How to Pick a Horse at the Racetrack and What to Look for Good and Bad Signs.

How to pick a horse at the racetrack?. Sure you can just go with your gut but if you want better eyes make your decision based on these factors. You will need information about the horse, about his trainer, about his jockey. Also your own observations by using a newspaper with a racing column and cheat sheets optional. A program make sure betting on horse racing is legal in your state.

Step 1

Research the horses that are running to see if any are related to previous racing champs and check out how well they did in their last few races. Take into account which weather conditions they run well in and whether they excel at running on dirt or turf tracks. The Daily Racing Form which you can purchase at the track and individual racetrack websites provide much of this information.

Step 2

Check out the track record of the jockey riding the horse. Experienced jockeys can play a big part in producing a winner.

Step 3

Find out who trained the horse. Like horses and jockeys some trainers have proven track records.

Step 4

Find the program to see how much weight each horse is carrying. The long shots are given a lighter load in order to even the competition you can also look at the printed odds in the program. The horse with the best odds of winning is the favorite.

Step 5

Visit the paddock the area where the horses are kept before the race.

GOOD signs include:

• Ears up – which indicate alertness.
• Teeth grinding – which can signify eagerness to race.
• A larger than average chest – which indicates a larger lung capacity.

BAD signs include:

• Ears pinned back – which reveal anger.
• Sweaty neck – which is a sign of nervousness.
• 2 or 4 bandaged legs are better than one – the former indicates the legs are being protected the latter signals an injury.

Step 6

Watch how the horses behave in the mountain yard and on the way to the starting gate – the more relaxed the horse the better their chance of winning If the person leading the horse in the mountain yard has to hold the strap tightly that's not a good sign. Another bad omen if the horse requires handling by track officials before entering the gate.

Step 7

Take into account what racing experts think many newspapers carry their predictions in the sports section or you can buy cheat sheets at the racetrack from handicappers who'll give you their opinions on which horses have the best chance.

Step 8

Consider picking horses based on names you like. It's often as good a system as any in this unpredictable sport. Did you know horses are descended from a prehistoric creature called an Eohippus that was the size of a cocker spaniel and had four toes on its front feet and three toes on its hind feet.