Whether you bet on your local track or the St. Leger, you’ll need to know what to look for and what to do if you happen to be a beginner. Here are a few tips that will help you make a good pick:
Dosage diagram
If you have ever bet on a horse race, you have likely come across the Dosage Diagram. It is a useful tool for handicappers because it lists five different figures that can be used to determine the horse’s Dosage Profile. For example, Secretariat had a Dosage Profile of 20-14-7-9-0. If you want to know Secretariat’s Dosage Profile, multiply the first two figures by the sum to determine the correct Dosage Profile.
Make a run
A jockey has two duties: one is to help mount the horse and the other is to strengthen its legs through exercise. A horse that sits back off the pace at the beginning of a race tends to save energy. As the front horses tire, this horse can make up ground quickly. Therefore, it is important to watch for a horse that is sitting back and slouch-walking at the start of the race.
Breakage
In the United States, horseplayers receive about $50 million in breakage from horse races every year. This figure represents only 0.45% of the $10.9 billion wagered during the 2017 racing season. However, if horseplayers could return this money to horse races, this amount would rise by $200 million and create $1.8 billion in handle. This increase would be the largest in a single year in the last 15 years. However, the amount of breakage received by racetracks may not be nearly as great as it may seem.
St. Leger
In 1776, army officer and politician Anthony St. Leger organized the first race, originally called “A Sweepstake of 25 Guineas.” The course was two miles, and horses could carry 8 st and geldings could carry 2 lb. In 1776, the first race was run at Cantley Common. The unnamed filly owned by the 2nd Marquess of Rockingham was the first winner. She was named Allabaculia later in life.
Oaks
The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain. It is contested by three-year-old fillies and is held over one mile and four furlongs and six yards at Epsom Downs. Usually held in late May, the Oaks is the second-oldest Classic race behind the St Leger. It is one of the most popular races in the world, so be sure to check out our betting tips for this race.
Derby
There are plenty of reasons to watch the Kentucky Derby. Rich Strike, who was fourth last year, made his way into the race from outside the post in the stretch. His one win came in the Belmont Stakes, where he was out-dueling Epsilon. Then there was the reputation he has for being a close-up. Zandon and Epicenter took the early lead, but Rich Strike scooted up the rail and passed them both down the stretch.
Selima’s entry in the horse race sparked passions in Maryland
The decision by Tasker to enter Selima in the Kentucky Derby in 1869 sparked intense passions in Maryland, where many horse owners argued that their racing was superior to Virginia’s. This attitude was not shared by their Virginian counterparts. Maryland and Virginia had fought over many other issues, such as the Chesapeake Bay, and Selima’s entry took on a symbolic significance for the entire state.
TRIFECTA (or TRIPLE)
If you are an avid horse race wagerer, you should learn how to bet on the TRIFECTA (or TRIPE) box. You’ll need to place a bet on more than one horse in order to hit a winning combination. A trifecta box will cover six possible combinations and costs $12 instead of $2. In a trifecta box, you pick one horse to finish in a particular position and a select number of horses to finish in the other two positions.