| If you want to make money betting on horse races, | | | | dig deeper and to find out if the trainer is likely to try to |
| then you need to learn how to handicap a horse race | | | | win. The same is true of horses coming back from a |
| and to find that runner who will beat the favorite. | | | | layoff. |
| Favorites win about a third of the time, though that can | | | | An example of this was in the 9th race at Penn |
| vary from race type to race type so it pays to do a | | | | National on May 7th, 2010. The 5, Left Flank, was |
| little research and find out where that statistic holds up | | | | starting for the second time after a layoff of almost a |
| the best and to focus on the situations where it is least | | | | year for trainer, Thomas Lingenfelter. A look at the |
| likely to happen. Since most of the money in the win | | | | trainer's past showed that he had never won with a |
| pools and exotics is on the public's choice, the chalk, | | | | horse after a long layoff of two years in its second |
| the bettors who manage to find a horse who will beat | | | | race back out of 18 such situations. In other words, T. |
| that one get to divide that money and share the spoils. | | | | Lingenfelter gives his horses time to race back into |
| One of the best ways to go about beating the | | | | condition and doesn't push them to win soon after a |
| favorite is to find a favorite who has never done what | | | | long layoff. He was 0 for 18 in such a situation and yet |
| is being asked of it or one that is weak in a particular | | | | the public made the 5, Left Flank, the favorite. Left |
| area. For instance, some providers of past | | | | Flank finished out of the money and the winner, Gentle |
| performances now show how each runner does in | | | | Persuasion, paid $11.20 for every $2 wagered to win. |
| the categories of speed and class in all races and also | | | | The point is that sharp handicappers who took the |
| show how they do on a particular surface or distance. | | | | time to find out if T. Lingenfelter would actually be |
| Finding a favorite who has never won at a distance | | | | trying to win with Left Flank, or if he was racing the |
| and on the surface that it is racing on is one sure way | | | | horse back into condition, could have found a logical |
| to find value in the pools, providing that you can also | | | | contender or two and cashed in on the situation. That |
| choose a logical contender. | | | | is how you handicap a horse race and find real value |
| Another angle for finding value is by knowing a trainer's | | | | in your bets. You have to know when the crowd is |
| habits, strengths, and weaknesses. Even though a | | | | making a mistake and it is often on a favorite who has |
| trainer never wins with his or her first start with a | | | | not shown it can do what is being asked of it, or on a |
| horse many people will still bet on a horse in its first | | | | trainer who has instructed the jockey to give the horse |
| race for that trainer. While the public scrutinizes the | | | | a training race because it is not yet in shape to win. |
| actual horse's running lines carefully, they often fail to | | | | |