Bill Peterson

Even though we now have all weather tracks with synthetic surfaces that make running a little less risky on days when there is precipitation, weather still plays a major role in handicapping horse races. Rain and snow can change the whole character of a race because some horses race better on an "off" track. Another situation that occurs when conditions are less than optimal is that trainers scratch their runners if they feel the track condition compromises their safety or chance of winning.

The sire stats for two year olds have been released by Equiline for the first half of 2011 up to July 12th. There are certain sires who stand out because they have around 50% wins with their progeny for the year. While that is impressive, let's remember that we're looking at a very small sample and there are other considerations as well.

When he wrote his 1970 article, "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved," Hunter S. Thompson was writing about the lewd, drunken, drug laced parties in the infield and the culture that seemed to surround horse racing. He spent his time with the partiers in the infield and those who partied for several days before the big event and finally he and Ralph Steadman, who provided sketches for the piece, realized that, we have enemy and it is us. In other words, partying and drinking and using...

The process of horse racing handicapping is simply the evaluation of each runner to determine its chances of winning. Once you have an idea, or what we call a "guess-timate" of how likely each runner is to find the winner's circle, then you can start the important part of making money betting on horses. Finding value on the odds board is the goal of serious horse racing handicapping. An easy horse racing system is every horse player's dream. A simple and easy to use formula will tell...

Horse racing, like any outdoor sport, is subject to the vagaries of the weather. Therefore, sooner or later, you are going to be faced with the choice between playing the races on an off track or not playing the races because the surface is rated as muddy, sloppy, or good. Many handicapping gurus suggest passing on anything but a fast track. That's not bad advice, but what if all the tracks you usually handicap are wet?

When you go to the horse races you'll see many people pouring over the past performances and programs. If you ask them what they are doing each one will probably explain that they are looking for a winner. While it may be true that the past performances can help you to find winners, the lines that indicate how a horse raced before are only part of the story. There is some much more important information right in front of you before the race that you should use.

The process of horse racing handicapping is the evaluation of each runner's ability and projected performance. When I say projected I mean that since an animal's health and fitness may change from day to day and week to week, a horse may improve or lose some of its form since the last race as viewed in the past performances. Understanding how a horse will progress or regress is a big part of making money betting on the races.

While it may be obvious that the horse who can run the fastest will ultimately win the race, it isn't nearly as obvious whether a horse will run as fast today as it ran last week. That, in a nutshell, is the whole mystery of trying to pick winners by handicapping a horse race. If horses always clocked the same speed figure in each race, then simply glancing at the speed figures for their last race would tell which horse was fastest.

Many people spend a lot of time looking for an automatic system or formula to make money betting on horse races. The theory is that adding certain numbers in the horse's past performances or statistics will indicate the winner of a race. While the past performances are important, to the best of my knowledge, no one has ever found that magic formula. But there is an equation in horse racing that can be used to indicate when a bet is worth making and when it is unprofitable.

You may have been trying to make money betting on horse races for years or you may have just started betting, but whatever the case may be and no matter how long you've been a horse player, there is always room for improvement. Handicapping races means being aware of ever changing trends, biases, statistics. One thing we all learn is that we have to keep an open mind and be willing to change our opinions and views in order to stay ahead of the crowd.