Like any other sports out there, there is no surefire way for anyone to correctly guess the winner of a horse race. Sure, some people have guessed it once or twice on occasion, but being consistent with it is impossible.  

Even though you researched everything you need to know in a particular horse racing event, it still doesn’t matter because there’s absolutely no way for you to predict accurately. It may be quite depressing, but fortunately, there are things you can do to give yourself an edge in winning.

In big horse racing events, participating in betting games can be a struggle. That said, let’s take into consideration the telltale signs you should look out for before placing your wager. With this, you’ll surely have a higher chance of making a good bet. Here are some of them.

Track Record

Looking into the track record is an excellent way to start your research. A horse with a consistent track record of finishing in the first three places is generally a good bet. 

However, looking at the rankings and knowing how to find breeders cup odds, for example, are not the only things you should do. In the races that the horse has placed in the first three, you should look into the other factors such as the track type, track surface, etc.

This is because different breeds of horses have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, some horses excel in running on synthetic track surfaces, and others excel in the dirt. This is because horses are either light-footed and heavy-footed. 

Light-footed horses excel in the dirt since their hooves won’t dig deep into the soil when they run. On the contrary, heavy-footed horses will have difficulty running on the soil since their hooves will dig deeper and reduce their speed.

On synthetic track surfaces, however, they excel since they have more power in their steps without having a reduced speed like running on the soil. With this information, we can pretty much guess how the horse will do on the current event. 

Also, make sure that the races that the horses have placed in the first three are recent. The more time passes, the less relevant the information would be, so take note.

Days Since the Previous Race

Whether veterans or newbies, many bettors think that the number of races the horses participated in and the rest they had is trivial. But in reality, it’s essential information since we can gauge how much power the horse will have during the race.

Think of it like this: just like human athletes, horses also need enough rest. Being too rested will make them slower during the race since they haven’t adjusted yet. However, having a horse that hasn’t rested much will make it more tired, leaving them with reduced speed. 

So how many days should a horse rest? The sweet spot is between 30-60 days at most. Also, remember that after resting, a horse wouldn’t immediately be back on its feet. It will take at least 2-3 races to be back to its previous power.

Repeat Contestant

One common saying in horse racing is, “Never expect a horse to do something it has never done before.” The meaning of this is simple. For example, if a horse has never won on a circular track before, it’s naive to think that it will suddenly win in one. Yes, sometimes it can happen, but that’s rare. As a smart bettor, you shouldn’t take a risk on horses with a lower chance of winning a certain race.

Racing forms often include the names of the winners of the previous race. This is handy information since betting on that particular horse in the same race tends to have a pretty huge turnout because it has a significant chance of winning the race.

Behavior

One of the benefits of actually going into a racing stadium is having the chance to see the horses walk into their starting positions. But why is this important? Because by seeing the horses, you’ll also see how the horse is doing before the race. 

Is it sweating, finicky, or irritable? That would be a sign that the horse is not ready for the race. Is it calm, confident, and silent? That might mean that the horse is more than ready for the race.

Final Words

There are a lot more signs that you can check to see if the horse you picked is a winner. The only thing you have to do is to know where to look. However, this isn’t a guarantee that the horse will automatically be the winner, even if it has all these traits. Like mentioned earlier, there’s no way for you to accurately predict the winner of a horse race. However, knowing all these telltale signs will give you an edge to win in a horse race.