Horse Racing Handicapping Tips - How to Pick More Winners

Here are some horse racing handicapping tips on how to pick more winners. Follow these simple effective steps that have worked for others when betting thoroughbreds.

Winning thoroughbred horse races involves more than just betting the right race at the right time. You will also need a varying degree of luck. Will this be your day to cash a monster exotic bet, or will the Track Stewards rob you and others by disqualifying the outright Winner?

To give yourself a decent shot at cashing a horse racing bet, one does need a combination of the right strategies and proper execution. Knowing about these important points will make the difference between continuously losing your hard earned money... and winning for a change.

Here are some of the things you need to look out for in thoroughbred handicapping, so you will not be sorry you placed a bet.

This is the first and foremost consideration one must make before betting. Just by looking at the race entries, you may be able to tell which one has the best chance of winning. The first option would be to choose one that is not overly backed, but still has a fair chance of winning, because of post position or track condition.

The sound reasoning here is that it is usually the entrant who has the best value who will perform best in the end. Although the heavily backed favorite tends to win more often, it does not normally have good value when it comes to betting odds.

When checking out the entries, look for one who has Winner written all over it. One can usually read this telling sign by the shape and form that the race contender is projecting.

Usually, these thoroughbreds are the entrants who have shown their capability to win in whatever type of race that they enter. They are usually "there or there abouts" during the late stages of the race. They have also shown a propensity for this distance (Sprint or Route) ... AND racing surface (Dirt or Turf).

Read about some horseracing handicapping news in the Daily Racing Form, Brisnet, or Equibase... and other similar publications.

Oftentimes, you will read about a contender that has won two or more times in any recent competitive events, yet surprisingly failed to fire when bet down to prohibitive odds (anything less than Even Money). An additional Plus ALERT is when the odds start off at much higher prices (8-1), and gradually drop dramatically until four to two minutes before post time.

Inexperienced jockeys are effective if they are riding thoroughbreds that are sure winners. These usually are the contenders that are known to run and sprint faster than others in the race. But then, even the fastest of the field will not be able to make it to first place if the distance is not one to which it is accustomed, or evidenced by its bloodlines.

In this case, the expert jockey is the one who will make all the difference. With proper knowledge of the pace the challenge will take, he will be able to manage his mount and coax it to its full potential. Do not be fooled by the initial show of how fast the Runner may run. In the end, even the slower one can measure up to it because of the way it is being handled by its jockey.

The condition of the surface, itself, is another major consideration. This is why you should become more expert in analyzing the track condition and how the field will run on the particular surface (dirt, grass, or artiificial), today. Take note that a muddy track will definitely not favor the entrant that has taken an early lead. A SLOPPY track will also hinder the challenger who has to make up too much ground at the end.

Sooner or later, the front runner will slow down the blistering pace, just enough, to where it will not be overtaken by the others running late to the wire at the finish.

The best possible Entrant to choose is the one that has competed most recently at this distance, and on this surface, but did not win. Even if the favored contender is in very good form, but has not competed for quite some time, his odds will be prohibitive... and favorites do lose races more often than not.

There will be a real possibility the Favorite, at short odds, may not perform well today, because it is not in optimum condition. Check out past performance records to select which Runner, at value odds, deserves your backing today. It is an integral part of the handicapping process.

It used to be that people who bet on horse racing, or greyhound dogs, went to the races to place their wagers and to experience, first hand, the outcome. With the ever increasing complexity of the technology we now have in our lifetime, gambling has already invaded our homes. In some states, offline betting has already invaded our lives.

There is no longer a necessity to actually go to the track to place a bet on your favorite horse races. Choosing your game is mostly a personal decision and you have choices. Some have a natural affinity with horses or dogs, thus they tend to employ their handicapping skills either online or offline.

These days it seems that you need not go out of the house anymore to get a dose of adrenaline pumping through your veins in order to experience the highs of winning or the depths of losing. You can have it all betting the races from the comfort and safety of your home.