Horse Wagering Tips

Many horse racing fans will tell you that there's nothing like winning a wager on a race. However, many of these will tell you that wagering on horse racing is one of the hardest ways to make money. With so much information to digest, how do horse handicappers know what to look for when deciding on which horse to bet?

  1. Trainers and jockeys

    • Amateur handicappers should look at a horse's trainers and jockeys Certain trainers and jockeys excel at certain tracks, and you should take advantage of that. Handicapping books and programs such as the "Daily Racing Form" show you the record and percentages of trainers and jockeys for the year and particular meet; most trainers and jockeys will fall in the 10 percent to 18 percent category. Any trainers or jockeys who are winning at more than a 20 percent clip are doing well and should stand out in your wagering plans. Some trainers and jockeys work better together, and these numbers are at times listed. If you can't get the Form or don't have a program, a quick check at www.equibase.com will give you the leading trainers and jockeys for a particular meet.

    Past performances

    • Look at the horse itself. The Daily Racing Form publishes perhaps the most discussed handicapping tool ever in the Beyer Speed Figure, a complex, scientific formula that determines on a numeric scale how fast a horse ran in a race. Some handicappers rely solely on the Beyer Speed Figure to figure out on which horse to bet, wagering on the horses that ran the highest figure in the previous race, but you should go beyond that (if for no other reason than those horses tend to have the worst odds in terms of value for your wager).
      Other questions to ask include: What is the horse's history? How has it run in the past? Does it do well in this particular race, at this particular distance, on this particular surface (grass, turf, synthetic)? Is the horse coming off a stressful race, or did it have an easy going?

    Value Value Value

    • Maybe the most important tip to give on horse wagering is that it's all about value. You want to maximize your wins and minimize your losses. In horse racing, even the best handicappers lose more than they win. If you hit on 20 percent of your wagers, you are on fire. You should want one winning wager to offset five losing wagers. Because of that, you need to find value.
      Betting on heavy favorites who are returning 20 or 30 cents on a dollar is not going to do much for you except allow you to cash a ticket. But if you can find the horse that is returning $8 or $10 on a dollar, then you'll be cashing value tickets. That's why it's important to find the trainers, jockeys and horses that are hot before anyone else does, and to know that sometimes you need to take a wager on a long shot if there is something about the horse that you like.

    How to bet--and Not to Bet

    • If you want to maximize your chances of winning at the track, you should make the majority of your bets single bets--that is, win bets (or place bets). Exotic wagering such as exactas and trifectas pay more, but they are also much harder to hit.
      Also, betting by the horse's name or number is akin to playing the lottery--though there is not anything necessarily wrong with it if you want some action, you should not expect to win by doing that.

    Know Your Sport

    • Finally, follow the sport. Read horse racing articles, check out the "Daily Racing Form" online, and try to have a general knowledge of horses, jockeys, trainers, breeding and the races.