There are numerous ways for someone to handicap horses. Some choose to do it by form; some opt for paces. However, one of the most common and probably even the most popular ways of handicapping horses is through speed. Horse racing is all about speed and which horse has the most of it, which is probably why it’s the most popular way of handicapping horses.
If you know how to handicap a horse’s speed, you’re already ahead of many bettors in the stadium. But since you’re here reading this article, you might not have an idea yet. Luckily for you, we will be delving deep into how to speed handicapping works and how to use it to your advantage. Let’s start.
What is the Speed Handicapping Method?
As you may have already guessed, as the name suggests, the speed handicapping method is all about picking a horse racing winner by guessing which of the contenders has the most speed. Speed is one of the most important contributors to a horse’s victory.
Thus a lot of people use this method for handicapping. While it’s true that you have to consider many other factors in a horse, you can’t deny that speed is usually the determining factor of the winner. With that in mind, how do you use this method?
Learning the Speed Figures
If you want to learn how to handicap horse racing, then you should know about speed figures. Speed handicapping revolves around speed figures. Speed figures represent a number that expresses how fast a horse can run today, considering the current track and bias. Racetracks can play each time differently, so it’s always best to factor it in.
Another factor that you have to consider is the track distance. Speed figures allow you to compare the speed of a horse racing at five-furlong per mile. These are the factors that bookies consider when calculating their speed figures.
However, as they are also human, they can also make mistakes. As reliable as they are, most of the time, they can’t be used as a sole handicapping tool. If it were that easy to win races, then everybody wouldn’t need to consider using other handicapping methods.
One of the biggest flaws of speed figures is that they don’t particularly consider the trip of a horse in a given race. For example, an uncontested horse on the lead can earn a higher speed figure because they are unchallenged.
Similarly, a horse that is too bothered by another horse, making it at the tail end of the race, may earn a lower score. That said, assessing trips is also crucial for this handicapping method.
Not only that, but races on track surfaces like grass, turf, and synthetic are only sometimes as reliable as speed figures that consider dirt. This is because the style of races on grass and turf is much different in the dirt. The race usually starts fast and slows down along the race in the dirt, while it’s vice versa for turf races, making speed figures quite inaccurate.
And one final thing; first-time starters. Horses that are first-timers don’t have their speed figures yet, and it’s pretty common for races to have a full lineup of first-timers. In this race, the speed handicapping method might not work that well.
How to Use It
When using the handicapping method, you have to handpick the races you want to bet on. Using the speed handicapping method will save you a lot of time, but as mentioned earlier, you can’t use it on every race. That said, you have to handpick races that you know a lot about, especially with its contenders.
Next, you have to make sure you know the difference between each track and the horses racing on it. As mentioned earlier, speed figures are unequal in handicapping on different track surfaces.
However, that’s not the only thing you should be wary about. It would be best if you also considered the horse itself. Some horses are more proficient in dirt tracks, while others are much faster in synthetic tracks.
How so? Some thoroughbreds are heavy-footed. This means that their hooves will burrow into the dirt when racing in the dirt, reducing their speed significantly. This is especially true if it rained recently and the track is caked with mud. But on turf surfaces, nothing impedes their speed.
On the other hand, a light-footed horse is faster in the dirt since its hooves will not be impeded. They are also quite fast on turf but not as fast as heavy-footed breeds since they don’t have the same power in their hooves.
Final Words
Picking a handicapping method is up to you. However, you have to pick one that suits you the most. That said, if you’re going to use the speed handicapping method but don’t know where to start, then you can start with this article. This article is a good first step in learning how to use the speed handicapping method.