Horse Racing Workout Secrets for Handicapping Races

Picking winners while handicapping horse races is hard enough without having to try to figure out what workout times and frequency really means. There are a lot of theories about workouts and how important they are. Here is a tip, the other horsemen at the track see their competitors work and pay attention. Does that give you a clue?

When I raced horses I watched my horses work, sometimes right alongside the same horses they would be racing against in a few days. Horsemen, if they are going to last, must be good judges of horseflesh. We claim horses based on what we see on the track, not on paper. Oh sure, we might be impressed if we read that a horse has good breeding, but then we will watch what the horse can actually do before we put in a claim ticket.

Now this article isn't about claiming horses but it is about using the horsemen's eyes to do your work for you. Horsemen and women bet, and don't ever lose sight of that fact. Horse racing handicapping is all about getting the best information and using it to beat the crowd. Watching betting patterns and comparing them with trainer patterns is a good way to know when a horse is well meant and ready to win. The times of its workouts are important, but how accurate is that time? We are talking hand timers, sometimes in the wee hours of the morning and the clocker may be trying to watch many horses at once.

The other folks at the track who are working their horses aren't clocking the other runners, but they are watching them, seeing how easily they work and how well they move. I have made money watching the other guy's horse and betting in when I knew it was better than mine.

So how do you get the other trainers, grooms, hot walkers to tell you when a horse looks good? Just follow the money and watch the trainer pattern. It is how you put them together that will tell you whether the horse is ready and the fact is public knowledge on the backstretch. It isn't just how much is bet but also how it is bet.