How to pick racehorses to bet?

Question

How to pick racehorses to bet?

Answer 1

Well, I am by means Not good, but I do look at the Past Performances. Some of the things that I have learned to notice is:

1: Jockey ~ is the horse racing with the same jockey, or is there a change.  Not necessarily a bad thing with a jockey change.

2:  Trainer ~

3:  Record of the horse ~ has he/she at least placed in the majority of their races

4:  Distance ~  Is this the first time the horse has ran at this particular distance

5:  Beyer Speed Rankings~  I would not want to bet a horse with a 53 rating when all other horses were 80 or above.

6:  Bullet Workout ~ marked with a black diamond (?)

7:  Last time raced ~ A horse that has not raced in two or months may not be as ready to win this time out.

And if all else fails, then I bet on the name I like . . LOL

Most track sites have guidelines to follow and notes on how to read the Daily Racing Form.   The DRF's site is wonderful too. Check it out at  http://www.drf.com

Good luck.

Answer 2

The most relevant factor to watch is class level. Entries that run well at $15,000 claiming may be so "outclassed" at $25,000 claiming that the performance at $15,000 is irrelevant for comparison purposes.

Similarly, an entry dropping in class from $35,000 claiming--after finishing poorly in its last two or three races--may so far "outclass" the other entries today that it will steal the race with little or no real competition.

Unfortunately, there is no simple way to compare races for equivalency, other than in very broad terms. In general, expect an entry to perform less well when advancing to a higher (and more competitive) class level, and to possibly perform better when dropping to a lower (and less competitive) class level.

For an interesting insight into how class and competitiveness affects performance; check a few weeks of races in which recent maiden winners are entered against other maiden winners for the first time.

In the typical NW1X or NW2, every entry has won at least one race, usually at the same class level as the other entries. Conversely, in the winning maiden race, by definition no other entry in the race had ever won a race.

You might check some of the newsletters and other free information, including the tutorial Pace 101, at:

http://www.ddssratings.com

for more information.

Answer 3

See question by DW titled. What are all the different factors you need to consider when betting on a horse?