Horse Racing Basics

Horse racing is perhaps one of the most common and attractive wagering game. Every country that permits horse racing earns huge revenue through it. However, not every one is aware that a horse race has more to it than four legged animals and bets. For example, how many if us know about the evolution of horse racing, or where the first race was run, or the various horse breeds other than those that run in the famous Kentucky Derby? Horse racing has various connected activities that help us to witness and bet on the final race.

The game emerged in United States of America when it was a mere colony. The first official race track in North America was a grassy pasture in Long Island. This was the privileged track where Bulle Rock, the most popular horse of the eighteenth century, ran it’s race. In fact the Jockey Club, one of the most famous institutions today, came into existence way back in 1750. Eventually racing spread westwards with more families migrating to newer areas. However, racing was not always as strong as it is now. It has to face the brunt of some fierce legislations and wars. The first Kentucky Derby was organized after the Civil war and was a success. At present the most prestigious American races include Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes.

The most famous racing horse of all times would always be the Seabiscuit. The horse fascinated the Americans so much that it has inspired a novel and a movie, as well. Seabiscuit was discovered in 1934, and won its first races in 1937. This legendary horse attained such popularity that death threats were made against him. One such plot was unearthed and made headlines.

The most famous breed of horse is the thoroughbred. The ancestors of this horse were bred in Europe from Arab and Turk sires. These were then imported from England, in 1700’s, and have multiplied since then. This horse has a capacity to carry heavy weights and gallop steadily for long distances. Owing to these characteristics, this royal horse is perfect for racing tracks.

Another breed is the Quarter horse. The quarter horse can sprint well over small distances and are known for their ‘cow sense’. Though they are used in races as well, they are primarily bred for ranches and herding cattle. Thoroughbreds are sometimes used to improve the racing capabilities of this breed.

The speed and adventure in these races make accidents quite common in horse racing. The lack of distances between the competitors endangers both the horse and its jockey. Slipping of the horse can be fatal for the jockey as he might get crushed by the other horses. Any mishap can be dangerous for the audience as well, as the horse might get a scare and choose to run away from the tracks.

The most common event in horse races is betting. The adventure and uncertainty of the game attracts various bettors. However, the bettors need to be aware players. Knowing the personal, medical, and racing history of the horse can help in placing the odds. Other factors can be the jockey and the prevalent weather conditions.

Horseracing is a phenomenon that involves various activities. The information about the various related arenas helps to be informed participants and not just passive on lookers.

Horse Racing Betting, A Beginners Guide (Part 2)
By Rob Mellor

In part one we went over how to pick contending horses by looking at the jockey, trainer and then finished off by looking at the form of the horse. By looking at the factors we went over last time you should now have been able to select some winners.

In this article I’m going to give you a few more tips on how to select winners and give you a few more factors to look for to narrow down your potential selections

The first factor you need to look for is if any horses have already won a race on that course or at that distance. To do this you need to look at the right hand side of the horses name. The letters you will see will be a ‘C’ if the horse has won at the course before and a ‘D’ if the horse has won a race at the same distance. Sometimes you will see a ‘CD’ which means that the horse has won a race at the same distance which was at this course. This is very good as the potential selection has already won a very similar race and there is no reason why it can’t win again.

One thing you must be careful about when looking at this is that the race may be of a higher class meaning that the selection is racing against better horses which lowers his chance of winning.

There is plenty more factors to take into account when selecting winning horses and when looking at horse racing betting to help you select winners.