Here are a few of the most important things to look at when handicapping a race.
1. The Conditions- What I mean by this is, what is the level/purse they are running in. The program will always have this listed at the far left just after the horses post position. This is very valuable to see if the horse is moving up or down in class.
2. What's the distance of the race? It's smart to look back at pp's of each horse to see what their previous speed figs where at the distance and to see what the final time of that race was clocked in. For instance, there might be a horse entered that finished 6th in his last start at the distance, but maybe the race was 2 or 3 sec faster. Each sec of a race could = 2 to 3 lengths.
3. Jockey/Trainer Index- These are normally listed after the last race of each track in the program.
4. Track conditions- Is is fast, sloppy, are they on dirt, turf, or synthetic?
5. ALWAYS read the comments on the far right of the program after each listed race. Very helpfull info. example: bumped out of gate, rider lost whip, checked hard , 5 wide around turn ect...
Just the least bit of traffic or bumping can cost a horse dearly.
6. FOLLOW THE ODDS. If you see a horse that's morning line 12-1 and with 1 min until post, its 2-1 that should tell you something.
These are just a few of the MANY angles one needs to look at when handicapping any race. Or you can just do what my wife does and pick them by name..:mj07:
