How can I pick the winner at a horse race?

Question

Is there some system I can follow? My friends uncle makes his living by picking the winners.

Answer 1

Read the form guide. Look particularly at the their last three races, where they finished and the distance of the race. Look at the track conditions- rule out horses that don't run well in those conditions. Rule out most outsiders- eg: 200/1. Generally most horses that win are under 30/1. If you study it carefully enough you will probably narrow down a field of say 12 horses for example into a group of 3-4 that could win the race. After that it's luck I'm afraid.

Goodluck

Answer 2

'sparks,

Actually, for a newcomer, it's usually best to start by betting  on favorites (the horse with the lowest odds in the race). On average those horses win about one out of every three races, so you will have fun and hopefully not lose so much money that you get discouraged and never come back to the track.  People like your friends uncle have usually spent their entire lifetime (and a significant amount of money) developing a comprehensive handicapping system that fits their particular tastes in horses, bankroll and betting patterns. They could sell you their 'system' but without their experience and background they can be all but incomprehensible.

If your interesed in creating your own personal 'system'

Churchill Downs offers a wagering tutorial that provides helpful hints for the beginner called "handicapping 101". As the name implies, it is sort of set up like a college level gambling class.

Here is one sample section:

====================

BEGINNER TIPS

It is only natural for a person new to thoroughbred racing to assume that the best horse will win the race. Deciding which horse that might be doesn’t seem like too difficult a task. The program is loaded with information to assist them in making that decision. The problem is that while the best horse may win, more often it is another who gets his picture taken in the winner’s circle. Were it otherwise Triple Crown winners (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes) would be common rather than being an almost extinct species.

There are many reasons for this phenomena. They have to do with form, tactics, and other matters that those new to racing don’t need to understand in order to have a fun day at the races and having fun is the most important thing. Of course, collecting money is much more fun than tearing up tickets so betting a few winners would be very nice. As long as we don’t get too greedy that really isn’t very difficult...

The first thing that we need to do is admit that we don’t know enough about the mysterious “art form” called handicapping to try to decide which horse to bet on our own. We need help, and fortunately help is available in terms of the “tote board”. The “win” odds it displays for each horse are based upon how much money has been bet on them. As such, it represents the weighted hopes and fears of all those playing the race. Since they are more experienced than us, the “tote board” is a logical place to find the help we need.

We could just let the “tote board” do our handicapping and bet the favorite in every race. In all likelihood that would let us cash some tickets. The favorite is usually the most likely horse to win, but it does make mistakes. After all, the favorite only wins about 35% of the races. Not all of the losers can be chalked up to legitimate excuses such as bad racing luck. A good plan for those who are new to racing is to back the favorites who deserve to be favored and avoid those who are suspected of being mistakes.

This can be accomplished by following a few simple rules. Back the favorite unless:

1. His jockey hasn’t won at least 8-10% of his or her races (overall - not just at the current meet.) We want a capable rider but not necessarily the meet’s top rider. The horse’s trainer should pass the same test.

2. The race’s distance isn’t within a sixteenth-of-a-mile (one furlong) of being the same as the distance of the horse’s previous race, or a distance at which the horse recently won (or almost won.)

3. The horse’s last race was more than 35 days ago.

4. The jockey isn’t the same fellow who rode the horse in his last race unless the trainer is switching to a jockey who won (or nearly won) aboard the horse in the past.

Should this process identify a favorite as suspect, we suggest you apply the same tests to the second favorite and so on until a horse to play is found. Some of the horses eliminated will win, of course, but not at the same rate that those who are not eliminated.

This process will eliminate some winners! Those eliminated, however, will not win as often as those who are not eliminated.

===================  

here is the link to their Handicapping 101 webpage:

http://www.cdsn.net/online_education/101...

Answer 3

My favorite way is to choose horses that have not always won, but placed or did fairly well. I've picked 3 winners out of four this way. Or go with your friend's uncle!

<("-")> Good Luck!

Answer 4

close your eyes and point.

Answer 5

pick the one with the coolest name or if theirs any mexican owners pick their horse

those mexicans are good with horses

Answer 6

which ever jockey is wearing your favorite color.  OR  i sometimes just bet the gray horse.

Answer 7

Go to the track with your Uncle. Good system?