Kentucky Derby Countdown:
76 Days Until May 3rd and the 134th Kentucky Derby
Thoroughbred Horse Racing Using Beyer Numbers
The Winner of the horse race is determined by the fastest horse covering the specified distance. Speed is defined in many ways, especially in horse racing. Speed in a 'Sprint' Race is far different than Speed in a 'Route' Race.
Andrew Beyer, the de-facto expert on Speed and the founder of the Beyer speed ratings/Beyer Numbers states that Beyer Numbers are only interchangeable between distances only when a horse is equally efficient at both distances.
Professional horse race handicappers are well aware of this, and will use the Beyer numbers as a reference point only and will not rely on them totally in their horse race handicapping analysis.
The Beyer figures are suppose to equalize the variance that can be attributed to track variance. In other words, a 75 earned on a good or muddy track should be the same as a 75 earned on a fast track. Sounds good, but successful horse race handicappers know from experience that that is just not the case.
As you refer to the Beyer figures more and more, you will probably notice that the figures earned on a good, slow, or muddy track appear to be low. Thus, you will probably notice that a horse going from one of these tracks to a fast track would often gain 5-25 points.
Beyer numbers earned on sloppy tracks; however, seem to be fairly equivalent to what a horse would normally run on a fast track.
Bottom Line- Always refer to the Beyer Numbers in your horse race handicapping analysis, but use them as reference only. Do not use them as the primary reason to pick a particular horse.
Horse racing handicapping and wagering, although a legal form of gambling, does not guarantee that the risk of losing your money has been eliminated.
Always wager with money that you can afford to lose, do not violate your money management rules, and do not be greedy, there will always be another horse race to wager on.
Fact: Only 2% of all horse race handicappers actually make money wagering.
Visit http://www.HorseRaceHandicappingCollege.com for more information.
