Geek Out: Mining Derby Data
Part of the fun of handicapping the Kentucky Derby is the awesome potential for geeking out on stats, which just might lead you to the winner.
Read moreTag Archives: Handicapping
2017 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2017 Belmont Stakes field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read moreBeware the New Shooters?
Looking at how fresh horses have done in the Preakness over the last twenty two years.
Read more2017 Preakness Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2017 Preakness field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2016 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2016 Belmont Stakes field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2016 Preakness Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2016 Preakness field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2016 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
How will the Kentucky Derby unfold? We take a look at the 2016 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles.
Read more2016 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2016 Kentucky Derby field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Classic field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2015 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2015 Belmont Stakes field? If not, share this thumbnail of the entrants with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2015 Preakness Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2015 Preakness field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2015 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2015 Kentucky Derby field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2015 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
Taking a look at the 2015 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles.
Read more2014 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2014 Belmont Stakes field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2014 Preakness Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2014 Preakness field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2014 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
Taking a look at the 2014 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles.
Read more2014 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2014 Kentucky Derby field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read moreThe Major Prep Factor
Discover which prep races have produced the most Kentucky Derby winners and what that means for this year’s contenders.
Read moreYou Better Work!
The data recorded for workouts is only part of the story, find out how you can avail yourself of even more information.
Read moreJuvenile Handicapping: First-time Starters
Getting a handle on juvenile races can be difficult. But fear not, we’ve assembled a group of juvenile-race-loving handicappers to help you get started!
Read more2013 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2013 Belmont Stakes field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2013 Preakness Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2013 Preakness field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2013 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
Taking a look at the 2013 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles.
Read more2013 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2013 Kentucky Derby field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read moreUnderstanding Race Calls
We’ve compiled a list potentially confusing phrases or words frequently used in race calls.
Read moreGuide to One and Two Turn Track Configurations
Nuance and overlooked angles are the lifeblood of handicappers: we crave an edge and will work hard to find a little something that others may have overlooked. One such nuance is track configuration.
Read moreAll Signs Point North
While Man O’War and Secretariat are legendary names in American horse racing history, arguably no horse has shaped the sport worldwide more than Northern Dancer.
Read moreThe Art of Contest Handicapping
2012 National Handicapping Champion Michael Beychok shares his road map to tournament glory.
Read moreThe Test of Champions 2012
Who has the pedigree to win the 2012 Belmont Stakes? And, perhaps more importantly, who does not?
Read more2012 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2012 Belmont Stakes field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2012 Preakness Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2012 Preakness field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read more2012 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
Taking a look at the 2012 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles.
Read more2012 Kentucky Derby Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on the 2012 Kentucky Derby field? If not, share this thumbnail of the field with your friends and family who don’t follow racing as closely as you do!
Read moreGoing the Derby Distance 2012
Who has the pedigree to win the 2012 Kentucky Derby? And perhaps more importantly, who does not?
Read moreIntroduction to Pace
How will the race unfold? is the first question of pace, but Who will it benefit? is the answer you’re trying to get to.
Read moreUpdates and Gallop Outs
Theyskens’ Theory gets a U.S. trainer, discussion of the gallop out and video of Havre de Grace’s most recent work.
Read moreHandicapping Process
Are you curious about how other players handicap? Do wonder what angles and tools they use most or what questions they ask themselves? We’ve assembled a canny group of cappers to discuss their approach to handicapping, and they don’t hold back!
Read moreFirst-Time Starters and Juvenile Pedigrees
2-year-olds are not only fun to watch, they can present an excellent opportunity to make money for the astute handicapper.
Read more2011 Belmont Stakes Card Picks
Our picks for the 2011 Belmont Stakes card.
Read moreThe Test of Champions
Who has the pedigree to win the 2011 Belmont Stakes? And, perhaps more importantly, who does not?
Read more2011 Belmont Stakes Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on this year’s Belmont Stakes field? Look no further…
Read more2011 Preakness Card Picks
Our picks for the 2011 Preakness card.
Read morePreakness 2011 Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on this year’s Preakness field? Look no further…
Read moreKentucky Derby 2011 Cheat Sheet
Need to quickly get up to speed on this year’s Kentucky Derby field? Look no further…
Read more2011 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
Taking a look at the 2011 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles.
Read moreGoing the Derby Distance 2011
Who has the pedigree to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby? And, perhaps more importantly, who does not? We had the exacta last year!
Read moreIntroduction to Speed
It’s not how fast have they run; it’s how fast can they run. Being able to determine what factors made a horse fast in the past will put you in a position make the most of your wagers.
Read moreIntroduction to Class
Being able to spot whether a horse out-classes its rivals or is out-classed, whether it’s on the improve or falling down the ranks, will help lead you to the best bets and steer you away from the worst.
Read moreHandicappers Elsewhere
Looking for validation, guidance or just to see if you covered every angle? Sometimes your local public handicapper can come in handy.
Read moreThe Sports Fan Mentality
You’re going to end up liking and disliking horses, jockeys and trainers, but be wary of how that affects your handicapping and wagering
Read moreDIY Figs Q&A with Derek Simon
Are you a data weenie or a number cruncher? Are you mathematically inclined and/or just plain old interested in making your figs? You’re not alone.
Read moreSpeed Rations
Knowing who’s the fastest horse is helpful, but knowing who stands to benefit from the impending pace scenario can be even more helpful! Special guest Derek Simon shows you how with his very own pace figs.
Read moreGetting up to Speed on Beyers
What are Beyer Speed Figures good for other than determining who might be the fastest horse? Quite a bit as it turns out! Find what our panelists have to say about BSFs as Figs Gone Wild Month rages on.
Read moreFiguring Out Figs
Whether it’s to help you identify who will end up favored or to better understand a horse’s performance, performance and speed figures are everywhere so you might as well understand them.
Read moreHow to Handicap
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with past performances, a great way to get started is to just start asking, and trying to answer, questions.
Read moreAll-Weather Sires
All-weather racetracks are a relatively new phenomenon, having only been in existence for just over five years. While much more study needs to be undertaken, we’ve identified ten sires whose offspring have done well on all-weather surfaces so far.
Read moreWatching Race Replays
When it comes to uncovering hidden potential or ramping up on a new circuit, race replays are an excellent source of information.
Read moreIntro to Turf Pedigrees
An in-depth look at American turf pedigrees, including top sires, up and coming sires as well as freshman sires to watch in 2016.
Read moreHandicapping Contest: Monmouth
We hope you’ve been putting your handicapping and wagering strategy to good use, because we’re having our first handicapping contest! The prize? $100 credit at BRIS!
Read moreI Love a Parade
How a horse looks on paper is one thing, but when the gates open are they ready to go? The post parade and warm-up can provide insight.
Read moreFractionally Speaking
Time only matters in prison, as the old racetrack saying goes, but time can also tell a story about how a race was run.
Read moreRooting vs. Wagering
The gambler’s head does not always jive with the racing fan’s heart. It’s good to recognize that rooting for and gambling on horses can sometimes be two different things.
Read more2010 Kentucky Derby Running Styles
Taking a look at the 2010 Kentucky Derby field entrant’s running styles in relation to their post positions.
Read moreGoing the Derby Distance 2010
Who Has the Pedigree to Win the 2010 Kentucky Derby?
Read morePedigree Basics: Terminology
Want to get started with pedigrees but don’t know how? We’ll get you familiar with the lingo and answer some basic questions to help you get started!
Read moreTop 5 Handicapping Books
Picking Winners? Betting Thoroughbreds? Exotic Betting? Find out how they stacked up what the voters have to say about each!
Read moreOverview of the Racing Season
You mean there’s more than the Kentucky Derby? Find out about how the season unfolds and when you should be paying attention.
Read moreHow to Watch a Race
While watching a race may seem like a no-brainer, there’s a definite skill involved to ensure that you’re seeing as much of the race as possible.
Read moreOverview of Conditions
Maidens? Allowance? Claiming? Are you sure we’re talking about horse racing? Indeed we are!
Read moreOverview of Surfaces
Not that unlike tennis, there are three surface types for thoroughbred horse racing.
Read moreOverview of the Past Performance
Don’t know a point of call from a post position? We’ll help you make a little sense of the past performance.
Read more