Beginners Corner
Whether you’re new to Hello Race Fans or new to racing, this is a great place to start!
If you’re curious about racing or would just like to get acquainted with concepts before going to the track for the first time, try the “Find Information by Activity” section.
If you’d like to learn more about handicapping and wagering, try the “Find Information by Topic” section. You’ll also find links to our racing history articles as well as reference material.
Have fun and see you at the track!
Maybe you've seen racing on TV or know someone that's into it and you've been curious to find out more. These posts should give you a good overview!
Getting ready to go the track? We're jealous! Here's some information to help you get the most out of your visit.
Take in a few pointers and then venture to the By Topic section below for specific posts on handicapping & wagering.
Between the amount of available data and variety of ways it can be interpreted, you can count handicapping the races as a life long learning opportunity. For those about to handicap, we salute you!
- Basics:
- How to Watch a Race
- Overview of the Past Performance
- Overview of Conditions
- How to Handicap
- A Discussion about Handicapping Process
- Pedigree Basics: Terminology
- Figuring Out Figs
- Introduction to Class
- Introduction to Speed
- Introduction to Pace
- Next Steps:
- I Love a Parade
- Watching Race Replays
- Guide to One and Two Turn Track configurations
- You Better Work!
- Intro to Turf Pedigrees
- All-Weather Sires
- First-Time Starters and Juvenile Pedigrees
- A Discussion on Handicapping Juvenile Debuts
- Fractionally Speaking
- Handicapping Process
- Notification Services
- Getting up to Speed on Beyers
- Handicappers Elsewhere
- Top 5 Favorite Handicapping Books
- Racing Seasons by Division
Handicapping is only half of the battle, figuring how to play your conclusions can be just as difficult, if not more so. Whether it's learning more about ticket construction or determining what constitutes value, we'll help you figure it out.
- Basics:
- Overview of Wagering
- Types of Wagers & Pools
- How and Where to Make a Wager
- What's the Morning Line? (video)
- How to Read the Toteboard
- Cost of Wagers & Approximate Payouts
Connect with racing by learning about its past, whether it's the races that tell the story of the game or the horses who set the benchmarks for contemporary performances. Racing has a million stories, and they're all interesting.