Wagering Tips

What’s the deal with speed?  When it comes to horse betting, there are two schools of thought regarding handicapping a race.  The first is that the fastest horse always wins.  The second is that the fastest horse always wins dependent on the speed of the other horses in the race.

When placing wagers on horses in the BetUS Racebook, it’s important to understand the distinction.  Too often horse betting fans will automatically take a look at the single most obvious horse wagering trend when handicapping.

That trend would be the speed rating that’s prominent next to the name of every horse in every single racing form in the United States.  A lot of online racebook fans are still beholden to Beyer Speed Figures.  This is true even though many tracks have switched from conventional dirt surfaces to Polytrack, cushion track, Tapeta track, or some other surface.

What then do speed ratings actually mean in the context of artificial surfaces all of which may be different from track to track and even day to day?

It depends.  Let’s take a look at a few actual track examples, some dirt, some artificial, and try to figure out this speed thing!

Monmouth Park - - This track is always fast.  It is a classic dirt surface in the sense that horses running up front usually hang on for at least a piece of the prize.  Speed ratings can mean a lot at this track if the horse with the highest speed rating is a front runner.

Belmont/Saratoga - - Both of these East Coast tracks usually play “fair”. For horse betting fans, that means that using speed ratings, along with an understanding of the pace of individual races, could yield huge online profits.  Concentrating only on speed will deplete your bankroll.

Santa Anita/Del Mar/Hollywood Park - -   The best thing to do is to throw out speed ratings unless you see a lone front runner and concentrate on the pace of individual races.  Try to stay away from horses going too wide around the final turn unless they are named Street Boss.

Keeneland/Turfway Park - - These are two Polytrack surface that usually plays towards front runners.  Again, speed ratings are meaningless, however, unless they are specific to a horse that has Keeneland or Turfway Park main track experience.  Keeneland’s Polytrack, for some reason, doesn’t go through numerous changes like Del Mar’s.  Go figure.

Churchill Downs - - This is usually a fair track meaning that a horse on the lead will be tough to beat unless he really isn’t fast at all.  Use speed ratings with abandon at this track and you will cash more tickets then if you threw them out.

Grass Racing - - Speed ratings are absolutely meaningless in grass races.  The main problem is that very few horses wire fields in grass races.  So, the speed ratings are never legitimate.  Belmont during the summer plays towards frontrunners.  Saratoga does not.  Del Mar can play towards frontrunners or closers depending on where the rails are set at.  Hollywood Park is a total pace/class grass surface as is Santa Anita. 

I prefer to go with class on the grass!

Good luck!