Horse Handicapping Systems: What they are and How to Use them

 A handicapped horse-race is one that will allow horses of varying levels of ability to compete in the same race. Weights are used to ‘even the field’ and how much a particular horse will carry is dependant on its official rating. The idea is, that if a race is handicapped correctly, all horses running in that particular race will have an equal chance of winning (if they are running at top form). The official rating (OR) is awarded if one of the following occurs:

1. The horse comes in first in a race
2. A horse loses 3 times but finishes in the one of the top six positions. If it does neither then it must attain a top six position in subsequent races to gain an official rating.

Once a horse obtains an OR it is now eligible to participate in a handicapped race. How much weight a horse will carry in a particular race depends on what the rating of the other horses are in the same race. While in theory any horse in a handicapped race has an equal chance to win as other horses in the same race, in practice there are several factors that are relevant to a horse’s finishing first.

There are numerous handicapping systems out there, some are personal methods used by individuals while others are complicated techniques that have been honed by professionals for years. No matter what the system used it is important to remember that none of them are 100% accurate and even the best can only produce positive results only a third of the time. Here are some of the traditional horse-race handicapping indicators and how they can affect an individual’s betting:

Traditional Handicapping- The basic factors

Lineage- Basically, it is who the horses sire and mare were. Wining horses are put often put out to stud in the hopes that their offspring might inherit their parent’s traits. Usage: of very little value in determining the outcome of a particular race. This type of information is more useful to owners and trainers rather than betters.

Age- How old is the horse? Is it an old veteran or a young 2 year old out for the first time? Usage: Minor information. Of value only if the horse is reaching the end of its’ racing career.

Record- How many races has the horse participated in and what is its winning percentage. Usage:  Moderately useful information. It gives the individual a loose idea of what the horse is capable of doing. It also can indicate what the owner is trying to do with the horse.

Owner- Who owns the horse? How many other horses does this particular owner have in their stables? How experienced are they in the field of horse racing? Usage:  Important information. If this horse is the owner’s star performer it can greatly affect how that horse is being run. Is the horse being ‘tuned’ up for a later big race? If so then they might be out simply for the ‘exercise’ rather than the win.

Tendencies- What are this horse’s tendencies? Is it a front runner? Does it like to come on at the end? Does it have ‘guts’ or is it a ‘lazy’ strider? Is the horse a ‘mudder’ or a fair weather horse? Usage:  Extremely important information. A horse’s tendencies play a very important part in the type of race the horse is currently in. A front runner will do better in shorter races, a mudder fairs well on a wet or soft track, etc.

Track Conditions- The current conditions at the track. Usage:  One of the most important factors in handicapping a race. Is it a windy day? Rainy? What is the condition of the track’s surface? Sloppy? Hard? Firm? Each of these can play a significant roll in how a particular race will be run.

These are by no means all of the factors that go into handicapping a horse-race. There are several other factors that professional handicapper use, but remember this: No matter what you may hear, the horse that is the favorite only wins approximately 1/3 of the time. That means that 2/3 of the time a horse wins that was NOT handicapped to win.