| The Program |
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How to Read the Program
Racing programs are packed with information to help you make a smart bet. While the numbers and symbols might be daunting at first, it's an easy language to learn and you don't have to learn everything at once. In fact, any veteran player will tell you there's always something new to learn. Consider the Past Performances The most important part of the program is the list of past performances (PPs) for each horse entered in each race. The PPs reveal how the horse is performing over time. They tell you how the horse ran, how he finished, how far behind or ahead he was at different points in the race, and much more. Reading the PPs helps you compare one horse to another in a particular race. Consider the Odds Nothing guarantees that what happened yesterday will happen today, but history shows that the favorite—the horse with the lowest odds—is the favorite for a reason. · The favorite bet to win pays off 33% of the time. · The favorite bet to place (comes in first or second) pays off 53% of the time. · The favorite bet to show (comes in first, second, or third) pays off 67% of the time. Consider the Jockey You’ll find the jockey’s stats next to his or her name in the program. "(17-4-4-2) 58.82%" means the jock has had 17 mounts in the meet to date and has won 4 times, placed 4 times, and finished third twice, putting him in the money almost 59% of the time. Do a little math on your own and you’ll see he’s winning about 24% of his races. Anything over 15% is a good indication of talent. Consider the Trainer Check trainers’ stats like you checked the jockeys’. How often does he or she make it to the winner’s circle? If you want more info, you can check a trainer’s results with horses of different ages, in races at different distances, and with different jockeys. Consider the Horse How does his or her winning percentage compare to others in the field? Is the horse moving up in class (say, from claiming ranks to an allowance race) or dropping down? Does she do well at the distance? Is he coming back from a layoff? How did she run last time out; if she didn’t win, how far back was she? Is he younger than other horses in the field? Is she carrying more or less weight than the others? How does the horse’s speed figure compare to others in the field? Has his equipment or medication changed? Consider the Horse’s Style Frontrunners like to get to the front early and lead all the way. Stalkers sit just behind the leaders and make a move coming for home. Closers wait far back in the field and make a big run all at once down the stretch. If a race has more than one speed horse, for instance, they might wear each other out and set things up for a closer. But remember, every horse has good days, bad days, and a mind of his own! Consider the Track Polytrack conditions: If you’re playing Turfway’s races, all you need to know is "fast." The Polytrack surface is always the same--always fast (ft). Dirt track conditions · Fast (ft): Track is dry and most efficient. Horses usually run their fastest times on fast tracks. · Sloppy (sy): The track base is still solid although water has started to seep into it. A sloppy track has water standing on the surface. · Muddy (my): Water has permeated the track base. Times are usually slower; horses tire more quickly. Turf track conditions · Firm (fm): Track is dry; corresponds to fast dirt track. · Yielding (yl): Track is softened by rain. Horses’ hooves will dig into the track and times will be slower. |