For the beginner, thoroughbred horse racing can be quite confusing at first. First, you must learn about the different types of races in a typical race meeting.
The types are listed as follows: Maiden, Claiming, Allowance, Handicap and Stakes. These categories are designed to make the races more evenly competitive.
Maiden
Maiden races are for horses who have never won and can be the most difficult to handicap due to their short race histories. These horses are generally very young and erratic in these races. Many handicappers go to the family tree method to try and choose a winner here.
Claiming
Claiming races are the most common and horses will compete at different claiming amounts depending on their class. These horses may be claimed before the beginning of these races.
Allowance
Allowance races are for horses which race infrequently and cannot be claimed.
Handicap
The handicap races are usually high class races where horses of varying ages compete against each other and are given weight handicaps depending on the age of the horse. The older stronger horses are given the heavier weights to make this a more even match.
Stakes
Stakes races are for the highest class of horses and have very high purses. These are annual races such as the Kentucky Derby, Preakness or Belmont Stakes.
Each of the above mentioned types of races can be run at different distances. A race run at 7 furlongs or less is commonly known as a sprint. Races of a mile or more are known as routes.
By learning the types of races, you can see how they will group horses in a race in order to make the races more even. This should give you a feel for some of the thoroughbred horse racing basics that can help you become a better handicapper.
0 comments:
Post a Comment