Thoroughbred Horse Betting – When It’s Post Time, Get Ready for an Exiting 2 Minute Adrenaline Rush
If you’ve never done any horse betting before but want to know what all the excitement is about, here are some basics to help you understand why so many of us look forward to this exciting Triple Crown Season, when the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes are run.
Horse Classifications
(c) Colt – A male under the age of 5 years
(f) Filly – A female under the age of 5 years
(h) Horse – A male 5 years or older
(m) Mare – A female 5 years or older
(g) Gelding – A castrated male of any age
Racetrack Jargon for Horse Betting
Track – an oval shaped pathway prepped for racing horses. Both dirt and grass, known as turf, tracks are used.
Furlong – The distance of about 1/8 of a mile. A race listed as 9 furlongs is a distance of 1 1/8 miles.
Track Conditions
(Ft) Fast – The track is dry and hard
(Gd) Good – The track is not quite dry
(Sl) Slow – The track is wet and drying out
(Sly) Sloppy – Firm with puddles of water
(My) Muddy – Soft from top to bottom
(Hy) Heavy – The slowest of all conditions
Wagering
When wagering, you are up against other horse bettors, UFABET not the track. Payoffs are based on the amount of money bet on each horse. Odds change as bets are placed. The more bets that are placed on a particular horse, the lower the odds. The first odds published are called the “Morning Line” which is an educated guess on how the public will wager.
Place Your Bets
If you are unfamiliar with how to wager on a horse race, there’s been a big change added to the sport in recent years. It’s no longer just betting $2 on a horse to win, place, or show. Here is an explanation of some low-cost combo wagers you can make:
Win – Betting that the horse will cross the finish wire first
Place – Betting that the horse will finish in 2nd place
Show – Betting that the horse will show up in 3rd place
Carryovers – There is also available betting for pick 3, 4, 5, or 6 carryovers where you can pick winners of select consecutive races. If you’re lucky there’s thousands to be won.
Where to Watch and Wager
All area racetracks simulcast the top tracks where you can wager and watch on site, and at local OTB (Off track Betting) branches where legal. If you would rather watch and wager from home or your smart phone you can do that too. Unlike other forms of gambling, horse betting is legal on the internet.
Handicapping
Handicapping is an involved process. If you’re interested to give it a try, here are a few tips you might want to consider when reading the program:
– Check out older horses. They usually run better than 3-year old’s.
– Horses should race at least monthly to stay in shape.
– Check the jockey in the current and past races. Notice if he has won with your horse before.
– Notice if the horse has raced this particular track before and therefore would be familiar with it.
– See if the horse has won past races at this distance before.
– Note if the horse has won before at the same post position.
Learn how to read and handicap the Past Performance (PP) form. This is the fun part of horse betting.
Finally, for fun, and perhaps profit, play your hunches. You may see a catchy name or want to play your birthday or anniversary dates. During the 2005 Kentucky Derby my nephew and his wife bet a $2.00 exacta on their October 18th wedding anniversary date.