Get in the game!

by Ed Meyer

posted on August 8, 2021 in General Discussion, Handicapping, Horse Racing, WinningPonies.com | Comments Off on Get in the game!

How is your game these days? – Doing well in the bankroll department? Well, here are some handy reminders to keep in your arsenal when it comes to preparing for the races.

 

Race Replays

Watching the replays with an open mind can be a great tool. Try some of these and let us know how it works for you!

  1. – Watch to see how a horse runs out after the race. The TV coverage is great or you can tune in with your ADW account. Keep a close eye peeled for how a horse runs after the wire. Were they tired?- Did they finish up strong and hard to pull up? – Did they just make and stop after 50 yards past the wire? All of these are little gems in letting you know how your horse is feeling.
  2. Did they break well from the gate? – No pre-break shenanigans wasting precious energy. Pay close attention. If they break and settle out, this is a good sign for stalkers and closers. If they are pure speed look for an alert break without the rider going to the stick to get them going.
  3. We’re they caught wide? Did they get trapped along the rail? – All good notes to remember. Many bad trips can cost a horse the race in the opening yards from the starting gate. – Look for a horse who did not face any problems and came away clean. If you get that far, you’ll have a runner to follow up with as they are prepared to run.
  4. Look for the “middle move.” – A runner stalks in 5th and moves up to be 2nd to battle down the lane to run 4th. – This shows me a sign of things to come. More gas in the tank for the next outing, as they tried to get in position but came up a little empty.
  5. Look for works, but don’t get too caught up in them. – This applies to smaller tracks and cheaper horses. – The marquee ovals have clockers that can do five at once and never miss a beat. I’ve known bettors who go all-in with a runner who blasted one quick work. – The old saying of one race is equal to three works still holds true.

Betting Strategies

  1. When you’re up, crank up the wager a bit on horses you like. Nothing like playing with house money.
  2. Every race is not a “tap out” bet going for broke. – It changes with every race and the value to be had.
  3. Favorites are not evil. – They win over 30% of the time, and someone is playing them. – Don’t leave money on the table when a (9-5) rolls home to pay $5.60.
  4. If it takes you 15 minutes to decide on a runner, you should at least employ the same amount of time when you are using them in exotic wagers. – Good handicappers can be bad gamblers by not thinking out the wagering plan.
  5. Put in the time when making pick-six, five, and four tickets. Just don’t hit the all button because you have a bankroll to choke a cow. – Sometimes we use it to cover many bases, but not as a normal way to handicap. We need coverage in the race, and by finding a single we can employ multiple tickets to make the big score.

There is nothing like a day at the races. It is up to you to do the work in advance and see how you’re going to plan the wagers. You are in the right place already with Winning Ponies as the E-ZWin Forms can help you find potential runners and eliminate the pretenders.- Easy to read, and can be used by the new player and the hard-core gambler the same. Go ahead, download yours today and watch your day improve greatly! – Best of luck from Winning Ponies!