Thursday, September 17, 2009

Understanding a Racing Form

By David Gately

Across continents and through many centuries, horse racing has been a source of excitement and enthusiasm for millions. The intensity of effort compressed into such a short space captivates onlookers as man and beast hurtle around the track as one. More than just a source of incredible entertainment, horse racing as arrived as an incredible source of money. Millions and millions of dollars per year go into breeding, training, and racing horses. Millions more still are thrown onto the tables by punters. While many simply throw down the money with a nervous smile and a prayer, there are those that take a more measured approach. For these intelligent players, the racing form provides a distinct advantage and the chance to put the odds in their favor.

The racing for can be utterly confusing. To many it is a jumble of characters-letters and numbers strewn about the page without rhyme or reason and designed to make the eyes sore and the head numb. A racing form understood, however, is an amazing source of valuable information. The racing form is a score card on the horse's career, detailing its achievements and failures, as well as its lineage and its jockey. Aside from its accounting of recent performances, it touches on the horse's general history, such as any trouble it has had or if there have been lapses in its racing activity.

Understanding a racing form begins with knowing its component parts and how they pertain to a horse's potential and probable performance.

Much of the form is logistical information, as its principal and primary use is as a program for the day's races. Thus, you will find race times, race types, tracks, and the purses for each race. Once you have found your race, however, look into the individual horse listings for the truly valuable information that can make or break your day, and your wallet.

The racing form will list each horse's name and an array of biographical information. Such information includes the horse's age, its sex (filly, colt, thoroughbred, gelding), and its color-commonly listed colors are black, brown, bay, buckskin, chestnut, dun, pinto, roan, and white. The sex and color will commonly be abbreviated.

One of the more valuable pieces of information represented on the racing form is the horse's lineage. The Sire and Dam will be listed, which many punters use as to forecast potential performance.

Breeder's name is another valuable piece of information listed on the racing form. Punters with knowledge of different breeders, and the performance of their horses, can use this information to adjust expectations of the horse's potential. A listing of weight will be found somewhere on the racing form and refers to the total weight of the horse and jockey combined.

A listing of total weight for horse and jockey will also be found on the racing form and may be used by punter's looking for any change to horse or rider.

The racing form's greatest value comes in the form of the breakdown of racing results listed for each horse and broken down by race. Dates of past races, as well as the type of race, the conditions, the odds, and the purse will be listed for the horse's recent history. The table will indicate where the horse finished and, if it did not win, how far behind the winner it finished. It will also indicate whether or not the horse took any significant time off between races and whether or not if had any notable difficulties during races.

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