Horse Racing: In it for the Money
Written by playerpress.com, Thursday November 20 2008
Most people who go to the track, frequent OTB establishments, or wager on line via the internet or TV do it to win money. Love of the horses isn’t the prevailing factor.
Sure, there are people who loved Seattle Slew, or Big Brown, but most people just want the horse to pay off and could care less about the steed. In fact, some wager on the number and don’t even bother to learn the name. How it runs in foul weather, does it like being posted on the outside, can it run in a crowd are more important than a name. A rose by any other name still runs out of the money if it can’t handle the circumstances listed above.
I’ve been offered advice from guys even older than me who hang around the track like flies hang around the stalls. I’ve heard about the sure thing from men who frequent Las Vegas Sports Books like they are a holy temple. I’ve even read Charles Bukowski’s sage advice on wagering, yet my biggest pay day was a bet I placed on a horse that had Lisa in its name. Lisa is the woman I was lusting after who eventually lost her mind and married me, so it was strictly a sentimental bet and would have been considered to be of the sucker variety by those folks mentioned above. Still, the horse won and so did I. I took my Lisa out with the winnings from that Lisa and a beautiful friendship was born.
So, are there keys to winning at the track? Maybe is as good an answer as I can offer. But, let’s talk about some things that might help the next time you decide to shuck off the work a day world and live off of your track winnings.
First off, if you are going to be a true horse race maven you must go to the track. That’s right, shut down the computer and forget about all the fancy drinks served by shapely waitresses in the off track sites. You need to see the horse before it gets in the gates.
Most heavy bettors catch the day before workout. They can see how the horse is feeling. Remember, the nags don’t have agents to tell you they are sick, or have a high ankle sprain, so visual inspection is a necessity.
As you watch the workouts remember that the pre race day is a short day for the horse. Trainers will take the horse for sprints. Pitchers don’t throw nine innings the day before their start and the horse isn’t going to run a ½ mile 24 hours before race day. Try to judge the horse’s temperament as it runs. Remember, the trainer is holding it back
Try to note how it acts during training and what it looks like on race day. Horses are as temperamental as NBA players, so if it appears nervous or edgy the day of the race, cancel you wager. Sure signs of nervousness are how it reacts around people and even the placement of its ears. You’ve seen a dog before, right? If it doesn’t look happy it isn’t and that will affect the performance.
Everyone who thinks they know about the horses will always talk about wet conditions, but it does more than rain on this planet. Strong winds can wreck a weaker horse’s stamina. Likewise, cold weather can affect its breathing. If the turf conditions at the track are different from what it is accustomed to, that can be a detriment to the horse. So, it is wise to know if the steed is an import before dropping your cash.
If you follow the rules above you are still probably going to lose your shirt, but at least you’ll look smart in the process.
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