Sample Horse Betting Systems

If you want to have a little fun, a day in the sun with the horses, and not spend many hours doing homework like the bookies do, here are a few shortcut tips that will at least keep you from being a part of the 'dumb money', even if they don't make you rich.

If you want to really play it safe, bet the favorite 'across the board', that is, put money on win, place and show. Bettors who follow this system are called chalk players, and they are far and away the majority.

Bet the overlay--- if the odds go up on a horse--- that is, if the handicapper favors the horse more than the public does, bet with the handicapper. This is especially true if the numbers are really good; say a rise from 3 to 1 to 6 to 1.

Bet with the last-minute money--- is a lot trickier, since an underlay is usually a bad bet. If a horse's odds have dropped by post time, you should usually figure you've lost your best chance.

But if you see a lot of movement in the last few minutes before a race, you might try following that money, assuming that those who held out until late knew something. Sometimes this works, sometimes not. This is a system for risk-takers.

Bet the class - this doesn't quite mean what it says. A horse isn't born with class, he's put in class, usually by his owner. This class has a price tag on it, telling how much the owner figures this horse is worth at this stage of his career. Sometimes, though, a move in the opposite direction--- up in class--- can be a good bet.

One handicapper will think that a horse is moving up in class will have tough competition for a while and will do less well than he has been doing at the lower level. Others expect that the owner's decision's signals that the horse is ready for bigger things and is about to come on strong. This latter is a better bet if the horse has been running away with races at the lower class.

Bet on the rider--- works more often than you might think. A very large percentage of the races are won by a very small percentage of the jockeys. One reason it pays to watch the movement of the best jockeys is that owners seldom hire a really prominent rider for a hopeless plug.

You may find the kind of steady improvement that warrants a little money on the new combination. In the case of a middling-good horse with a good rider, it may be worth a little more. And a good horse and a good rider are a good bet any time. Check their records.

Bet winners--- aside from betting the favorite, which takes all the work out of it for you and leave the handicapping to the professionals, this is the easiest system.

Bet your money on the horse that won the last time it ran. An exception to this is if you have a chance to put your money on a horse with a long string of consistent wins. Discount the times, and bet on reliability.