Thoroughbred Handicapping Checklist

Betting on horse races is a recreational activity that has the potential to end in profitable days at the track when luck is on your side. While horse racing is not an entirely predictable sport, by paying attention to important variables in each race you bet on, you can increase your success and make your days at the track more enjoyable.

  1. Health

    • The health of all of the horses running in the race is vitally important, as a horse that is not operating at full capacity must be handicapped accordingly. Even the strongest horse can be a bad bet if it is coming off of an injury that is likely to have it running below full speed. Conversely, a horse that performed poorly in prior races due to an injury but has since recovered is likely to run better and may be rated at a value that is beneficial to a bet.

    Running Traits

    • The conditions at race tracks vary from track to track and day to day, and play a part in which horse is most likely to win the race. When consulting the sports book, take note of how a horse performed previously on different surfaces and under different weather conditions as well as whether the horse excels at long or short distances. A horse with an excellent record in sprints, less than one mile long, may not be a great bet in a long race if that same horse has poor history of losing longer races.

    Form

    • When examining the past history of horses entered in a race you should weigh the importance of each race emphasizing most recent results. A horse that begins its career winning frequently but has struggled in the prior month may have a higher winning percentage than a horse that has been finishing in the top three recently, but the second horse is showing better recent form and is likely a better bet for the race.

    Team

    • Although the horses being run are a primary element of every race, the horses are not run in a vacuum. In addition to looking at the record of the horses in a race, examine the records of both the jockey that will be riding the horse and the trainer of the horse. Successful trainers have shown an ability to maximize the potential of horses, while successful jockeys have experience in coaxing the most out of a horse on the track.