By Bill Peterson

Usually when you think of taking care of the details in life it means that life is more complicated. But in horse racing Handicapping, taking care of the details and leaving the big factors alone may actually reduce stress.

Everyone will watch the big factors like class and speed when it comes to handicapping the race and the tote board will accurately reflect which horses have the edge in those well known categories. Your job as a handicapper is to find a way to get an edge over the competition. Sometimes that means finding a niche that has been overlooked by the crowd.

With all the scrutiny on the usual handicapping factors, you aren’t going to find anything the crowd overlooked in the usual categories. But finding a seemingly minor detail that might make the critical difference is a good way to spot a good value play. For instance, let’s say a certain horse that shoed back class and did well at a higher level has been running poorly of late. The horse’s form fell off about the same time that the horse started sporting front wraps, a sign that there was a problem with lameness or soreness in the horse’s forelegs.

You have been watching the track lately and notice that it is deeper and softer than usual lately. There seems to be no value on the board because all the horse’s in the race appear to be an open book. Accordingly, the crowd has placed fair odds on the runners based on their class, speed, form, connections.

You don’t have to butt your head against the crowd trying to figure out a slight edge in value. The best play of the day may be the horse with the front wraps because today it will find a more comfortable track to run on and may show an improvement in form. That is a minor detail that the crowd has overlooked and that you can use to your advantage. It isn’t always the big factors that make the difference in making a profit at the track. Sometimes it is the little detail that leads to a big profit. A few insiders at the track will spot those details and make a profit on them day after day while public handicappers and 99% of the crowd look at all the usual things. You could almost call this inside information except for the fact that it was there in front of you and everyone else, but because you started looking at the details you found it and cashed in on it. This is the kind of inside information such as you find in True Handicapping that can make a big difference in your handicapping success and lowering your stress and making big profits.

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 What’s a Willie 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 Bill’s handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Handicapping-the-Details-in-Horse-Racing-Can-Lead-to-Big-Profits-and-Less-Stress&id=924680

By Bill Peterson

Each person must find his or her own way to handicap races and then make a decision as to which horses offer the best value on the odds board. Some people prefer exotic bets while others stick to straight bets like win, place, and show. No one can tell you which bet type is best for you. The truth may be that you become a situational bettor looking for value in more than one pool.

But whatever method you choose for picking your bets, one thing holds true. Determining which horses have the best chance of hitting the winner’s circle will depend upon three top factors. There is just no getting around the big three.

Number one is speed. “Fast horses win races and royal flushes beat aces,” a line in a popular John Pryne song is true. Looking at the speed figures for the last three races in a horse’s career and comparing those figures to the other horses in the race will give you a pretty good idea of how well the horse will fare. Naturally the horse with the highest figures doesn’t always win, but the horse with the lowest figures seldom wins. If you are betting to win then you want a horse who figures in the top of the speed figs race.

Number Two is pace. Speed alone does not win races. A horse with high speed figures can get beaten if it locks up in a killer speed duel on the front end while a more even runner sets a realistic pace behind the front runners and picks up the pieces coming down the stretch. Another situation that can stop a speedy type is track condition and type. For instance, a horse that likes a hard fast track gets on a deep track that is still listed as fast. The horse is bet according to its performances on a hard and fast track and runs out of gas coming down the stretch. The problem was that it tired badly because it was racing on a deep surface that favored a plodder.

Number three is connections. I want to see a top jockey on my horse or one who is consistent and though he or she may not be at the top of the win stats, can still win races with a good horse beneath him or her. I also want a good trainer who has experience at that track and has shown he or she can win at that level of competition. A lousy or inexperienced trainer can lose races by messing around with a horse when the horse is fine and ready to win. The smart trainers get them ready and then let them win. The other trainers try to make them win. There is a big difference.

So those are the three most important factors in handicapping races. No matter what your style or what pools you choose to play, you will have to master those three areas and understand them to make money at handicapping. The next important consideration is inside information such as you find in True Handicapping. Put the top factors together with inside information and your ROI will soar.

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 What’s a Willie 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 Bill’s handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Three-Most-Important-Factors-in-Horse-Racing-Handicapping-Winners&id=924659

By Bill Peterson

Finding the fit and ready horse and picking winners is the hard part in horse racing handicapping. One of the best clues to a horses fitness is a good recent work. Good works show a horse that is capable of maintaining a good pace for 3 or more furlongs.

But good works alone aren’t enough. You must also look beyond the works to know what the trainer intends with a horse. For instance, say a trainer has just claimed a horse and then got a good work from the horse, does this mean that the next race will be a winning effort?

Better check twice because that might not be the trainer’s style. Many trainers and their barns bet their horses. If you have a horse that just showed it was fit and ready you might be tempted to hold the horse back and get second place money and wheel it in the trifecta in second place, not to mention betting it heavily in the place pools.

Don’t think that happens? Next time you spot a horse that was recently claimed and had a good work, watch the action in the place and show pools. You might be surprised to find the horse is taking more than its share of the action there. So one of the points about workouts that shouldn’t be overlooked is that they often point to a useful horse that can be placed strategically to make a big hit. The beauty of it is, this can be done several times and when the crowd stops betting it to win, figuring it can’t do better than second, the barn bets it to win.

This is just one of many inside angles I’ve learned over the years. To learn more inside angles go to True Handicapping.

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 True handicapping 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 Bill’s handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Workout-Points-for-Horse-Racing-Handicapping—Picking-Winners-and-Place-Bets&id=923317

By Bill Peterson

There is a lot of confusion regarding horse racing handicapping and how to use handily works and breezing works.

First, let’s set the record straight. A handily or in hand work means the horse was going easily and didn’t need much urging. A horse that works handily or in hand is one that is full of run and wants to run. A horse that is breezing is being urged to move faster by the rider. Of the two workouts, the H is more impressive because it usually means a horse is full of run.

But before you go betting every horse that shows an H work, be careful. Most clockers give the H work tag to most works. Only when there is a good reason to note a horse was really being pushed or there was some other factor, do clockers give the B tag. You will notice on a workout report for most tracks the clocker has given the H tag to most works.

The interesting thing to note is that while it may first appear to be a bad sign if a horse has to be “ridden” to get a good work out of it, that may not be the case at all. Maybe the trainer told the rider to ride it hard just to see what the horse really has. It isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if the horse responds well. It is just a way of seeing what the horse has. Pay attention to B works and you may find one that is much faster than the rest. That is a very good sign. That is the kind of inside information that people pay money for.

One thing that many people don’t know is that not all clockers work for the Daily Racing Form or the track. Some work for private interests that pay these expert horse watchers to clock workouts and report back to them. They are always on the lookout to spot a rider riding a horse hard and to see what it can do.

Don’t pay much attention the H or B tag unless it is a standout workout as is explained in True Handicapping. Workouts are the most underutilized source of good inside information in horse racing handicapping.

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 True handicapping 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 Bill’s handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Works-The-Difference-Between-Breezing-and-Handily-or-In-Hand&id=923429

By Bill Peterson

One of the most overlooked and misunderstood aspects of picking winners in horseracing handicapping is simply called sight handicapping. Sight handicapping is simply looking at the horses and making a judgment based on the looks of each runner.

I’ve picked some nice winners this way and have also saved myself a small fortune over the years by being aware of horses that showed warning signs of being in poor physical condition. First of all, there are some good tapes and books written on the subject. Bonnie Leadbetter did an excellent tape and there are some good books, too. Unless you are an expert horseman or horsewoman, I’d advise you to get some of those reference materials and study them. Not only is it profitable because you will understand the animals and be able to spot horses that are far superior to the competition, but it is also just plain fun to watch these beautiful animals and to understand them even more.

When I bet on a horse there are a few things I look for in the walking ring or saddling area. The first place I start with a horse is to look at its coat. I want to see a shiny coat of hair and just beneath the skin I want to see dappling. A horse with a shiny healthy coat and dappling is a horse that is fit. Another thing I look for is how the horse carries his or her head. Lameness shows up when a horse is walking and you can see that in how it bobs its head. If it bobs too mauch and seems to arry its head to low or too high, it can be a sign of a horse that is trying to compensate by shifting weight off its front or rear legs by how it holds its head.

Of course you should also look at the hoofs, legs, and shins. Are the hooves cracked or split? Is it wearing front wraps? Is there any trace of a medication on the shins that would indicate it has been blistered to relieve a shin splint? These are all important clues that a horse is not ready to give its best effort.

Once out on the track look for a horse that warms up well, moving easily and showing some spring in its strides. A horse that is literally on its toes is one that is ready to give a good effort. Some horses will rock like a rocking horse in the post parade and seem to be more animated than the rest. A flat footed horse that plods along is usually not a good bet unless that is its nature. Most horses will show their energy level and gameness with a spirited stride.

Watch the tote board and see how they are bet. There are many insiders at the track that know how to spot a good one. If you think you’ve spotted one, confirm it on the tote board. For more good insider information go to True Handicapping

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 Whats a Willie 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 Bill’s handicapping store

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Horseracing-Secrets-of-Spotting-Horses-That-are-Healthy-and-Fit&id=923603

By Bill Peterson

The best way to find a winner at the race track is just wait until the race is over and look at the tote board.

The second best way is to work hard as a handicapper and handicap horse races and pay special attention to all the little details that most people over look. When it comes to horseracing handicapping the most overlooked information is the tote board and the works. The reason is quite simple, people don’t know how to use the information from either of those two sources to find winners.

The key to workouts is that there is more than meets the eye. The secret to using works effectively is to look for patterns and trainer moves and make comparisons. On top of all that you must also combine workouts with other factors. Works alone won’t point out many winners but when used with trainer moves and other information they can be a gold mine. Here is just one example. In maiden races a lone fast work is impressive, but a series of works that are about equally spaced and show steady improvement are much more impressive. Next, if you know how the trainer works and that the trainer brings his young horses along slowly and steadily, you will know that the horse is progressing nicely even though the times of those works may not be impressive compared to other works shown but runners in the same race.

One horse who is also competing in the race may have a bullet work, but that doesn’t mean it is a better bet. How does that trainer work his or her maidens? Does the trainer burn them up in the morning only to fail with them in the afternoon? There are some pretty high profile trainers who do poorly with maidens because they try to bring along a green horse as though it is a seasoned racer. That just doesn’t work with many young horses. So while their horses may show a fast work in the morning, they often fall apart in a race only to be beaten by a horse with a much better “bottom” in it and the confidence and patience that many well timed works can build.

So it isn’t enough to just watch workout times, but coupled with other inside information, workouts can really make a horse stand out even if the works themselves aren’t impressive at first glance. That is why the insider’s often bet a horse and you are scratching your head wondering why. It takes inside information like True Handicapping, to really beat the races.

For that reason I always say, watch the secrets of the tote board and learn how each trainer uses works to spot good bets at good odds.

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 Whats a Willie 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 Bill’s handicapping store

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Horseracing-Secrets-of-Outstanding-Workouts-for-Handicapping-Winners&id=923543

By Bill Peterson

One of the most overlooked sources of real valuable information when handicapping horseracing is the clocker’s comments. You’ll find them on most tracks workout pages or in the Daily Racing Form. The great thing about clocker’s comments is that the clockers themselves are expert horse watchers.

They watch horses for a living and can recognize horses on sight. Try that yourself sometime and you will see how difficult it is. One brown horse looks pretty much like any other brown horse unless you are a real horse expert. That is just what clockers are, horse experts.

If you are trying to show a profit at horseracing handicapping then you know how hard it is to know if a horse is fit and ready. Each horse has a long form cycle and mini form cycles as well.

Despite their size, thoroughbreds are actually quite fragile and susceptible to lameness, and indigestion. The best way to know if a horse is ready to win is to have an expert look it over and tell you if the horse is feeling well and healthy.

When a clocker sees a horse work and is impressed by the horse they will often make a comment. Those comments are like gold. You literally have a great, professional horse watcher who is telling you that the horse is feeling good and looks healthy. Start keeping track of clocker’s comments and you will find many long priced winners. The clockers are second only to the trainers in knowing when a horse has perked up and is ready to win. They are the best insiders to listen to. Without inside information like you find in True Handicapping you are going to have a tough time beating horseracing.

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 Whats a Willie 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 Bill’s handicapping store

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Clockers-are-a-Great-Source-of-Inside-Information-and-Tips-for-Horseracing-Handicapping&id=923355

By Bill Peterson

Everybody likes to have a winner and racing tips have been a good source of winners for many people over the years. Some people sell tips. Sometimes the tips they sell are based on inside information and other times they are nothing more than fabrications made up to separate some poor handicapper from his or her hard earned dough.

Tip services have to do a pretty good job because they can’t stay in business for long without at least coming close to showing a profit. But let’s face it, if they sell you a tip they are also selling it to other people, too. How many people have the same tip you have? If you all bet the same tips how low will the odds be and what will the bet be worth?

So public services that sell tips may send you winners, but the odds will be so low that the payoffs won’t cover your bets, not to mention the fee for the tips. So overall, tips from services have little real value.

In order to be valuable, a tip has to have a very limited number of people playing it. Otherwise, it will be bet down to nothing. Many stables set up horses to win at good odds. They are betting stables and after a while the word gets round that they are a betting stable and their runners get lots of attention. But they do many things to hide the action when they have a live horse. Some of the ways you can discover how to tell when a betting stable is sending a horse to win are in True Handicapping

Just because a horse is bet down below the morning line odds, it doesn’t mean that the horse is being bet by inside money. The public can drive the odds down and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy as more and more people see a lot of money bet on a horse and keep betting it more and more figuring the horse is being sent. So it is absolutely imperative that you know whether the only people who count, the barn and connections, are betting the horse. The biggest tips you will ever find are on the tote board, but not always easy to spot.

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 True handicapping 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 Bill’s handicapping store

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Racing-Tips—Are-They-Worth-Anything-and-Where-Do-You-Find-Them&id=923334

By Bill Peterson

This is the second in my series of Golden Rules of Horse racing Handicapping. I realize that each person has to make their own rules for how they will handicap horse races, but I am sharing what I have learned after many years of experience and you may be able to pick some gems from what I have learned. Obviously, the old saying, rules are meant to be broken does apply. But before you start breaking rules, it is a good idea to learn them and why they are important and also the price for breaking them at the wrong time. It can literally mean the difference between a winning or losing day at the track and if you break them often enough it can mean the difference between a losing or winning season or year. Ouch!

Hehe, okay, I can hear some of you know, “Tell us oh great Guru, what is rule number two?”

Rule Number Two of the golden rules of horse racing handicapping is, “Keep Records and Old Racing Programs.” Any document that you have that you have made notes on or done calculations on is worth a lot to you, even if you have been losing.

Picture this scenario, you have just had a losing and particularly frustrating day at the track. Nothing seemed to go your way no matter how hard you tried. You have no idea of what went wrong. You angrily throw your program and losing tickets away and walk or storm out of the track. I don’t know what mistakes you may have made before that lead to the losing day, but I can tell you the biggest mistake you made of the day, you threw away the only pieces of evidence that will help you solve the riddle of why you lost. Now I am not saying you should take that program and exhaust yourself poring over it to find out what went wrong while sitting in your car in the parking lot.

I am saying this. Take a deep breath when you have one of those days and let it out slowly. If you have some way of relieving tension or pressure that is legal and not self destructive then now would be a good time to do it. It may be a round of golf, yoga, sitting on the beach, or watching a sitcom, but whatever it is, remove yourself from the track and everything that happened, but do not throw that program and any other written evidence you may have away.

When you are rested and have had time to calm down, take that program and slowly and methodically go over it. Remember what you thought and felt when you made each decision and bet. That’s right, I said thought and felt, because whether we admit it or not, our emotions do play a part in our handicapping and decision making in life. Once you have discovered some things about what you felt and thought, look for a pattern. Now here is another important key and one that must not be overlooked. We all have losing days despite making the right decisions. The right decisions are the ones that lead to long term profits though they may also result in some losing days. Did you just have a day when though you made the right decisions, it was the other guy or gal’s turn to win? If so smile and relax. Your turn is coming and in the long run you’ll be okay. If, on the other hand, you made some poor decisions and see a pattern, you have just bought yourself some valuable information. You could have thrown it away, however, and had losing day after losing day, if you hadn’t saved that program.

But even a stack of programs with copious notes isn’t enough sometimes. There has to be a way of keeping notes accurately and comparing each handicapping factor to weigh its relative value. Visual aids are the best but we’re not all proficient at Excel Spread Sheets. Even a simple method like Ladder Handicapping can help. It takes a little time and more effort, but just think of the edge you’ll have over the competition, when they throw their old programs away and storm out of the track or OTB.

When you follow rule number two, what you are really doing is handicapping yourself and your performance. In the end, that is the toughest, but most rewarding part of this game.

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 True handicapping 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 Bill’s handicapping store.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Golden-Rules-of-Horse-Racing-Handicapping—Rule-Number-Two&id=919136

By Bill Peterson

Rules are meant to be broken and one person’s rules may not mean much to you. But after years of handicapping and being around horseracing, I have come up with some basic rules that have made a big difference in my ability to show a profit at the track, albeit a slim one at times. There are no get rich quick schemes in these rules, just some basic things that have stood the test of time.

I have chosen this one as Rule One, though truth be told there are several that are probably just as important, but you have to start somewhere and this is a good place, so here goes…

Rule One is “Know Your Track.” How and why follows.

Each track has its own peculiarities that can make you or break you. Sometimes the difference between a profit and a loss is one winner and sometimes the difference between that one extra winner or a loser is knowing something that a lot of people who don’t know the track haven’t figured out. It can also be knowing the track’s trainers.

Statistics don’t tell the whole story for most trainers because they move from track to track in a circuit or even from state to state or even between countries. So you have to know the specifics about how that trainer does at that track, which when you think of it is as much about the track as the trainer. So know the track. Know the bias after a lot of rain. Does it favor early speed after a heavy rain? Does the rain drain toward the rail? Does it freeze and get hard at a certain temperature? Does it change with the seasons? Have they just added a new surface or regroomed it? Any of these can mean that one extra winner and a profit or a loss.

The problem most people have in learning these things is how to compare them and keep good notes without going nuts. It is hard, but not impossible. An easy visual system like Ladder Handicapping can help. It takes a little time and more effort, but just think of the edge you’ll have over the competition.

There are certain things I wait for every year that are little money makers for me year after year. One of them is the switch from Belmont to Aqueduct. When they switch to the Big A I start paying more attention to early speed and every year I am rewarded with some beautiful payoffs because horses that seemed to quit after flashing early speed at Belmont, cruise around Aqueduct and keep it going down the stretch. I will guarantee there are many people who play the NY circuit who are amazed by this phenomenon every year like they have never seen it before, why, because they weren’t paying attention and have no good way of keeping track of just how important it is. So for my money, “Know Your Track” is a good Rule One in your arsenal of golden rules of horseracing handicapping.

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 True handicapping 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 Bill’s handicapping store

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bill_Peterson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Golden-Rules-of-Horse-Racing-Handicapping—Rule-Number-One&id=916726