Jun 14
2013
Workouts are like a practice for any other athlete. Most horses in training get daily exercise, but not all exercise is considered an official workout. Official means they were timed by a track clocker, and will be published in all records of a horses past performances. Standard information presented for the workout are Date, Track, Distance, Surface, Time, Qualification, and Ranking. Qualifications on the official workouts are used to help explain the nature of the workout. I have several examples to help explain the information. Read More >>
Jun 6
2013
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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Jun 4
2013
(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 >>
May 30
2013
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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May 28
2013
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 >>
May 24
2013
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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May 22
2013
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 >>
May 16
2013
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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May 14
2013
A Foal in Lexington, Ky.
Regardless of their actual birth date, all race horses turn 1-year old on January 1 of the year following their birth. Prior to that they are referred to as a Foal, or a Weanling (a horse that has been weaned from its mother). The horse’s mother is called a Dam, and their father is a Sire.
After they turn 1-year old, they are referred to as a Yearling for the next year. Then they become a 2-year old (aka Juveniles), a 3-year old, etc. on each subsequent January 1.
There are additional names added to a race horse based on Age and Sex. Female horses less than 5 years old are called “Fillies.” Females 5 years and older are called “Mares.” Male horses less than 5 years old are called “Colts.” Males five and older are simply referred to as a “Horse.”
Two exceptions to the male names occur. The first is when a horse has been castrated. Regardless of their age, they are then referred to as a “Gelding.” The other exception is a male with an undescended testicle, who is referred to as a “Ridgling.” Let’s return to Age specific matters.
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May 10
2013
In this article we open up one of the most interesting topics in handicapping horse racing. The topic of “Class.” Class is considered by some handicappers to be THE most important factor when evaluating a race. I have known Class players that will utilize Class almost exclusively when handicapping a race. Others consider class less important, positing that a horse doesn’t know what “Class” he is supposed to be. I think the majority of handicappers are somewhere in-between. At least that’s where I am. Read More >>
