What is a Grass Or Turf Stride and How Can it Help Your Horse Racing Handicapping
Posted by: willie in Horse Racing Handicapping, horse racing betting, horseracingPart 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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?What-is-a-Grass-Or-Turf-Stride-and-How-Can-it-Help-Your-Horse-Racing-Handicapping?&id=1686070