How To Arrive At Your Best Horse Racing Picks

Is there a magic formula for making your best horse racing picks? This is the question we will begin to tackle. Some handicappers use a very strict formula for choosing their horses. There are others, however, that will take each race as its own special case. After all, there are so many factors that can affect the outcome of a race.

Speed has to be a major consideration. This can refer to overall speed or the speed which is broken down into fractions most would call pace. A horse with good overall speed and/or pace has to be considered a possibility.

Also, the condition and class of a horse entering today's race will also be looked at closely. How did the horse finish in his last race? Is the competition of his last race comparable to today's race? Or maybe he will face some stiffer competition today. Has the horse had some good workouts lately? You might want to actually observe the appearance of the horses before the race. You can tell many things about the horses that are racing just by observing and noting these things. Things like a calm or nervous behavior, the appearance of his coat, either shiny or dull, should be noted. Also, take note of any extra equipment like blinkers or ankle wraps, etc.

The jockey has to be another major factor. Be sure to check the jockey standings to see who the top jockeys are. And then check the horses they will be riding in the race. Then, for those horses they are riding, check the past race jockeys for that horse. This could be eye-opening. There could be jockey switching.

Other factors to consider will be the distance of today's race compared to his past race distances. Sometimes horses are entered in races more for conditioning for a future race than for winning the present race. This could be valuable information. Also of value is the tote board action, especially in the last couple of minutes before post time. Sometimes large amounts are dropped on a horse in the closing minutes. Many times these horses have won. Inside information does happen.

There really are so many factors to watch before a race. I find it quite helpful to bring a friend along to help evaluate a race and to watch for things that you might miss. Just having someone to discuss the pros and cons will lead you to a well thought out conclusion. I have won several races in a row using this strategy.

Of special interest is the horse who had trouble the last time out. Many times these horses bounce back and go on to win their next race. Don't count these horses out. They usually have good payouts.

One last thing to note is track condition. Not just today's track, but also the condition of a horses past races. This could explain the results of a previous bad outing. Also, remember, a muddy track is much different than a sloppy track. Fast-paced horses could be slowed by a muddy track. But on a sloppy track, the fast-paced horses could break to the front and stay there because he isn't getting mud in the face like those behind him.

This should give you a good overview of the many factors that will affect the outcome a a horse race. It is not easy to handicap a race, but don't let the losses get you down. Use the losses to your advantage. Most of the time you will know why you lost when you go back over your notes. This could help you in the next race. Now go have some fun at the track and may your horse racing picks yield big profits.