Richard Eng

Cheat Sheet / Updated 12-07-2022

People have been betting on horse races since horses have been running. Betting on the outcome of formal horse races can be fun and profitable if you know what you’re doing and can beat the odds. This handy Cheat Sheet has advice on what to pay attention to and what tools can help you at the track, as well as the mechanics of placing a bet, the types of bets you can place, and your odds of winning.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Just as all horse races are not created equal, neither are all horses. However, racetracks overcome this inequality as best they can by pitting horses of similar ability together for various races. This practice is known as parity. To envision how the horse races are planned by the racing secretary's office, think of a pyramid. (The racing secretary is the person in charge of writing the races, assigning weights in handicap races, assigning the number of stalls to trainers, and so on). Each level of the pyramid is a class level. At the base of the pyramid are the maiden horses, horses that have never won a race. At the top of the pyramid are the very best horses, called the stakes horses. These top horses run in stakes races, which offer the most prize money, called purses. In between are the layers of horses that run in claiming races — where horses can be bought — and non-selling races. Non-selling races come in three types — allowance, optional claiming, and starter handicap races. The goal of the racing office is to write competitive races with full fields of horses. And the goal of the horses is to become stakes horses, but they must win their way up the class ladder, which is called winning through their conditions. Conditions are the eligibility requirements of a horse running in a race, such as age, sex, number of wins, and amount of money won. Horse racing would be awfully boring, and practically unbettable if in every race, one horse is so dominant over the rest of the field that he goes off at 1/5 odds, wins, and pays $2.40. At every racetrack, the racing secretary's office produces a condition book that outlines all the races coming up in the next two to three weeks. In theory, the condition book mirrors the class levels of horses residing in the barn area. The racing secretary writes the condition book so that every horse has a good chance of winning at least one race in the book. Read on to understand how a racing office puts together the horse racing product that you handicap and bet on regularly. Maiden races: Where it all begins Each year, more than 35,000 Thoroughbred racehorses are foaled (born). Every foal starts out with the hope that he or she may become a future champion. The reality, however, is that some racehorses are destined for a much brighter future than other racehorses, due to pedigree and training. Every young horse does have one thing in common, though: They all begin as maidens, meaning they've never won a race. Logically enough, races for maidens are called maiden races. Within the maiden ranks are different class levels: Maiden claiming races: In maiden claiming races, the horses are eligible to be claimed (purchased) out of the race by other horsemen. Horses beginning their careers in maiden claiming races have failed to show their connections (owner and trainer) enough talent during training, so they begin their career with a lower level price tag. Maiden special weight races: These races are the highest level of the various maiden races. Horses entered in maiden special weight races are protected in that another horseman can't claim them out of a race. Maiden special weight races come in many conditions based upon age, sex, surface, and distance. A trainer should be able to find the right spot for his maiden to win — whether it's in a sprint or route race, dirt or turf race, and so on. The owner and trainer prefer that their horse breaks its maiden (wins for the first time) in a maiden special weight. Doing so proves the horse has some quality and may develop into a nice runner. If a horse struggles to graduate (win its first race) in a maiden special weight race, it's dropped down in class into maiden claiming races. One thing to remember as a budding handicapper is not to give up on young horses too soon. To catch long shot priced horses, you need to be a forgiving handicapper and forgive a bad race or two. Horses throw in clunker races now and then — especially maidens. To catch good mutuel prices, you need to forgive those bad races and project when the horse will run its best. Horses run in maiden races to create a larger pool of winners for the next condition. After a horse breaks its maiden, it moves one step up the ladder towards the top of the pyramid to face winners that have broken their maiden and a whole new set of race conditions. Depending on the horse's abilities, it either moves on to claiming races or non-selling races. Claiming races: Where every horse is for sale The meat and potato races in horse racing are called claiming races. Every horse entered in a claiming race is eligible to be claimed, meaning bought out of the race. All you need is an owner's license in that state and money on deposit in a horseman's account. Presto — you can claim a racehorse. Common sense rules in claiming races, so the competition remains fairly equal. For example, if you own a horse worth $30,000, and your trainer enters it into a claiming race for $10,000, chances are you'll win the race and have the horse claimed from you. The winning purse amount won't be enough to make up the difference of the value of the horse you just lost. In essence, you sold a $30,000 horse to another trainer for $10,000. Make enough negative cash flow transactions, and you'll soon be out of the horse-owning business. Some of the best races to handicap could be called hard knocking veteran claimers. These are older claiming horses that keep running every few weeks. Usually, there are full fields to handicap because the class level is populated with a lot of horses. Depending on the price scale at the racetracks near you, it may be a $35,000 claimer in Southern California and New York, a $20,000 claimer in Kentucky and Florida, or a $10,000 claimer at Philadelphia Park and Mountaineer. This class level is around the median for those racetracks. You'll see a lot of geldings that run every few weeks and grind out purses for their owner and trainer. You see a certain amount of gamesmanship among the owners and trainers in the claiming game. Claiming a bad-legged racehorse is like buying a lemon of a used car. You need to kick the tires a few times and check under the hood before you buy or bet. Most horses usually run to their true worth. Improving horses move up the claiming ladder, and those horses that don't show improvement drop in class. Non-selling races: Another step up the ladder If a horse that broke its maiden shows real promise, the preference is to skip the claiming races and move forward into non-selling races — races where the entrants can't be claimed. After all, the owner and trainer have a lot invested in each horse and want to protect that investment. Successful claiming horses can also move up to this level if their trainers and owners think they have a shot in this new category. The three categories of non-selling races are allowance, optional claiming, and starter allowance — allowance being the highest level within this category and starter allowance being the lowest. Stakes and handicap races: The top of the pyramid At the top of the horse pyramid are the best runners on the grounds — the stakes horses and handicap horses. These horses have gone up the ladder, breaking their maiden and winning through their allowance conditions, and now they're tackling the best horses at the racetrack. They also face invaders who ship in from other racetracks to try and steal a rich purse. These are the kind of horses and races you see at the racetrack or OTB and on television in the feature races on weekends and holidays. The racing secretary cards overnight stakes, restricted stakes, non-graded stakes, and stakes graded 3, 2, and 1. These stakes horses are the crème de la crème, the kind you're willing to spend good money to see run. Here are explanations and examples of each category of stakes race: Grade 1 stakes: These stakes exemplify the very best races in the country. For example, the Triple Crown races — the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes — are grade 1 stakes. In races of this caliber, you expect to see champion racehorses competing against the very best in their respective divisions. The richest purses tend to be grade 1 stakes, because the best horses follow the money. Grade 2 stakes: These stakes are considered a cut below grade 1, but they attract a very talented group of horses. A stakes race can move up or down in grade depending on the caliber of horse that runs in it. For example, if a grade 2 stakes has horses in it that normally run in a grade 1 stakes, the race may be upgraded the following year to grade 1 status. Grade 3 stakes: Another level down from grade 1 and grade 2 stakes, these stakes have a noticeably smaller purse because they attract a lesser caliber of stakes horse. Still, the competition is keen, and the field sizes can be large because the race draws starters from a bigger pool of horses. There are more grade 3 caliber stakes horses than grade 1 caliber horses. Non-graded stakes: The vast majority of stakes races don't have grades 1, 2, or 3. However, that doesn't mean the horses aren't any good. Quite the contrary. At a major racetrack, a non-graded stakes may be a stepping stone race to a graded stakes. At a smaller racetrack, a non-graded stakes can attract the best horses on the grounds. Any stakes race at any track attracts a very good caliber of racehorse. Restricted stakes: These stakes are written for horses born in a specific state. For example, there are programs for horses born specifically in California, Florida, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, to name a few. So, for example, in a California-bred stakes race, only horses born in California can compete. Overnight stakes: These stakes are written with three days advance notice. In a way, these are high-level glorified allowance races. They carry a higher purse than allowance races. For most stakes races, a horse has to be nominated (pay a fee to become eligible) a month or two before the date it's scheduled to run. This nomination process allows horsemen to point for a race and the marketing and publicity departments at the racetrack to promote the race. The top stakes are awarded a grading of 1, 2, and 3 to let everybody know what the most important races are. Every racing office has a person called a stakes coordinator assigned to recruit horses for these stakes. It's a matter of pride for racetracks to card a big stakes race and have the best horses in their region, and for that matter in the country, participate.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Before the advent of parimutuel wagering, horse race betting was done with bookmakers. Bookmakers, also known as bookies, are essentially businesspeople that handle gambling bets — mainly on horse racing and sports. Bookmaking is now illegal in the United States, but it's a highly respected business in other parts of the world. Betting on horse racing back then was easy because it was just straight wagering — win, place, and show. (Straight wagering refers to a bet on a single horse). Because this era was long before the computer age, betting on multiple horses or multiple races wasn't available. Profits to the bookmakers came in the form of a vigorish (also called vig) — a charge taken on bets — and the remainder of the money bet was paid out to winning bettors. When the Federal government banned bookmakers, parimutuel wagering (betting against other bettors) took its place at the racetracks. When you bet on a horse and it wins, your profits come from the losing horseplayers who bet on other horses in the same race. That's the beauty of parimutuel wagering. Horseplayers are betting amongst each other, and if you're smarter than the people around you, you win their money. The parimutuel system puts a tax on wagering called the takeout, which provides the revenues for the horse racing business to pay its bills. The racetrack has to pay for such expenses as overhead costs, the costs of maintaining the racetrack and property, employee wages, and most importantly, purse money (the money owners of the racehorses try to win). Because horse owners need to win enough money to pay their bills, they want to run at racetracks that offer the best purses. Applying the system of supply and demand to horse racing, the bigger the purses, the better the quality and quantity of horses that run at that track. It's a spiral that keeps feeding itself. In addition to the racetracks and horse owners, the government — local, state, and federal — profits from parimutuel wagering. Depending on the jurisdiction, the government receives a share of the takeout. The parimutuel wagering system takes care of all parties' needs. Comparing parimutuel wagering to poker To best explain parimutuel wagering, compare it to the game of poker. In poker, you're betting against every other player at the card table. The theory is the same in horse racing. You're betting against all the other horseplayers in the parimutuel pool. When you play poker in Las Vegas or in a card room, the house extracts a percentage of the ante (the stake each player puts in the pot) for itself. In horse racing, the equivalent is the takeout. After the percentage is taken out in poker, if you like the cards you hold in your hand, you bet and raise. Similarly, in horse racing, when you think the race has value, you bet into it. The poker play continues until the player with the best hand wins. The same goes in racing, where if you bet the best horse or horses and they run the best, you win. The essence of playing poker and betting on horse racing is the same: You bet against all the other players. If you're smarter than the other players, you make money regardless of how much the house deducts from the antes or how much the racetrack takeout is. Attracting a new gambling audience A successful horseplayer must acquire two types of skills to win money: handicapping and betting. If forced to choose between which skill you'd be best off possessing, it's probably betting. Lots of handicappers can dissect a horse race with great insight. But they can't construct wagers that'll make them money. On the other hand, lots of horseplayers can take good handicapping information from other sources and build wagers that give them an strong chance of winning money. Parimutuel wagering is attracting a new gambling audience, because you can win even if you're a good but not great handicapper. If you know that the key to succeeding in the parimutuel wagering system is to find overlays (meaning horses going off at higher odds than their actual chance of winning), and you know how to wager to make money, you can rely on various sources to find good handicapping information and still win.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Straight bets are the simplest kinds of lets you can place, if you're betting on a horse race. A straight bet means that you're betting on a single horse to do one good thing for you. (For those wanting bigger payoffs, try the family of bets called exotic wagers. Exotic wagers link up multiple horses in a vertical fashion or multiple races and horses in a horizontal manner.) Straight bets: Win, place, and show A straight bet refers to three types of wagering: win, place, and show. What do these terms mean? Glad you asked. A win bet means you bet on a horse to win. (Duh.) One advantage to win betting is that you can see the win odds (the value to win) on your horse just by looking at a television screen or the tote board, which is the information board located on the infield of the track. For example, if the win odds on the number three horse are 5/2, you know he'll pay out between $7 and $7.80 for every $2 wagered. If you multiply 5/2 win odds by $2 and add your $2 back, you get $7. It can't pay more than $7.80, because if the horse paid $8.00, the win odds would be 3/1. A few racetracks post the probable payoffs in the place and show pools. A place bet means you bet on a horse to come in either first or second place. A show bet means you bet on a horse to finish first, second, or third (commonly referred to as finishing in the money). Place and show pool payoffs for straight bets Place and show pools aren't that much different to figure than the win pool. A pool is the total amount wagered on a bet, and a payoff is the price returned to the winning bettor. The winning payoffs are smaller in the place pool because the top two finishers share the money, and even smaller in the show pool because the top three finishers share it. The equation for place and show pools is simple but takes some getting used to. You can do the math quickly in your head or jot it down on some scrap paper. Just remember, these figures are estimates. Unlike the win pool, the place and show pools are shared among the top two or three finishers. Here's the equation for figuring an estimated place payoff: 1. Start with the total amount bet to place and subtract 15 percent for the takeout (the percentage withheld from the betting pool by the host track). 2. From that total, subtract the place money wagered on your horse and the highest amount of place money bet on another horse to get the profit from the place pool. 3. Split the profit amount between the two place horses. 4. Divide that amount by the number of $2 place bets on your horse. 5. Add $2, and you get your estimate place price. The estimate show payoffs are done the same way as the place payoffs. In step 2, subtract the show money wagered on your horse and the two highest amounts of show money bet on other horses. In step 3, divide the profits by three — not two — horses. What you do with these estimates is make comparisons back to the win payoff. For example, a big favorite may pay $3.60 to win and $3.20 to place. Although it's not advisable to bet lots of money on short-priced horses, if you did wager on this animal, do so with a place bet. If the horse loses the race, you'll collect a slightly smaller payoff if the horse finishes second. Also, at times, the estimated show payoff will be the same or larger than the place payoff. In that case, why not bet to show and take advantage of an aberration in the betting pools? These are two ways to bet that are considered safer plays, but you need to do the math yourself if the track doesn't post probable payoffs for the place and show pools. Dead heats and other complications that affect straight bets Certain things can happen within a race — good or bad — that alter the final outcome or the payoff you receive. For example, once in a while, horses get disqualified (moved down in the final order of finish) for interfering with another horse or two. The stewards (three judges appointed to officiate the races) decide which horse or horses were bothered and place the offending horse behind them. If this situation occurs, it can change your win, place, and show bet payoffs, or make them losing tickets altogether. Sometimes the scenario works in your favor. If your horse is the benefactor of a steward's disqualification, moving up in position can improve your straight bets from losers into winners. Don't discard your mutuel tickets until you're absolutely certain you lost the bet. Many scenarios can occur after a race is run and before it's made official that can change the outcome. For example, a horse can be declared a non-starter, meaning if you bet that horse you're entitled to a refund. A refund means getting the amount of your bet back. Another situation that can occur is a dead heat, where two or more horses literally tie for a finishing position. Table 1 illustrates a payout schedule for a dead heat for win. Table 1: Payout Schedule for a Dead Heat for Win Scenario $2 Win $2 Place $2 Show Dead heat for win Collect Collect Collect Dead heat for win Collect Collect Collect Third place finisher Lose Lose Collect Although a dead heat lowers the payoff you would've received if your horse had won first place, a common saying at the racetrack is that "half a loaf is better than none." Wouldn't you rather win a smaller payoff than throw away a losing ticket? Styles of wagering straight bets Most professional handicapping books advise their readers to bet on a horse to win only and to pass on place and show wagering. The reasoning is if you're a good handicapper and can pick a lot of winners, the extra money you bet to win on a horse earns enough profit to compensate for all the lost place and show wagers that you would've cashed. Although statistical studies bear this strategy out to be true, beginning horseplayers should bet to place and show. Newcomers and casual fans most likely play with a modest bankroll. So although studies show that in the long run, win betting is the way to go, newcomers need to experience the enjoyment of cashing tickets and sustaining the bankroll Different styles of straight betting, such as across the board, parlays, and group parlays, are excellent for newcomers to try. They promote interaction among your group or peers, add to your fun and enjoyment, and hopefully make you some money. Across the board A fairly safe way of wagering is to bet a horse across the board, meaning you bet an equal amount to win, place, and show. A typical across the board bet costs $6, because it's three different bets: $2 to win, $2 to place, and $2 to show. If your horse wins, you collect all three wagers. The worst case scenario? Your horse ends up in fourth place or worse, called an out of the money finish, and all three bets lose. In an across the board bet, the board refers to the infield tote board. After the race, look at the tote board and you see the order of finish and the number of your horse followed by the win, place, and show prices going across. That price, my friend, is how much you collect for a $2 payoff. Table 2 shows you how an across the board wager works. Table 2: Cashing an Across the Board Straight Bet Result $2 Win $2 Place $2 Show Your horse wins. Collect Collect Collect Your horse places. Lose Collect Collect Your horse shows. Lose Lose Collect Your horse finishes out of the money. Lose Lose Lose You come across just as many different betting philosophies as you do horseplayers. But one constant is that without a healthy bankroll, you're not going to bet on much of anything. You could categorize betting across the board as bankroll building in the sense that unless the horse is a huge long shot, you're not going for a big score. You're trying to win money and grow your bankroll. For example, if you like a horse that's a juicy 10/1 long shot, you want to maximize your profit. You want your horse to win, of course. But if he runs well and finishes second, which happens a lot in this game, at least you catch decent place and show prices. Place and show payouts are affected by the odds of the winning horse, which is something you can't control. Your horse shares the place and show pools with the winner, so you're better off if the winner is another long shot and not the favorite. At some point, you'll develop skills as a horseplayer and handicapper and will be able to use exotic wagers effectively. But for right now, betting across the board is a lot less stressful. After all, horse racing is supposed to be fun! Parlays In horse race wagering, if you take your winnings from one horse and bet it all on a second horse, you are parlay betting. Continue this process through two, three, or more races, and the payoff grows to be very large. Parlay betting is legal and quite common in Las Vegas because it's considered a "house" or "book" bet, meaning that your parlay bet goes up against the house (the casino) and not into the parimutuel wagering pool. You find a parlay computer card to fill out in most race books. It saves time and guarantees accuracy, because you're the one filling out the numbers. The mutuel clerk (short for parimutuel clerk) just inserts the card into the totalisator machine, and out comes your ticket. Many racetracks can't offer parlay wagering — not because it's illegal, but because they don't have the software in their totalizator system. You can do parlay wagering by yourself. Just keep rolling the profits over onto the next horse, which in horse racing is called let it ride. Parlaying is a good way of compounding your money when you like a few horses during the day and have a limited bankroll to bet with. Statistically speaking, the parlay pays less than nearly all multiple race wagers. Now why's that? The answer is simple. In a parlay, the takeout for a straight bet is deducted on every race. So, in banking terms, you lose some of the power of compound interest. In multiple race wagers, the takeout is deducted only once at the time you place the bet, which in the long run is a huge advantage for the horseplayer.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When you’re at the track betting on horse races, you’re looking to put yourself in the best position for winning, right? Of course you are, and the facts and stats in the following list can help you better your odds: Every racetrack has a television simulcast commentator who handicaps between the races. Listen and see if you can pick up any good tips to bet on. The top ten riders in the jockey standings win about 90 percent of the races run during the meet. Favorite horses win about 33 percent of the time, although at low payoffs. The morning line isn’t who the racetrack oddsmaker likes in the race. It’s his prediction of how the public will bet the race. A no-brainer method of betting overlays is to play a couple bucks on horses going off at odds two to three times higher than its morning line.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Along with your sunscreen (or umbrella!), a few items come in very handy when you’re at the racetrack betting on horses. You may want binoculars to see your favorite pass the finish line, but the tools in the following list are even more useful when it comes to actually placing your bets: Racetrack program: Like a program at a baseball game, it has information on all the players. In this case, the players are the horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners. Cost is $3. The Daily Racing Form (DRF): It provides the past performances of all the horses running on the day’s program and includes informative horse racing articles and handicapping by DRF staff. Cost is $4. Public handicapper selections: If your racetrack or OTB (off-track betting) is covered by the local newspaper, they may pay a handicapper to make daily horse selections. Cost is 50 cents. Handicapping tip sheets: These are daily selections published by handicappers at the racetrack. Cost is $2.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Are you with a group of friends betting on horses at the racetrack? A fun way to bet on horse races that gets everyone in your party involved is a group show parlay. It works like this: Have each person ante up $5, and pool the money. Each person in the group picks one race and one horse to bet to show. Place the first bet, and if you win, parlay the money on the next race and horse. Your winnings can add up very quickly. For example, if four people start with $20 and each person wins a $3 show price, you’ll have $101 after only four races!

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When it comes to betting on horse races, before you even place a bet on a horse you need to decide what type of bet to place. As the bets you can make range from a simple bet on a single horse in one race to choosing the winning horses for six consecutive races, you may need to the information in the following table to help you explore your betting options: Bet Type Your Chances of Winning Explanation and Expectation Suggested Plays (Based upon a $100 Bankroll) Show Very good Your horse must finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd; modest payoffs $6 per horse Place Good Your horse must finish 1st or 2nd; payoffs better than to show $5 per horse Win Average Your horse must finish 1st; payoff determined by the win odds $4 per horse Quinella Average Your horses must finish 1st and 2nd in either order; a normal play is to box three horses $2 quinella box using three horses costs $6 Exacta Hard Your horses must finish 1st and 2nd in exact order; riskier bet that can pay a little or a lot, depending on the horses’ odds $1 exacta box using three horses costs $6; $1 exacta box keying one horse with three horses costs $6 Trifecta Very hard Your horses must finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in exact order; can be expensive to play if you use a lot of horses $1 trifecta keying one horse to win over three horses costs $6; $1 trifecta keying two horses to win over four horses costs $12 Superfecta Extremely hard Your horses must finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th; hard to bet unless you have a sizeable bankroll; big payoff possible $1 superfecta keying one horse to win over four horses costs $24 Daily Double Hard Your horses must win the two consecutive races; chance for a nice payoff with mid-priced horses $2 daily double using two horses in each race costs $8; $2 daily double keying one horse to three horses costs $6 Pick 3 Very hard Your horses must win three consecutive races; it’s a daily double plus another race; $1 unit makes it affordable $1 pick 3 using two horses in each race costs $8; $1 pick 3 keying one horse with three horses in two other races costs $9 Pick 4 Extremely hard Your horses must win four consecutive races; chance for a big score for a modest amount $1 pick 4 using two horses in each race costs $16 Pick 6 Thinking man’s lottery Your horses must win six consecutive races; very expensive to play; huge payoffs possible; a home run bet $2 pick 6 using three singles with two horses each in the other three races costs $16

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Betting on horse racing isn’t a complicated procedure. Most often, you place your bet, take your ticket, and tear it up when your bet doesn’t pay off. However, if you’re lucky — or skilled — you get to take your ticket back to the window and collect your winnings. The following list spells out the betting procedure step by step: State the name of the racetrack. State what number race you’re betting. State the dollar unit of your bet. State the type of wager. You can bet on a single horse to win, place, or show or on a combination of horses. State the number of the horse or horses you’re using. Check your ticket before you leave the window.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You’re betting on horse races and want to know how much your winning bet will give you. To compute your $2 win price, take the odds of your horse and multiply the first number by 2, divide that by the second number, and then add $2 — simple as that! Following is a list of payoffs at various odds for quick reference: Odds $2 Payoff Odds $2 Payoff Odds $2 Payoff 1/9 $2.20 8/5 $5.20 7/1 $16.00 1/5 $2.40 9/5 $5.60 8/1 $18.00 2/5 $2.80 2/1 $6.00 9/1 $20.00 1/2 $3.00 5/2 $7.00 10/1 $22.00 3/5 $3.20 3/1 $8.00 11/1 $24.00 4/5 $3.60 7/2 $9.00 12/1 $26.00 1/1 $4.00 4/1 $10.00 13/1 $28.00 6/5 $4.40 9/2 $11.00 14/1 $30.00 7/5 $4.80 5/1 $12.00 15/1 $32.00 3/2 $5.00 6/1 $14.00 16/1 $34.00