5 Signs that Your Horse is a Racing Champ
Horse racing is a popular pastime for some, while for others, it's their passion, and winning bets is the one driving it. That said, if you're just a casual horse racing bettor that just wants to bet for fun, then this might not be the article for you, but if you want to win just like a serious horse racing bettor wants to, then we might be able to help you with that.
Horse racing is a sport where man and beast work together to achieve a common goal. Although that is the case, most people only focus on the horse's ability and potential to win the race. However, we are not here to talk about the jockey today but the horse. Several signs you can see on a horse that helps you gauge how it will perform during the race.
Although they are not signs that outright tell you that the horse is going to win, they are good indicators that usually tell you that it has a significant chance of winning, and you can commonly see these factors play into the winning horses most of the time. So here are some of them.
Track Record
One good sign that a horse will do good during the race is that it has a good track record with recent top placements. These placements should be on the first three placements, and these races should be recent, or this information would be useless. However, as mentioned earlier, you should also look at the factors that helped the horse have those placements. For example, some breeds prefer synthetic surfaces while others run faster on dirt.
If those races were on dirt tracks but the upcoming race is on synthetic, then you might want to avoid betting on the horse. You can use this bit of information if you’re using pace to bet on a winner since it has a significant impact on a horse’s speed.
You could also look into the track record and see if the horse had a recent hiatus before the race. This would signify how rested the horse is, and this factor plays a big part in a horse's performance.
Of course, make sure to look up the common betting terms to understand and read a horse’s track record. You can check for more info here about these terms, allowing you to fully have a gist of what you’re betting on.
Days Since Previous Race
Just like human athletes, horses also feel exhaustion. This exhaustion can significantly impact the horse's performance, or more specifically, the amount of time the horse has rested has a significant impact on its upcoming performance. For example, if the horse hasn't had enough rest, it will not be in its peak physical condition for the race, or if it has too much, it will be too relaxed.
Now that we know that a horse should not rest too much or be too exhausted, how much time should a horse rest? The sweet spot here is between 30 to 60 days. However, even though the horse has had enough rest, you should not expect it to immediately be at its physical peak. It usually goes back to its peak fitness after a race or two. This is usually seen on horses with top placements in their recent races.
Repeat Contestant
Have you ever heard of the saying that tells you not to expect a horse to do something it hasn't done before? This saying is usually shared among horse racing bettors and has some significant weight on them.
For example, you should not bet on a horse to win the Kentucky Derby, especially if it has never won the race before. However, the opposite of this saying is also true, as the more times a horse has won the Kentucky Derby or any race before, the higher its chances of winning.
Showmanship
Some horses like to show off, and notable horses like to do some showmanship before or after the race. A great example is Zenyatta, who likes to do some tippy-taps with her hooves as if she's saying that she's about to put on a good show. Now, why is this important? This usually means that a horse is confident it would win the race, which, more often than not, would come true.
Behavior
One of the benefits of actually going to the races is that you can see the horses in their paddocks. This way, you can see the horses' behavior before the race, and their behaviors usually indicate their upcoming performance.
For example, if a horse is irritable, constantly neighing, and can't stand still, it usually means that the horse is too nervous to race and is not confident. The opposite is true if the horse looks calm and has steady breathing; it usually means it's confident to race.
Final Words
Take note that even though you can see these signs on a particular horse, it doesn't mean that it's guaranteed that it will win the race. However, they are usually good indicators that they will perform well and even win the race. For us, it's still a matter of luck, but at least your guesses are well-informed.
