By Masoom Anwar
Horse Racing is routinely among the world's most heavily wagered on sports, and for very good reason. With the right information and strategy, it's one of the few sports where the odds can actually be tipped in the bettor's favor. For those who aren't already in the know as far as how to rig horse racing in your favor, let's take a look at some of the basic tips and strategies for betting on horse racing.
First it's necessary to point out that normal straight bets on horse racing come in three forms: A bet to win, which of course is picking the horse to win the race outright. Then there's the option to place, which is when you pick a horse to finish either 1st or 2nd place, and it doesn't matter which they finish in as long as it's 1st or 2nd. And then there's the option to show, which similar to picking to place, but instead you're picking a horse to either finish in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place.
Now that you've got a basic understanding of how to place your wager and what kind of bet to make, let's look at some other things to take into account when betting on horse racing, like the tier system. In horse racing, the horses are grouped into different tiers, which are organized by the color and displayed behind the horses number in the betting program. Within each given tier, the horses are essentially ranked from best to worst, with the exception of horses that are displayed with the color gray. Horses labeled with the color gray are basically unknown horses, usually foreign to the track and without much information on them. That doesn't mean these horses are bad, instead it means you'll have to conduct your own observations about the horse and the threat they pose to place or win the race.
There's also an entire myriad of factors that a bettor has to be aware of in order to accurately prepare for horse races. For example, a bettor must know how to reach workout reports and past performance reports of the horse. We spoke with the Worlds Best Sports Bettor Jon Price and he advised that he likes betting on Football more than Horses but still has made millions of dollars over his lifetime handicapping horses. While a past performance rating will show how the horse has performed overall, the workout reports are a better indicator of how that horse is currently performing. Another big factor is to take into account the track itself. Is it a turf or dirt track? Is the horse your wagering on better on turf or dirt?
Another crucial element to keep in mind is the jockey and their experience. Jockeys are an underrated commodity to those outside of the horse racing world looking in, but the experts know the difference a good jockey can make in a horse. A particular red flag to watch out for is when a jockey is riding a new horse, there's typically a learning curve and level of familiarity that needs to be built before they perform at their best.
As you prepare to go down to the race tracks to place a few wagers or possibly try to make a quick fortune, these are just a few crucial tips that every horse racing bettor should keep in mind. Not only will it help you make better wagers and be more informed, but it will also help you tilt the odds in your favor and help you become a successful horse racing bettor.
