Seabiscuit and the Treatment of a Champion
Big Fan
I’m a big fan of Chris Cooper. He’s the American character actor who played Tom Smith in the movie Seabiscuit. I thought it was a brilliant performance that managed to capture the quiet and introspective nature of this humble horseman who trained Seabiscuit to be a thoroughbred champion; that became a national hero to millions of depression weary Americans in the 1930’s. I somehow identified with him because he was a man of few words and deep experience, and very holistic in his approach to animal health and wellbeing. So being inspired by the movie somewhat I went out and bought the book.
Now here’s the thing. I read the book Seabiscuit, An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand, and was not only swept off my feet by this epic tale, but I also was surprised to learn that Tom Smith worked entirely with herbal and natural remedies to cure and support the finest racehorse in the world. Can you imagine how that might sound today? Read more
A Horse Betting System that actually works!
One hears of new betting systems everyday, of which most require a big payment up front or simply, over time, do not work.
The system I have recently tried actually works and rather than sell the idea felt it would be nicer just to pass it on. I made £400 in one week and providing you stick to the system it will always work. I started with £100 as it is easier to work out the percentages when it comes down to the maths. Read more
Harness Racing Handicapping Systems Tips Using Speed Figures or Times for Shippers
Handicapping harness races is a matter of determining how each horse will perform based upon past performances and projected times and pace. The introduction of speed figures has helped some handicappers while others still rely on raw times and quarter fractions. Shippers pose a particularly thorny problem because we are forced to use their performances from another track to try to determine how they will do on a new surface and oval.
Speed figures, while not perfect, are adjusted for surface condition, variants, post position, and the track itself. It is possible to compare a horse shipping from another track because the times are adjusted accordingly. We used to have to get our lists of tracks out and figure if one track was faster or slower than another. Some people are still using that method. Read more
Horse Race Handicapping Tip: Money Management Is The Key To Winning
Money management is the key to winning when handicapping and betting on horse races. Selecting a solid money management system is essential, but even the best money management system in the world won’t work if you don’t have a sufficient number of winners at the right price.
One of the worst money management systems I’ve come across is due-column wagering. It’s a form of progression wagering whereby you determine how much money you want to make and then wager enough money on each of your selections so that when you have a winner you have achieved your goal. Read more
HANDICAPPING HORSE RACES IS CHALLENGING
Handicapping horse races is a challenging, sometimes financially rewarding pastime. Betting on horse races is not, however, a way to get rich quick. While the world is full of people who will tell you differently, I can assure you based on 50 plus years of handicapping races, staying ahead of the game is difficult.
I recently found a method of wagering that would have allowed me to cash 91 tickets in a series of 154 races. That’s a 59 percent win rate. It doesn’t require any handicapping. It only requires a little patience. When you find three qualifying factors, you make a wager. Read more
HANDICAPPING TIP: DON’T BET WINNERS DROPPING IN CLASS
While handicapping the first race on opening day of the 2009 Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita, I noticed that Scottish Diamond was dropping into an open $16,000 claiming race 31 days after winning an open $25,000 claiming race at Del Mar. As might be expected, Scottish Diamond went to post as the favorite. The luke-warm, 6/5 favorite. I expected his odds to be much lower.
The odds weren’t right, so I passed the race. But that observation made me wonder if horses that won their last race and then dropped in class was something I should pay more attention to when handicapping races. Maybe I had just found a sure-fire angle for picking winners. Read more
Focus On Horses Capable Of Running On Or Near The Lead
There are dozens of books by well-known authors on the subject of speed handicapping. I’ve read many of them. For awhile it was a worthwhile facet of my handicapping. For many years, every good handicapper used speed handicapping to find a winner.
But since the proliferation of computer programs that crank out speed ratings in mere seconds and the inclusion of Beyer Speed Ratings in the Daily Racing Form, the public now over bets horses based on speed. The profits from using speed as a handicapping factor have dwindled, if they haven’t disappeared entirely. Read more
Is Harness Racing Fixed?
Watching the trotters or pacers is a long-standing American tradition. After all, the Standardbred is called America’s horse. It was used to pull wagons and get people around almost from the time the first settlers came to this country from Europe. But, today, the Standardbred has a new job: providing the thrills of harness racing.
Some say that harness racing is much easier to bet on, because the horses run more true to form. In other words, the horse that looks like it should win, does win. That may be true most of the time, but sometimes, longshots still come in or horses that should win don’t seem to put forth very much effort. Read more
Horse Racing Handicapping Using Speed Figures and Averages
Horse Racing Handicapping Using Speed Figures and Average Speed Figures
Whether you are handicapping harness races or thoroughbred races, speed figures can be very helpful, but also misleading. Just using speed figures alone to pick winners will usually result in long term losses, though they may make a profit on one day or another. Horse races are multi-faceted events that depend on many factors.
You cannot add a column of numbers and come up with the right amount unless you know all the numbers in the column and you cannot handicap a harness race or thoroughbred race without all the factors. Those factors also have to be weighted and the reason that we rely so heavily on speed figures is because they are one of the more important factors. Read more
Harness Racing Systems Can Improve Your Horse Racing Handicapping
Using a harness racing handicapping and betting system in several ways. First of all, the old saying, “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail,” is exactly on target. Think of the other things you do in life and how each and every one of those things has a method. Whether it is balancing a check book, driving a car, even something as simple as tying your shoes, each thing has a specific set of steps that when followed, results in success.
There are several aspects of betting on harness races for money that lend themselves very well to a system. First of all, there are factors in racing that each have their own importance. Things like post position, driver success reflected as a UDR (universal driver rating), and class of the race must be considered and compared. Read more
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