Man o' War's USA horse racing thread

[Man o' War]

Hello, someone is interested in American horse racing? I will give you some information, resources, tips and many more. :ok ______________________________________________________________ some help for newbies USA horse races explained - Race type: If you fancy yourself as a handicapper and you want to try to make a few £ by betting on USA horse racing then you must know about the different types of races. You need to be aware of horses rising in class or maybe dropping in class. Below is the guide to the different types of USA horse races. Stakes Races - the highest class of American racing Stakes races are the highest grade of USA horse races, but even these are broken down into sub-divisions: Grade 1: These are the best races run in America and they obviously carry the highest prize-money. All the major races (such as the Triple Crown races and Breeders Cup) are Grade 1 Stakes races. Grade 2: This one notch below Grade 1 races but some horses can never bridge the gap between Grade 2 races and the very highest class. Grade 3: Grade 3 types, unless they are on an upward curve and improving through the racing ranks, often struggle in higher grade. A true Grade 1 thoroughbred tends to be at least 15 pounds better than a horse that has the ability to win a Grade 3, but no more. Allowance Races - one level below Grade 3 Stakes races Below Grade 3 Stakes races are allowance races, and in similar vein to stakes races, allowance races are broken down by class: N4X allowance races: These races are for horses who have not won more than three allowance races (non winners of four allowance races). N3X allowance races: These races are for horses who are non-winners of three allowance races (they can have won two allowance races). N2X allowance races: These races are for horses who have not won more than one allowance races. N1X allowance races: These races are for horses who must not have won an allowance race or in any higher grade. Put another way, it is for non-winners of a race other than a maiden or claiming race. Claiming Races Around 50% of horse races in America are claiming races. In a claiming race a price is put on the head of a horse (the lowest price level is around $2000). At the top end of claiming races the price put on the head of the horse may be say $50,000. Unlike in the United Kingdom, where claims are made after the race is run. In the United States the claim goes in before the race is run. Claiming races may feature horses dropping in grade from allowance or even stakes level. There may be many reasons for this, including: connections want to sell the horse; connections want to get some easy prizemoney pickings; the horse is losing its previous higher level of form. Maiden Special Weight Races This is a race for horses who are maidens. In a maiden special weight race the horses can not be claimed. Sometimes their are special conditions attached to maiden special weights, such as being restricted to horses that were bred in that particular state (New York breds, for example). Maiden Claiming Races This is the starting point for many horses, especially if their trainers do not think they are up to maiden special weight company. A maiden claiming race is self-explanatory. As we have learned a maiden has not won a race and in a claiming race a horse has a price on its head at which it can be bought prior to the race starting. _______________________________________________________________ How to read PP's (past performances) for USA horse racing: Reading Past Performances (Racecards) Glance over the opening paragraph.The section at the top of form can give you a lot of information. It will tell you the name of the race (if there is one), the type and any restrictions on the entrants. It will also tell you the weight restrictions for handicap races and why horses are being given the weights they are. Take a look at the jockey.When I am betting on horses, there are certain jockey who I always look for, and there are others I might try to avoid. Either way, it's important to take a look. Next to the jockey's name, are their stats. The first set show their stats from the track's meet. There are multiple numbers (x x x x .xx) inside the parenthesis. The first number is how many mounts the jockey has had; the second number is how many wins; the third number is how many places; the fourth number is how many shows; and the final number is the jockeys winning percentage. Look at the trainer.The trainer is the person who is preparing your horse for every race and it's important to know who it is and maybe what their tendencies might be. Everyone has strong points, and if you know your trainer, it could give you an edge.In the middle of the box, next to where it says "TR:" is the trainer of the horse. And next to the trainer's name is another set of numbers with the same meanings as for the jockeys - it's their stats. At the bottom of the box, it says "TRAINER" in big bold letters. The stats at the bottom are more figures for the trainer that pertain to the particular circumstances for this race. You'll see things like their turf/dirt record, sprint/route record, off lay-off record and others. These can show you how the trainer has done in similar circumstances that are facing their horse in this race. These can often be helpful in determining if their horse will run well or not. Know the breeding of your horse.A horse's breeding is one of the most important factors determining how it can run. There are horses who run well without good breeding, but generally speaking, horses with better breeding will run well over the course of their career. Millions and millions of dollars are spent on the breeding of horses, so take a look at your horse's breeding before the race.Look in the middle of the box. At the top, it will say "SIRE" and "DAM". The sire is the horse's father and the dam is the horse's mother. The names in parenthesis to the right of the sire and dam is the sire of those horses.Go online to a horse website and learn who are the better sires in the horse world. There are some who are always good and have been for years, but each year, there are new hot sires whose foals run extremely well. See how your horse has done.On the top right side of the box is your horse's performances. The numbers work the same as for the jockeys, with total races, wins, places, shows. They will have figures for the current year, last year, the track where the race is being run, and for every track condition just to the right. The numbers on the far right is their prize money. Read the past performances.In the middle of the box are the past performances for the horse. The races are in chronological order from their most previous race. The numbers/figures refer to the following, starting all the way on the left, to the right: date of last race, race number, track abbreviation, track condition, distance, split times, race restrictions/particulars, Beyer Speed Figure, post position, start position, 1/4-mile position, 1/2-mile position, top of the stretch position, final (smaller number is how many lengths back/in front), riding jockey, medications, weight, odds, pace figures, track bias, top three finishers, horse comments, total number of horses in race. _______________________________________________________________ Medications The two types of legally permitted medications are Bute and Lasix. Bute is an anti-inflammatory drug used to reduce stiffness. Lasix is a diuretic used to treat respiratory bleeding some athletes experience. _______________________________________________________________ USA Horse Racing tracks - by State Arizona Prescott Downs Turf Paradise Yavapai Downs Arkansas Oaklawn Jockey Club California Alameda County Fair Bay Meadows Racecourse Capitol Racing at Cal-Expo California Authority of Racing Fairs Del Mar Fairplex Park Ferndale Race Track Fresno Golden Gate Fields Hollywood Park Los Alamitos Race Course Oak Tree Racing Association 2002 Pleasanton Sacramento CARF San Joaquin County Fair Santa Anita Park Santa Rosa Solano County Fair Sonoma County Fair Stockton Colorado Arapahoe Park Delaware Delaware Park Dover Downs Harness Racing Harrington Raceway Florida Calder Race Course Gulfstream Park Hialeah Park Pompano Park Tampa Bay Downs Idaho Les Bois Park Illinois Arlington International Arlington Park Balmoral Park Harness Racing Fairmount Park Hawthorne Race Course Maywood Park Sportsman’s Park Indiana Hoosier Park Iowa Prairie Meadows Kansas Anthony Downs Eureka Downs Woodlands Race Tracks Kentucky Churchill Downs Ellis Park Keeneland Kentucky Downs Red Mile Turfway Park Louisiana Delta Downs Evangeline Downs Fair Grounds Race Course Louisiana Downs Maryland Laurel Park Maryland Jockey Club Ocean Downs Pimlico Rosecroft Raceway Timonium

Massachusetts Northampton County Fair Plainridge Racecourse Suffolk Downs Michigan Great Lakes Downs Hazel Park Raceway Jackson Harness Raceway/Racetrack Mount Pleasant Meadows Saginaw Harness Raceway Minnesota Canterbury Park Montana Metra Park Yellowstone Downs Nebraska Aksarben Coliseum Columbus Park Fonner Park Horsemen’s Park Lincoln Nebraska New Hampshire Rockingham Park New Jersey Freehold Raceway Meadowlands Racetrack Monmouth Park New Mexico Downs at Albuquerque New Mexico State Fair Ruidoso Downs Sunland Park SunRay Park and Casino New York Aqueduct Belmont Park Buffalo Raceway Finger Lakes Race Track Monticello Raceway New York Racing Association (NYRA Tracks) Saratoga Equine Sports Center Saratoga Racetrack Vernon Downs Yonkers Raceway Ohio Beulah Park Lebanon Raceway Northfield Park Raceway Park River Downs Scioto Downs Thistledown Toledo Raceway Park Oklahoma Blue Ribbon Downs Fair Meadows Remington Park Will Rogers Downs Oregon Portland Meadows Pennsylvania Ladbroke at the Meadows Penn National Race Course Philadelphia Park Pocono Downs Summerside Raceway Texas Gillespie County Fair & Festivals Association Inc. Lone Star Park Manor Downs Retama Park Sam Houston Race Park Virginia Colonial Downs Washington Emerald Downs West Virginia Charlestown Races Mountaineer Wyoming Wyoming Downs

[Man o' War]

Re: Man o' War's USA horse racing thread Philadelphia Park 13/09 Race 2 (post time 17:45)

DOUBLE DRIBBLE steps up in class for local return after winning as favorite in last two starts. BERENGARIA drops to claiming ranks after finishing second when going turf to dirt. IT'SCRYPTONIGHT chased the pace and tired this distance. Entrymate TIFFANY ROCK defeated cheaper as the favorite two back. Race 5 (post time 19:04) FULL STORM drops in class after closing to finish third and was claimed. AVOCADO returns to route after drawing off to an impressive victory last out. HELLO PRECIOUS returns to claiming ranks seeking third consecutive victory. Race 10 (post time 21:16) LOUIE'S TERRA closed to finish second by a neck at this level while going shorter. LAC VALENTINE show steady works for local and seasonal debut for new barn. MAINE INGREDIENT drew rail and drops in class after tiring badly and being claimed. Man o' War selections: Race 2: Double Dribble Race 5: Full Storm Race 10: Louie's Terra