If you want to learn how to handicap a horse race there are some excellent books on the subject, but if you don’t want to read whole books there are other ways to learn how to find good horses to bet on. Before you begin on your quest to become a handicapper, however, here is something you should know. Picking winners is not easy and that is only half the battle. If you really want to succeed at horse racing handicapping you must also learn how to determine when a bet is a good one or a poor one.

The following simple horseracing method is not meant anddatos americanas hoy to make you a great handicapper, that usually takes years of hard work. It will, however get you started in the right direction by teaching you to evaluate the horses and then make a judgment call on whether the odds being offered are fair. But please do not think that after reading this article you should mortgage the farm and take it all to the race track, this is meant for entertainment and some information on the intellectual sport of horse racing handicapping, only.

To handicap a horse race, start with the people involved. I know they call it horse racing, but it is really people racing horses. So first, look at the people who have the biggest impact on the races, I am talking about the jockeys of course. Each rider in the race will have a win average which tells you how often he or she manages to win. The better jockeys get the best horses and the best horses win more often so it becomes a cumulative process.

Good trainers don’t put lousy riders on their horses, so you can figure that a good jockey is also usually riding for a competent trainer. If you want to check out the trainers you can find statistics for their winning average as well, but just looking at the jockeys in the race and their win averages will probably be enough to get you started. You will find that at most race tracks, a handful of jockeys win the most races while the second rate riders will pick up a win here and there, usually in the lower classes of races.

So go through your racing program and find the top three jockeys in each race based on win percentage. Some racing forms and programs now also give a winning average for the jockey when he or she is teamed up with that particular trainer. That is another very important statistic because successful jockey trainer teams account for most of the wins. Stick with the top three jockeys in the race and you will have a much better chance of winning.

The next step is to find a horse that is in form and can do what you are asking of it. Many of the racing programs available today will tell you if a horse has won at the distance and surface it is running today. Find horses that have won at the distance and at the track you are betting at and circle each one. The next step is to find a horse in good form. A horse that has raced within the last 30-40 days is probably in pretty good shape but any horse that hasn’t raced recently may need a race or two to get back into shape so cross out any horse who does not meet the recency rule.

Another good sign is any horse who finished first second or third in its last race. Circle any horse who finished “in the money” in one of its last two races, providing the race was within 40 days.
By now you should have narrowed the search down to two or three horses. Check the odds board a few minutes to post time and see which of your two or three horses offers the most value. Of course, as a general rule, the horse with the most money bet on it is the favorite and probably does have the best chance of winning, but if you are looking for value, you may want to take a horse at higher odds.

That is a very simple way of handicapping a horse race and is not meant to support you in your golden years, but it will get you started if you have no experience or very little. Above all else, always bet with your head and never over it and enjoy your days at the races.