Communicated Content – Horse racing is mainly based on luck because, like any other form of sports betting, there’s no consistent and accurate way of telling which horse will win. However, we say primarily because you can do things to give yourself a fighting chance and not rely solely on luck to win bets in horse racing.
In fact, by researching a lot of the race’s aspects, from what type of track will be used down to the horses’ stats, you can have an educated guess on which horse will be the champion. When it comes to researching, there are a lot of aspects we can discuss, but for today, we will be focusing on the horse and the telltale signs that you can see when they are going to win.
We can talk about a lot but note that these signs do not guarantee that a horse will win before we get started. It’s just that the horse has a good chance of winning. But these factors will certainly help you make real bets, so read on.
Track Record
When researching a specific horse, the first thing you should do is look at its track record. It’s an excellent way to start your research because it gives you an in-depth look at the horse’s latest statistics. Generally, a horse is a good bet when consistently placed in the first three on its latest races. Let’s emphasize the word latest here because if those placements aren’t recent, that information is irrelevant.
Also, you have to take note of the factors that led to these placements, like the type of track surface, the type of thoroughbred the horse is, and even the weather. Let’s take the track surface, for example. Thoroughbreds are categorized as heavy or light-footed, and each of these categories do either well or poorly in a specific track type.
Heavy-footed breeds do poorly in dirt tracks because they have too much force on their hooves when they run, burrowing in the ground. This can reduce their speeds significantly. However, they are much more powerful and fast in a synthetic track because nothing will impede their steps.
On the other hand, light-footed horses do better on dirt tracks because they don’t have to worry about their hooves burrowing into the ground. They can still do well on synthetic tracks but not as much as heavy-footed thoroughbreds.
You can also check the odds that are published by the on-location sportsbooks. You can also see rankings online like tvg win prediction picks. They can give you a good idea of how the horse will perform. These odds are also based on several factors that can be seen on the horse’s track records.
Repeat Contestant
Have you ever heard of the phrase, “Never expect a horse to do something it has never done before”? It’s good advice that we should always keep in mind when betting. If you don’t know the meaning of that, it’s self-explanatory. Let’s look at it through an example.
Suppose a specific horse didn’t do well on a dirt track ever, then you shouldn’t start betting on it on a particular race with that track. It’s pretty much impossible for that horse to win.
Sure, one million chances it will, but you shouldn’t expect it. However, the opposite of the saying is also true. If the horse won on a dirt track before, that horse is generally a good bet, even more so if it has won the race multiple times in the past.
Days Rested
Just like human athletes, horses also need enough rest. That said, the number of days it has rested can significantly impact its performance.
However, most bettors think that this is a trivial thing. The gist of it is that when a horse is not rested enough, it’ll be too tired to race. Meanwhile, if a horse is over-rested, it won’t be at its top physicality on its next race. With that in mind, how many days should a horse rest?
The sweet spot here is between 30-60 days. Also, keep in mind that if a horse just got out of resting, no matter how many days it rested, it will only get back to its top physical condition after a race or two.
Behavior
One of the advantages you can have when going to the races personally is seeing the horses up close, especially when they are on their way to their starting positions. During their entourage, you can see the horse’s behavior before it starts racing. Its behavior usually indicates how ready it is to race.
For example, if a horse is irritable and sweating too much, it might not be ready to race, and there’s a good chance it will do poorly. On the other hand, if the horse is slow and steady and has a calm demeanor, it usually indicates that it is ready to race and will perform exceptionally.
Final Words
There are many more telltale signs that you can see on horses if you want to know how well they will perform during a race. However, the ones listed above are the most common and obvious. Although horse racing is mostly a game of luck, you can still give yourself a chance to win if you do your research well. With thorough research and a little bit of luck, there’s a good chance you’ll go home a few bucks richer.
