When Luck is Not Enough: The Racetrack

By KM Reid

Winning
at the track takes more than just luck. It is important to have a
system in place if you are serious about winning big and winning
consistently.

Consistently
using a good system will help you to win continuously over the
long-term. Of course, this does not mean that you should stick with a
bad system, believing you will eventually win.

These are some things you should consider when betting so that you have no regrets at post time.

Horse

Looking at individual horses will be the first consideration in deciding who to wager on.

The
odds may change as the race approaches, but they will give you a good
idea of the horses likelihood of winning. Long shots are less likely to
win, but if they do, you will win big. Favorites have a strong shot at
winning, but you will win less money betting on them.

Also,
check out the horse before the race if you can. Make sure the horses
look healthy and alert. Horses who seem overly anxious, lethargic or
have dull coats may have health problems that will affect the race.

The Jockey

It
is generally better to bet on horses ridden by experienced jockeys.
This is because they have more skill and practice handling situations
that may come up in the race. For example, a horse stumbling in the gate
or being afraid of the whip of another jockey or getting bumped hard
coming out of the gate. New jockeys may also do very well, but they have
not run into the situations experienced jockeys have learned to handle.

Inexperienced
jockeys may also have trouble handling strong or difficult horses who
are especially exited on race day. In addition, they may miss an opening
to pass another horse or not take a risk that a more experienced jockey
would be comfortable taking to win the race.

The Track

Track condition affects how horses run on race day. It is very important to consider this factor before placing your bet.

Remember
that a muddy or sloppy track will be slower than a dry one. This is
also true for turf tracks. Also check the horses history in various
track conditions because many horses have preferences and dislikes when
it comes to the surface they run on.

The Record

You
will want to bet on a horse who has run recently and who ran well.
Horses who ran poorly or who have not run in a long time may not be good
bets. They may be coming back from an injury or have another problem
that is not easily seen. The racing form will have information on the
horses most recent races.