Form – The Most Elusive Of Measures

Synonyms to Form: Fitness, Condition, Sharpness, Readiness

In a prior article we introduced the Basic Elements of Handicapping; Distance, Class, Form, and Pace.  Of the four, Form might intuitively be the easiest to understand, but practically the most difficult to master.

In his book, Ainsle’s Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Horse Racing, Tom Ainsle wrote the following on the topic of Form:

“No matter how astute he (the handicapper) may be, the subtle complications of the condition factor continue to challenge his best efforts.  For every bet he loses through racing luck or a misjudged ride or an error in evaluating the class of a horse, he can expect to lose two because of surprises in the form department.”

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Claiming Races – Where (Almost) Every Horse Is For Sale

(Update to this article appears at the end.)

In a prior article introducing the topic of Class, the subject of Claiming Races was mentioned.  Now we delve into the topic a bit more.  The unique thing about Claiming Races is that every horse in the race is “for sale.”  The term “Claiming” comes from the process of initiating the purchase.  Prior to the race, any Trainer who wishes to purchase a horse (on behalf of an owner) running in the race, fills out a Claiming form and submits it to the racing secretary’s office.

At the conclusion of the race, for any horses that were Claimed,  a track official “Tags” the horse by placing a “Claim” Tag on their halter.  At that point the new owner and trainer take possession of the horse and they bring the horse back to their barn.  If the horse finished well enough to receive any purse money from the just concluded race, that money is paid to the owner who was in possession of the horse at the beginning of the race. Read More >>

Monmouth Visit

Deb and I made our first trip to Monmouth Park (in Oceanport, NJ) race track over the Memorial Day weekend.  And while I’m not much of a travel critic, I will say that overall we really liked the Monmouth Park facility.  I know, you’re probably thinking, has he ever met a race track he didn’t like?  That would be a fair question.  And, the answer would be no … but, I do like some more than others. Read More >>

State Breds vs. Open Company

Many states have programs that encourage the breeding and racing of Thoroughbred horses within their state.  For example; New York, California, Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania all have well established programs.  The racing portion of these programs provide races that are restricted to only horses bred within a specific state.  The race conditions for these races will say something like:

For maidens, Two Years Old Foaled in New York State and Approved by The New York State-bred Registry.

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More on Age

In a prior post we introduced the topic of Age.  In that post we explained how all races are restricted by age.  Some are limited to 2-year olds or 3-year olds only, while others are restricted to a range of ages.  For example, 3-years old and upward, or 4-years old and upward.  We provided an example of how these restrictions are written up in the race conditions at the top of each race, and where the current age of each horse is included in their Past Performances (PPs).

In this post we will be providing examples of how age information is presented in the PPs for races run previously in a horse’s career.  And, we’ll explain why restrictions are placed on horses by age. Read More >>

Restricted Allowance Races (N1X, N2X, etc.)

In a prior article we introduced the “Class Pyramid,” showing the various levels of class in Thoroughbred Horse Racing.  Today we’ll review the first Move “Up The Class Ladder” that a horse will encounter in his/her career.  It directly follows them “Breaking Their Maiden.”

As we explained in the article on Maidens, there are two general classes of Maidens.  In this article we are going to focus on what generally happens after a horse wins a Maiden Special Weight race.  Winners of these races move up to Allowance races the majority of the time.  In a another article we’ll explain what usually happens to winners of Maiden Claiming races following their first victory.

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Running Lines

The Running Lines appear smack dab in the middle of the Past Performances (PPs) for each horse in the Daily Racing Form.  We have alluded to them already, but in this post we’ll give a full account of what they mean, and how they vary by the distance of the race.  All together there are Six columns of positions for the running line of past races. Read More >>

Exotic Wagers: Intra-Race and Multi-Race

In two prior posts, I covered the topic of Win-Place-Show wagers.  While these relatively simple wagers, sometimes referred to as “straight” wagers, have been a main staple for horseplayers over the years, there are many other wagering options available.  These other wagers are frequently referred to as “Exotic” wagers, and can be divided into two main categories: Intra-Race and Multi-Race. Intra-Race wagers involve predicting the order of finish within a single race. Multi-Race wagers predominantly involve predicting the winner in multiple races in succession. Read More >>

Triple Crown Memories

It’s absolutely amazing to say this, but the last Triple Crown winner was in 1978.  I was 17 years old when Affirmed beat Alydar to win the 1978 Belmont Stakes.  But, the story of these two great race horses is much more than just one race, or for that matter the Triple Crown.  For me personally, their story is intertwined with my lifelong devotion to the sport of Thoroughbred horse racing. Read More >>

Maiden Class Fundamentals

Horses that are Maidens have one thing in common.  They have NEVER won a race.  They might have tried 2 times, 22 times, or are making their first try today.  In the latter case, they are referred to as First-Time-Starters (FTS) – and they deserve special consideration because there are no running lines for past races in their Past Performances (PPs).  I have known many horseplayers over the years that prefer to take a pass on Maiden races and avoid Maiden races loaded with FTS like the plague.  My son Michael doesn’t even print out the PPs for races with mostly FTS, thereby avoiding all temptation when he is at the racetrack.  For him, these races represent “Beer Break.”  Since so many horseplayers decide to avoid these races, I consider them as an opportunity to find good betting situations.

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