William G. from Lubbock, Texas wrote an interesting email after reading one of my columns. 'Dear Mr. Lawrenzi,' he wrote, 'is it possible to beat the horses? My wife and I enjoy playing the slots when we go to a casino, although we aren't that lucky. But we live in horse country and are wondering what your experiences are when it comes to handicapping horse races.'
His email made me smile.
My experiences with handicapping horse races? Wow!
I attended my first horse race at a track near Tucson, AZ. more than 40 years ago. Sheldon, a fellow boarder at a rooming house, took me there. He was a good handicapper and picked out some winners that day, so I went home with money. And as many gamblers know, beginner's luck can be a pretty powerful lure in bringing you back to the track.
Over the years, I have tried many systems, from analyzing Daily Racing Forms to betting on horses with sizzling workouts or early speed. Sometimes I won money, but more often I didn't.
While living in Hobbs, N.M., I met a bookie who would come by the newspaper where I worked to deliver cash to the winners or pick up money from the losers. He was a pleasant fellow, well known to almost everybody in town, and a friend of the police chief whose daughter worked as our receptionist.
I had worked out a system where I bet on horses that had a habit of improving their positions in a majority of the last half dozen races ran. These horses were competitive and obviously in good condition, and they often did not disappoint me. The bookie, Sammy, even complimented me on my system.
After I turned my interest to poker, I slowed down my wagering on horses. But once horse racing gets in your blood, it is very difficult to wean it out.
I would advise William that horse racing is for fun and excitement, and not necessarily to make money.
With that said, I think it is possible to win money betting on horses -- but only if you do a lot of research to find a track where you can figure out the habits of the trainers and owners.
In past columns, I have written about following the tote board to determine which horses are taking public money and which are taking track money. Tracking the odds is still one of the best handicapping systems I have discovered.
Let's say the favorite starts out at 2-1 and the odds jump around from 4-5 to 5-2. This is expected with a favorite, and most of that money changing the odds is public wagering.
But let's say another horse is at 5-1 and suddenly drops to 7-2. Then the odds rise to 4-1 and drop back to 3-1. That sounds like track money to me, and I definitely improve that horse's chances of winning.
If you only bet horses that take on track money, your chances of winning will be increased. Whether you go home a winner remains to be seen, but you will give yourself more opportunity to pick a winner or two.
Horse racing has been called the sport of kings for a reason. In the old days, only kings could afford to bet on the ponies because they had the money. Horse handicapping is a challenge few people can overcome. However, some do and all I can add is I wish William G. and his wife the best of luck.
Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.
(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to [email protected] ).
