| If you are one of the many people trying to learn how | | | | $10,000 claiming level for older horses and see that 8 |
| to handicap a race, you may be familiar with track | | | | of the winners had a speed rating in the top three, then |
| models. Track models are simply a footprint or pattern | | | | you can probably eliminate horses who do not match |
| of a running style that often wins a horse race. For | | | | that profile from further consideration in your |
| instance, if you are betting three year old fillies at | | | | handicapping for such races. |
| certain tracks, the early speed horse's have an | | | | You can also combine factors such as recency, |
| advantage. The track model for those races may | | | | speed ratings, finish in last race, etc. The point is, as |
| show that the average winner is no more than 1 | | | | track models demonstrate, horse racing handicapping |
| beaten length behind the lead or actually possesses | | | | is all about finding patterns and then exploiting them |
| the lead at the half mile call. | | | | when they present themselves again, and they will. To |
| Knowing the track model, the most likely way a runner | | | | the casual race goer, each race is a completely new |
| will have to run to win a race, can help you to eliminate | | | | and thrilling experience, but to a good handicapper, a |
| unlikely candidates for the win spot and to zero in on | | | | horse race is part of a large subset of races that will |
| horses who have a chance to win. You can also go | | | | contribute one more bit of statistical information to be |
| one step farther and develop your own profiles for | | | | used to figure out future races. |
| winners of races based on such factors as speed and | | | | Therefore, when you handicap, you are not just |
| class. | | | | comparing one horse to the rest of the field, but also |
| For instance, if you keep records of winners at your | | | | comparing a horse to a profile that has been shown to |
| favorite track and note the speed rating of each horse | | | | be effective for winning such races. If you know the |
| in its last race as well as how classy the horse was, | | | | profile for each type of race, and they will vary, then |
| you may begin to notice certain patterns. You may | | | | you will be way ahead of the competition and that is |
| see that horses who win claiming races at a certain | | | | the profile that wins the horse racing handicapping |
| level have a speed rating in the top three horses for | | | | game. |
| their last outing. If you look at ten races at say the | | | | |