Too often horse race handicappers get into a rut of thinking in terms of only the numbers and the names of the horses in the horse race.
For instance, we scan our racing form looking for jockey trainer combinations or the names of horses we are watching. At other times we think only in terms of numbers, as in who has the highest Beyer speed figure at the distance, etc.
Many times there is one important part of horse racing handicapping we overlook and that is the fact that the horses and jockeys are athletes competing in an athletic event.
Horse racing is a very demanding sport. It tests the jockeys and horses in ways that can be physically dangerous, and even deadly. In order to compete, a horse has to be in excellent shape.
Many of the horses that compete from day to day are horses that have raced long enough to have sustained injuries in the past that the trainer must be aware of, and help the animal to overcome. We all know that some of the most successful trainers got to the top of the trainer profession by being able to claim lame animals and get them fit and ready in a short time.
There are indeed plenty of parallels in horse racing to competitive and professional athletes, and a successful horse race handicapper will recognize this and be able to spot the 'star performers' much like a 'Scout' who is paid to seek out a professional athlete in any sport.
Horse racing handicapping therefore demands that you be able to judge a horse's physical ability and condition according to its most recent performance.
But which performance do you use; workouts or races? You may ask yourself, did the trainer send this horse out for an easy 3 furlong workout because it couldn't manage more than that or because it is in fine shape and the trainer did not want to expend all the energy of the horse in a workout?
That is a good question and to answer it, look at the last race the horse ran. How recent was it? How does the trainer normally work this horse? In other words, this horse is an athlete and has muscles that must be conditioned and also a personality that must be considered. What works for one horse doesn't work for another horse and one trainer's methods may not work for one horse but will work for another.
A successful horse race handicapper must in all cases, evaluate the horse on the basic elements- an animal, flesh and blood, muscle and bone.
So when you are handicapping, think of the race as a competition between trained and conditioned athletes. See if you can figure out which athlete is the best trained and has the best conditioning. You must also consider which horse has the best athlete on its back to help it along.
Bottom Line-Horse racing is just another sport with competing athletes. It is your job as a horse race handicapper to identify the horses and the jockeys with the ability, talent, and conditioning to win the next race.
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.
