Horse Racing Handicapping Angles for Each Race Track

By Bill Peterson

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Recently I was asked by a handicapper if I could give some good angles for a track that he planned to play this winter. No matter what season it is, the best method I've found for dealing with track specific horse racing angles is to research the track models and trainer standings for that track.

There is a lot of information online about each track and many of them post last years top trainers and jockeys at the beginning of a new meet. Of course, for the track publicity department it's a matter of trying to generate interest in the rivalries at the track and also a way to help handicappers to watch certain trainers who may be good at dealing with the peculiarities of that racing venue.

One of the best things that you can do, if you want to cash a lot of winners at the horse races, is to keep notes or save your old racing programs. As I write this there is a book shelf behind me that is crammed full of old racing programs. When a new meet starts I like to look back over last year's programs to see if I can get a handle on how the track played last year and of who the stars were. I also like to note those trainers and jockeys who disappointed.

They say that living by looking over your shoulder is a bad thing to do, but trust me, when it comes to handicapping learning by your past mistakes is crucial to making money betting on horses. On the other hand, be flexible enough to realize that things can change. If a new trend develops, don't miss it.

Diet Exercise and Horse Racing Handicapping - The Connection

By Bill Peterson

image: depositphotos

It's amazing how people who handicap horse races spend so much time thinking about the physical condition of the horses and jockeys but who ignore their own health as a factor in success at the races. I know many people don't want to hear that their lifestyle has a direct impact on their success playing the races, but in my opinion, it does.

Horse races are contests. Horse racing handicapping is a contest as well. The person who bets into pari-mutuel pools is competing against all the other people who also bet into the pools. You aren't competing against the race track or horses, you're competing against other people who are doing the same thing you're doing -- trying to make a profit picking winners.

How smart and how well prepared you are will make a big difference, just as it does in any other contest. Professional poker players who play in tournaments know that fatigue plays a big part in finishing well. The players who are able to make good decisions at the end of the tournament are the ones who usually win. Physical fatigue leads to poor judgment and mental errors.

As a handicapper, your best tool is your mind. Physiologist will tell you that cognitive ability declines with poor health. Proper nutrition is a key to a clear well functioning mind. Exercise leads to better blood flow and almost everyone knows how important it is for your brain to get oxygen rich blood in order to function properly.

Just because you sit down to handicap a horse race, it doesn't mean that physical strength and stamina aren't necessary. Think of other contests and sports where the participants sit down and you'll see what I mean. NASCAR drivers sit down and drive a car. It certainly doesn't take much strength to turn a steering wheel, does it?