Independent publications that provide a comprehensive history of the horses participating upcoming races are what Racing Forms are typically sold at race tracks.They are used to determine the probability that a horse will win the race.Technical documents are also complex.
Step 1: Scan the title.
The general information about the race will be at the top of the Racing Form.It will be separated from the rest of the text by a line.
Step 2: The race number can be found.
This will be on the left-hand side of the page.This is used to distinguish between different races because most tracks run several races per day.It can be a number from one to ten.
Step 3: You can find the track name.
This will be bold and large, above all of the other information, except for the race number which is to the left.
Step 4: Find the race conditions.
There are three lines worth of description underneath the track name.The purse that goes to the winner will be the beginning of this.There are certain conditions that need to be met for a horse to qualify for the race.Race participants are limited by the horses gender, age, and record.The class specifications will be listed in the race conditions.You can see an alpha-numeric code to the right of the track name.Most of the information in the race description is conveyed by these codes.It is possible for experts to quickly find race information.
Step 5: Take a look at the track diagram.
There is a picture of the course on the far right-hand side.Some horses perform better in certain types of races.
Step 6: You can find horse information.
There are three columns of data about the horse under the track information.Identifying information for the race, pedigree, and average performance history is included.
Step 7: You can identify information by looking to the far left column.
The horse's race number can be found on the left side of the text.The first row of text will tell you the name of the horse and the second row will give the owner's name.The color of the silks the horse will wear during the race is indicated by the third row.The name of the jockey is the final line.The standing odds prior to the race are underneath the horse's race number.A successful bet of $1 will earn you $3.The jockey's statistics are in parentheses next to his name.The Jockey's total number of starts for the meet is the first number.The jockey's win percentage is the final number.There is a separate pair of parentheses for the jockey's races, first-place finishes, and win percentage during the past year.
Step 8: The middle column contains physical and genealogy information.
The first row is made up of an initial color, a second gender and a third age.The second low shows how much the owner charges to stud the horse's sire.The maternal grandfather and mother of the horse are listed in the third line.The name of the breeder is provided in the fourth line.The trainer's name is included in the final line, with his win percentage formatted the same way as the jockey.The first line of the column has the initials B for bay, Blk for black, Ch for chestnut, Dkb for dark bay and Br for brown.The color initial will be followed by a second to indicate the gender of the horse.These are as follows: C for colt, F for filly, G for gelding, M for mare, and R for ridgling.The horse's age is the last element in the first line.The age of the horse and the month in which it is born are used in this example.The age of a horse is determined by how many New Year's Day they have seen.On January 1st, a horse will be considered one year old.
Step 9: Career averages can be found on the far right column.
To the left of the column is a large print of a letter and a number indicating any medications the horse might be on.The rows are formatted to show the horse's career statistics.The first number shows career starts, followed by first, second, and third place finishes.You can see career earnings and the horse's best speed to the right of this.There are a few rows that show the horse's performance under different circumstances.The horse's career record is on the first row.This horse's performance this year, the prior year and historically at this track are indicated by the three.From the top of the rows you can see the horses record on dirt, turf, synthetic, and wet tracks, as well as the distances similar to the race in question.The average speed of the tracks the horse has run is compared to the Beyer speed.For a $25,000 race average would be between the low 90s and mid 80s, and 57 for a $2,500 race.There is a chance that top horses have numbers in the 120's.The number in parentheses is known as the Tomlinson Rating and indicates how well a horse performs on those types of tracks.A rating of more than 320 indicates that the horse will run well on a wet track.A ranking of more than 280 indicates that the horse has an advantage in the race.
Step 10: The horse has performed in recent races.
There is a list of the horse's performances in earlier races underneath the general horse information.Each row will begin with a date, followed by detailed and extensive information.
Step 11: Find race information.
The date of the race, an abbreviation for the track and a race number can be found at the beginning of a row.The condition of the track will be indicated by an abbreviation.The distance measured in swards is the final piece of information.Track condition abbreviations include fst for frozen, gd for good, hy for heavy, my for muddy, sl for slow, and wf.For wet-fast.
Step 12: The times should be reviewed fractionally.
The horse paces itself through a race.The first number is the horse's time at a quarter of the course, the second is a half-mile, and the third is three-fourths of a mile.The times are formatted like this, with 2 being minutes, 4 being seconds, and 3 being fifths of a second.
Step 13: The horse position should be reviewed.
The horse's speed is indicated by a number after the times.This is followed by the horse's position at post, first, second, third, stretch, and finish.The number indicates how many lengths the horse was behind the leader.There is a number on the far right of the page.This is important when looking at the horse's position.A third-place position will not be worth much if there are only 4 starters.Read the comments.There is a comment line on the far right before the starts.The short answer is that this will give some information about the horses performance.
Step 14: Don't beat the odds.
When a horse is favored to win, the odds are set so that bets on that horse won't be as high.If you are betting against the odds, you shouldn't see yourself as betting for a horse.When a horse is likely to do better than the odds makers think, use the Racing Form.
Step 15: You can study the figure.
The standard measure for calculating a horses odds is a high Beyer Speed Figure.If you want to beat the odds, you should be careful about the reasons why the Beyer Speed Figure might be flawed.The horse performed poorly in a recent race.The odds makers may be underestimating its chances if that is the case.
Step 16: The effectiveness of the horse's trainer can be studied.
A good trainer can encourage a horse with a mediocre past to perform better.It's a good idea to study the trainer to see if a horse can beat the odds.
Step 17: Determine the jockey's ability.
The name of the rider is below the horse's name.The statistics of the jockey and the trainer are the same.
Step 18: Think of the course.
Some horses only perform well on certain courses.If the horse performs well at the track, it might have an advantage there.The horse has performed well on similar courses in the past.
Step 19: The horse may have added medication.
Horses treated with Lasix can perform better than expected.There is a large "L" next to the left of the horse's average speed numbers.A horse that has just taken it for the first time will be indicated with a white "L" in a black circle.
Step 20: Try to guess the position.
Horse betting involves ascertaining how a horse interacts with other horses.Does it want to stay in front or break out?Determine the horse's type by studying its position relative to other horses on the track and then consider how it might interact with the other types of horses in the race that day.
Step 21: Don't ignore expert opinions.
"The Closer Look" section in the Racing Form is a brief narrative on each horse written by a professional handicapper.It has important data, clues on workout patterns, and insights on previous races.