Sports gambling is a popular pursuit because everyone understands the basics of how teams win and lose and why. Horses, meanwhile, are an entirely different animal”no pun intended. It is a complex discipline unto itself, and a sound background in handicapping sports doesn’t insure success, or even mediocrity in handicapping the ponies. In fact, the history of sports betting is replete with successful gamblers that had a weakness for horse betting, with an emphasis on the word weakness. Most notable, perhaps, is the former resident handicapper at CBS, Jimmy The Greek Snyder. The story goes that The Greek was a first rate sports handicapper, but he couldn’t pick the winner of a one horse race when playing the ponies. The bad news for The Greek is that he enjoyed playing the ponies nonetheless, and often frittered away the money he won at the other end of the sportsbook.

The information below is the bare bones basics of what you need to know to enjoy a day at the horse track. If you’re interested in becoming a serious horse handicapper, you’re best advice to start with one of the countless books or DVDs that deal specifically with the discipline.

Arm yourself with information: The first step for any horse handicapper is to pick up a copy of the Daily Racing Form (DRF) and the track program. The publications give the names of the horses, jockeys and trainers, the morning line odds, and the types of bets available for each race. You’ll also have past performance charts, which are crucial for serious horse handicappers. These charts reveal a lot about a horse and what they’ve done on the racetrack, including its record, where it ran, the quality of competition it ran against, and what position the horse was in at various points in the race.

You’re playing against other bettors, not the racetrack: A big difference between sports wagering and horse betting is the function of ‘the house’. In horse racing, you’re not playing against the track–instead, you’re betting against the other patrons. The track simply serves as a ‘banker’, accepting money and paying bets. For this service, they take a percentage of the money bet on each race (called the ‘takeout’). The odds on a horse aren’t set by the track, but rather by the amount of money bet on each entry.

So where do the odds in the newspaper or program come from? The so-called morning odds are basically educated guesses as to where the wagering will go. Its roughly analogous to overnight lines in sports gambling. They can be helpful as a guideline, but may or may not be indicative as to how the actual wagering will go.

The Basics of Handicapping: Even expert handicappers approach the sport differently and, like his sports gambling counterpart, may place greater emphasis on the importance of certain data than other handicappers. Some handicappers place a great deal of weight on a horses past performances, including the quality of opposition hes run against. Others place greater value on recent workouts, and still others go to the paddock to eyeball the horses and try to determine which ones are ready to run.

Once a bettor reaches a conclusion about what he thinks will happen in a given race, it is still subject to the odds that are available when betting. This is similar to sports gambling, where an underdog may be more attractive due to an excessively high payback potential than he would ordinary, or, conversely, a clear favorite becomes an unattractive wagering proposition due to a prohibitively high price. Its all a matter of the math–if I could speak to the teenagers of America, I’d try to impress upon them the importance of doing well in math for no other reason than its importance in all forms of gambling.

Training and bloodlines: Handicappers often focus on a horse’s breeding lineage, considering the quality of the bloodlines and the racing pedigree of his parents and grandparents. Others put great focus on a horse’s trainers. An ‘A-list’ trainer can often get the most out of a horse much in the same way an elite level NFL coach can cause a team to ‘over perform’.

The Jockeys: In the simplest terms, jockeys are independent contractors and thus to make money they need to do well. In theory, a jockey wants to get on the best horse possible in each race to maximize his chances of winning. That also results in sort of a chicken and the egg conundrum–are the horses winning because the best jockeys are aboard, or are the best jockeys merely adept at getting on the best horses? Most serious horse players look to the jockey as a secondary consideration. Its sort of a situation where a good jockey cant win with a bad horse, but a bad jockey can cause a good horse not to win.

Don’t Go Overboard, and Try to Find What Works For You: As with any new betting discipline, its always sound advice to not go overboard with the amount of money you wager. These are just the basics of how to bet a horse race and what some of the salient factors are in determining who will win or lose a race, and doesn’t even to begin to scratch the surface of successfully handicapping the sport. If you want to learn more, Id suggest starting with the Daily Racing Form website, after which a simple Google search can expand your options from there.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer specializing in travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, fencing and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

In the muddy mess of a rain soaked Churchill Downs, jockey Calvin Borel continued his mastery of the track as he guided Super Saver to victory in the Kentucky Derby. Super Saver had gone off as an 8-1 choice behind 6-1 favorite Looking At Lucky, and Borel took the ‘Run For The Roses’ for the second consecutive year and an unprecedented third time in four years. Borel was aboard 50-1 longshot Mine That Bird in 2009 and rode Street Sense in 2007.

Borel became the ninth jockey to win the Kentucky Derby at least three times. Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack both won it five times while Bill Shoemaker has won it four times. Angel Cordero Jr., Kent Desormeaux, Gary Stevens, Issac Murphy and Earl Sande are the others to have won three Derbies.

After the race Bob Baffert, who watched race favorite Lookin At Lucky finish sixth, gave Borel his due credit:

“This Calvin Borel, you got to give him credit, he knows how to win this race. He gets right on top of that rail, takes advantage. Smart rider; he owns this track. The thing about Calvin is he takes control of the race. He’s great here. He’s a great rider and he can get it done.”

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas concurred:

“Used to be Pat Day, now I think Calvin owns Churchill Downs. He’s got a great feel for it and they’re running for him and his confidence is sky high. He’s just a great rider, too, a great horseman in a lot of ways.”

Super Saver’s trainer Todd Pletcher also praised Borel:

“I said earlier in the week that Calvin Borel is a great rider anywhere he goes, but for some reason at Churchill Downs he’s even five lengths better. He’s just figured out Churchill Downs. He knows how to ride this track, he gets along with the colt really well.”

Super Saver won by 2 lengths over second place Ice Box. Paddy O’Prado finished third. Make Music for Me was fourth, followed by Noble’s Promise, Lookin At Lucky, Dublin, Stately Victor, Mission Impazible, Devil May Care, American Lion and Jackson Bend.Discreetly Mine was 13th, followed by Dean’s Kitten, Conveyance, Homeboykris, Sidney’s Candy, Line of David, Awesome Act and Backtalk.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Kentucky Derby pace setter Sidney’s Candy has already demonstrated that he can run on dirt and synthetic tracks, but he may be his best on grass. On Saturday at Del Mar set a turf course record as he dominated the rest of the field in the 1 1/16 mile Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap. It was his first career race on turf, and his sizzling performance which produced a 102 Beyer Speed Figure suggests that his immediate future will be on grass. The previous turf course record course record was set by Mea Domina on September 2, 2006

Although Sidney’s Candy has a pedigree that suggests a good turf horse, no one expected such a strong effort this first time out. Sidney’s Candy is by Candy Ride-who won stakes races on both turf and dirt–and his dam, Fair Exchange, is by Storm Cat. Trainer John Sadler talked about his horse’s performance:

“He worked on [grass] really well last week. We’re thrilled with his performance.”

“I knew he was going to take care of the other horse, I was just a little worried that he might set it up for a closer. He’s a very good horse and a unique horse in that he set a track record [for 5 1/2 furlongs] as a two-year-old on the Polytrack [surface at Del Mar] and then again at three on the grass. He’s a very good horse; a little unlucky in a couple of races and things didn’t go right for him in Kentucky, but he’s one of the best three-year-olds around.”

Sidney’s Candy and Mascias shot from the gate to set a torrid pace that none of the other entrants could match. By the midway point of the race the two front runners held an 11 or 12 length advantage over the rest of the field. Jockey Joel Rosario went straight to the front along the inside rail with Mascias alongside, clocking a quarter-mile in: 23.10 and a half-mile in: 45.81. When the pair hit the far turn, Mascias started to fade as Sidney’s Candy pulled away. He opened a thirteen length advantage in the upper stretch and went on to win by 5 lengths.

Sidney’s Candy won three consecutive races earlier in the season, including the Santa Anita Derby. This hot streak made him one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby despite having previously never raced on dirt. He started fast and set the early pace but faded badly, finishing 17th. He recovered nicely in his only post Derby start before Saturday’s race, finishing second in the July Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park.

Sadler has already confirmed that Sidney’s Candy won’t race again at Del Mar Derby this season, meaning the Pennsylvania Derby at Philadelphia Park on September 25 and/or the Oak Tree Mile in October the most likely next starts. Beyond that, he could end up running in the Breeder’s Cup Mile at Churchill Downs which is contested on grass.

Ross Everett is an extensively published freelance writer and a noted authority on sports betting and horse racing. He contributes NFL football betting free picks for a number of websites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a retired racing wombat.

categories: horse racing,sports,recreation,hobbies

Though it is sometimes overshadowed by more famous tracks back East like Churchill downs and Belmont Park, Del Mar Racetrack in Southern California has a rich and fascinating history. Located 20 miles north of San Diego and known for its iconic slogan “Where The Surf Meets the Turf”, Del Mar has not only hosted the best horses and jockeys on the planet but a ‘who’s who’ of show biz elite.

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was founded in the mid’30s, and they immediately turned their attention to building a world class horse racing venue. The names that were instrumental in the creation of Del Mar include a whos who of American entertainment–most notably Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy (of Laurel and Hardy) and Jimmy Durante. At the time the facility opened thoroughbred horse racing was the second most popular sport in America behind major league baseball, and Del Mar’s show biz roots further helped secure its place as an important stop on the racing circuit.

Additionally, the star power involved with the project also provided a trendy cachet that the tonier race courses back East lacked. Bing Crosby himself greeted patrons at the gate on opening day, and during the late’30s and early’40s it became a place to be seen for Hollywood A-listers and those who aspired for celebrity. In addition to known gambling enthusiasts like W.C. Fields, Edgar Bergen and Red Skelton, the Del Mar patrons during that time also included some of the top female stars of the era including Ava Gardner, Paulette Goddard and Dorothy Lamour.

Del Mar was the site of the’38 match race between Seabiscuit and Ligaroti. Seabiscut won the $25,000 winner take all challenge by a nose, and this race set Del Mar betting and attendance records and remains one of the most famous races in history. The racing at Del Mar continued to flourish until the start of WWII, when the track went ‘dark’ for racing.

After the war, Del Mar reopened with a bang. The track reopened the day after Japan formally surrendered to Allied forces, and on that day Del Mar attracted over 20,000 fans through its gates who wagered what at the time was a record $958,476. The postwar prosperity was also a boon to Del Mar, which also benefitted from the Santa Fe Railroads daily Racetrack Special that brought bettors down from Los Angeles to enjoy a day at the track. During the latter part of the decade a new crop of Hollywood glitterati would flock to Del Mar, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Mickey Rooney John Holmes, Frank Sinatra and Jimmy Durante. Durante would become such a regular that the turf course at Del Mar would later be renamed in his honor.

Even though the popularity of horse racing among the mainstream populace would ebb over the years, Del Mar remains a viable part of the thoroughbred community to this day. Theyve updated their facility, with a state of the art grand stand and most recently a synthetic polytrack surface that was installed in 2007. The racing season at Del Mar begins in mid July, and hosts crowds of 20,000+ on a daily basis throughout.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

categories: horse racing,sports,recreation,travel,leisure,entertainment,celebrities,history,reference

Seattle Slew died on May 7, 2002 at the age of 28. One of only 11 winners of horse racing’s prestigious ‘Triple Crown’ he is by default considered among the all time greats in thoroughbred racing. Of the eleven horses to win the Triple Crown, he is the only one to do so with an undefeated record. He was also notable due to his humble beginnings, and is the only Triple Crown winner to have been purchased at public auction. He retired to stud in’78 and sired over 100 stakes race winners including’84 Kentucky Derby champion, Swale. Slew’s offspring have earned a combined $76 million dollars at the race track. Slew wasn’t the most majestic looking creature by the lofty standards of race horses, but was possessed with the heart, toughness and courage of a professional prizefighter.

The Seattle Slew story started at a public auction in Kentucky–not exactly a venue expected to produce a future champion. Slew, in particular, was an unlikely heir to greatness. He was somewhat clumsy looking due to a front right forefoot splay and had a shuffling gait at trot. Slew wasn’t a beautifully majestic creature like his Triple Crown winning predecessor, Secretariat. In fact, he could have been considered borderline ugly–to the extent that he was nicknamed ‘Baby Huey’ by the Keeneland staff. What wasn’t apparent at the time was Slew’s mixture of championship intangibles–competitive desire, toughness, heart and enthusiasm. His owners had unwittingly stumbled onto an equine Muhammad Ali, and his competitive fire quickly became apparent to his trainers and jockeys. His first race came at Belmont Park in’76, and he entered–and won–three races as a two year old giving a glimpse as to what like ahead.

Slew became the Kentucky Derby favorite by winning his three prep races as a three year old, including prestigious Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled from the gate much like War Emblem did in the 2002 Belmont. Unlike 2002′s Triple Crown contender, however, Slew was able to recover from that miscue and basically force his way through a pack of other horses to position himself at the front of the field at the quarter mile pole. Slew would win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. He took another tough victory at the Preakness before clinching the Triple Crown with a 4 length victory in the Belmont Stakes.

Slew continued to campaign as a four year old, but in the days before the Breeder’s Cup there weren’t many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in’78, where he sired champions such as the aforementioned Swale and’92 Belmont Champ AP Indy. Slew stood at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky from’85 until early 2002 when he was moved to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, KY following a spinal operation.

In some ways, Slew had much in common with the heavyweight championship reign of Larry Holmes. He came so quickly on the heels of such incredible excellence–Slew was forever in the shadow of’73 Triple Crown winner Secretariat, Holmes on the heels of Muhammad Ali–that he never gained the appreciation he deserved during his prime. In hindsight, however, it has finally been noted what an exceptional horse he really was. Jockey Angel Cordero, who rode Slew during the twilight of his career noted “If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet.”

Following his death in 2002, Slew was laid to rest at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky under a statue memorializing his legacy.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.