By Bill Peterson

Part of the fun of handicapping horse races is that they are sporting events we get to watch. After we go through the effort of deciding who we want to bet on, we get to watch the animals and jockeys perform. It is, in my opinion, the greatest show on earth. So sight handicapping is important, because if you do it well, you will see things that will help you to pick winners, as you watch the horses before the races.

One problem handicappers face is the “first time” angle. For instance, there is the horse who is racing for the first time, the horse that is racing around two turns for the first time, the horse who is racing against older horses for the first time, and the horse who is racing on grass for the first time.

There are so many first time angles (I didn’t list them all) that is seems a person who is good at figuring out how an animal will handle each one of those situations may well pick a lot of winners and even make a profit from his or her horseracing handicapping. The problem, of course, is that you don’t know what you don’t know. In other words, you don’t know if a horse will be able to race around two turns or if it will be able to race well on turf.

The answer to whether or not a runner will be able to handle a long race around two turns is in its breeding, but there are no guarantees that, because its sire and dam could handle long distances, a horse will be able to handle route distances. It means that you have to make an educated guess. The same is true of horses who are trying the turf for the first time, but there is an angle for that as well.

Not only can breeding play an important part in determining whether a horse will handle the grass well, but sight handicapping can, too. Though it is a controversial subject with people arguing over whether such a thing really exists, some people believe that some horses have a “grass (or turf) stride.” If you are watching a race and their is a first timer on the grass, you might be able to decide how well he or she will handle that surface by watching the action of its forelegs as it warms up.

It is said by some old time horse people that a horse that runs well on the grass has a turf stride, meaning it lifts its forelegs a little higher, almost as though it is stepping over tufts of grass. Of course, turf courses are well groomed and the grass is usually clipped quite short, but the turf stride still matters. Low striding horses seem to do better on dirt while those with a higher leg motion do better on grass.

You can tell which ones have a turf stride by watching horses warm up before a race and comparing the stride. At first, it may be hard to judge, but with a little practice you will begin to see a turf stride and know whether or not a horse has he right leg action to be a good turf runner. Figuring out first timers can be downright tricky, but master any one of those angles and you will be cashing some nice mutuels for figuring out the great unknown.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/truecb.html and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to http://williewins.homestead.com/handicappingstore.html Bill’s handicapping store.

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By Bill Peterson

Are you still losing at the horse races even though you cash many tickets? Does it seem like you should be making money, but for some reason you come out of the race track with less money than you started with?

You’re not alone. Many people who are good at handicapping horse races are still losers.
There are several ways that you can tighten up your game, but first ask yourself this important question, “Do I really want to make a profit at horse racing handicapping?”

It isn’t such a silly question. Many people bet on horse races for reasons other than to make a profit, to make money. One reason people wager on horses is to have thrills. Another possible motivation is that they want to lose so they can commiserate with the other losers and feel like part of a group. I know it sounds strange, but why else would certain people go to the race track for years and lose money and then stand there and complain about it? For whatever personal reason there is in there psyche, they want to lose.

Once you’ve answered those questions and determined that you do, indeed want to win, then check these three keys to making a profit at the races…

1. Do you spend money on admission fees, parking, travel, food, drinks, programs that could be saved. Many people find that by cutting corners, packing a lunch, finding less expensive programs, etc, they actually start to make a profit. Investing in horse races is something like buying stocks. You can waste a lot of money on a high priced broker when all you need is a discount broker. Look for ways that you waste money at the races. For instance, that $3 beer every trip for 50 trips is $150. Paying $10 to go to the clubhouse when you could go to the $2 grandstand is another example.

2. Are you using a good money management system? Keeping track of your bets and wagering set amounts that are based on your bankroll is an absolute must. Betting $50 to win on one horse and then $200 on another when they each have an equal chance of winning is not good money management.

3. Do you set limits and stick with them? How much do you plan on winning or allowing yourself to lose before calling it a day. Good handicappers set win/loss limits and stick to them. How many times have you been ahead at some time during the day, but left the track a loser? Knowing what a reasonable amount of income from your bets is will help you to realize when you’ve had your share of winning or losing for the day, collaring greed or unbridled optimism is an absolute must to say ahead.

These are just three ways that some people blow their profits at the races. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/truecb.html and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to http://williewins.homestead.com/handicappingstore.html Bill’s handicapping store.

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By Bill Peterson

There is a saying that some people use when handicapping maiden horse races. “The class ladder only goes one way in maiden races.” What they mean is that once a horse drops in class, particularly from the maiden special weight (MSW) ranks to the claimers, it can’t move back up into the MSW races and win. That just isn’t true. I have seen many horses drop from the maiden special weight ranks into a maiden claimer and then move back up to an MSW and win. I don’t know what the statistics are, but anecdotally, it seems to be happening more and more lately.

The logic behind the statement that the class ladder only goes one way is based on an idea about maiden horses that many handicappers seem to share. The notion is that maidens are pretty transparent and what you see, as far as form and ability, is what you get. This is true many times and that is why a high percentage of favorites win maiden races.

But before we run to the windows to bet all favorites in maiden races to win, here is another thought, maidens, being young and developing, are also subject to change and change quickly. This second thought seems to contradict our earlier one about the transparency of maidens. It does, but then again, maidens can be quite confusing to handicap. Picking winners in races for maidens is just as difficult as in any other class of races.

Because they are young and still developing, their trainers are experimenting with equipment changes, training changes, jockey changes… get the idea? Any one of those changes can have a dramatic impact on the horse’s performance. Therefore, if a trainer makes an adjustment and the horse seems to improve dramatically, he or she is likely to take the horse out of the lower grade race and move it back into a higher grade, even going from claimers to special weights. The success of that move will depend upon many things including, the strength of the competition, the ability of the trainer and jockey, and good old racing luck.

When I am handicapping races and see a horse moving back into the MSW races after sojourn in the claimers, I am always suspicious and look closely at the horse and its workouts. If the trainer is competent and a good jockey is on the horse, I have to figure that there should be an improvement in the runner’s performance. When you encounter these class movers, be careful. While the drop from MSW to claimers may be the biggest class drop in racing, the class ladder still goes both ways.

The most consistent horse racing systems have to have the basics and a handicapper must understand the basics. I have been around horse racing for 50 years including as an owner. Without the basics the rest is not going to do any good. If you want to learn how a horse owner and insider handicaps just go to http://williewins.homestead.com/truecb.html and get the truth.

Bill Peterson is a former horse race owner and professional handicapper. He comes from a horse race handicapping family and as he puts it, “Horse Racing is in my blood.” To see all Bill’s horse racing material go to http://williewins.homestead.com/handicappingstore.html Bill’s handicapping store.

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