| If you are trying to handicap horse races, whether the | | | | speed figures. I want to see where it finished and how |
| thoroughbreds (flats) or handicapping harness races | | | | competitive it was at that level. That is the key to |
| (trots) you know that class is a major factor in picking | | | | class and the one true way to compare horses. How |
| winners. The problem is that class is so hard to | | | | well did the horse compete at the level it ran at. You |
| determine. At first glance, it is easy to say that a horse | | | | can't just look at the purse of the race, but also how |
| raced against tougher horses so if it drops today it | | | | the horse competed. |
| should win, but we all know that just isn't the case. | | | | By competed, I mean, did it contest the pace, and if so, |
| Class and form are closely related, in fact, in my | | | | how contentious was the pace? Did it finish well or |
| opinion, class is form and form is class. Let me explain. | | | | win? If so, once again, how hard and how fast did it |
| You may have a horse who won a Grade l race last | | | | run? The only way to be able to handicap horse |
| year and who is now competing in a handicap race. It | | | | races, no matter what system you may use, is to |
| may be competing against horses who recently raced | | | | develop skill and judgment so you can look at a horse |
| in claiming races. Does that mean the Grade l winner | | | | dropping out of a race with stiffer competition and |
| has a big advantage and should be the favorite? Not | | | | compare it to one who just won at a lower level and |
| necessarily. It means you should give it some respect | | | | know which one is really the class of the race. That |
| and check its workouts and whether or not the trainer | | | | takes practice and if you're smart, good notes. |
| can bring a horse back in condition to win, but the | | | | Pay attention to so called class drops and learn to |
| horse may be out of shape or at least not in good | | | | separate the real class from the phony who raced at |
| enough form to win. | | | | a higher level but was never in that race, so to speak. |
| When I try to determine the class of a horse, I look at | | | | Always look at form, don't take the lazy man or |
| the recent races to see what level of horses it | | | | woman's way out and just look at the purse of the |
| competed against and then I look at its pace and | | | | race when handicapping horse races. |