trouble in previous races...sometime you can even just throw a race out if it was bad trouble. Watch for horses who are in trouble in many of their races.

8. long time between races, 60 or more days.

9. be suspicious of horses who is dropping a big jump in the class of the race. Sometimes a sign that the horse may be hurt or unsound.

10. The beyers figures take several factors into account and can be used to compare the horses in a certain race. This is just a number and should be used in conjunction with other things you look at

11. If a horse winks at you....bet it no matter what!!!

Good Luck

Answer 5

I thought that the top three posters gave out some solid information. Here's some of my thoughts, I don't like betting horses going from different surfaces. I don't like betting horses that have been off for a long period. I always look at the comment at the end of the race line in the DRF,( bumped, steadied, 5 wide, etc) If I see a horse that has run an exceptionally high Beyer figure his last time out, I will look for him to regress. I'll always look at where the horse has been running ( Running a big race at Mountaineer will be a different story when he runs at Churchill Downs, for example) Post Positions are always a factor, a horse may break well in a sprint race, but given an outside post he could be parked too wide going into the first turn. Jockeys and trainers are always a factor but sometimes get bet down for that factor alone ( It seemed like Calvin Borel sure got bet down at Churchill for the week or so after the Derby) There are some racetracks I just don't bet at. There  are some races I just don't bet, the field either has too many strong contenders or it's a field of really poor horses. I do feel that in the end, handicapping is a process of elimination, I try to narrow the field down as much as I can before I step up to make my bets.

Answer 6

Regarding your question about tote board analysis strategy:

This is referred to as "playing the board". It is one of many,many

horseracing handicapping angles. The individual bases his picks on the activity of the toteboard prior to the race .

For example, look for "early money" (low odds early), or "late money" (drastic drop in odds during the final 1-2 minutes) or

variations, like seeing what horse's odds stay the same between 10 minutes and 5 minutes prior to posttime. I tried this one for awhile and had some success, until like all

"systems" ,broke down and I started a losing streak.

Playing the boards is not reliable because you're basing

your decision on the sophistication of the betting public

and touts (tipsters).

Risky; tread lightly.

Answer 7

Tote board is a little advanced, as you look for overlays (runners with higher odds than what they should be due to ML or your handicapping) or underlays (avoid because the odds are way too low) or to see if the place and/or show pools for a runner is such that you could wager it and get the same about of money back as if it won a race.

Everyone has a system, but I want to see if there has been a jockey change, especially to a higher percentage winner, if the runner is in the money/competitive in the races on the form and lifetime/recent wins (there is a reason a runner may have 1 win in 27 starts, but hits the board 30% of the time -- great play as a place or show in an exotic, but finds ways not to win, though is competitive). I also like bullet works - the fastest time for training at a distance for a workout - as it may show the runner is primed to pop a big effort.

In the Daily Racing Form, the analysis for each runner in a race is an excellent way to fing info you can use without having to spend time weeding through the charts.

Answer 8

to be honest, it took me ten years to be a better handicapper at horse racing.