Harness Horse Racing Articles | Horse Betting

By: Richard Bleuze

Here are some simple tips which may be helpful to you in harness racing:

1. The Driver. Drivers, much as other athletes, possess varying amounts of ability, and even the good ones have slumps. Fortunately, race tracks keep records of how a driver performs. Next to his or her name, you'll find statistics about their performance at the given track.

2. Consistency. Consistency is perhaps the most outstanding characteristic of the standardbred horse. Good horses are able to perform well, week after week. Most racing programs will show records of these performances.

3. Class. Harness horses tend to race against other horses of comparable ability. Race types fall into various "classes," such as: conditioned races, claiming races, or "feature" events. The best way to judge whether a horse is moving "up" or "down" in class is to compare the purse of the race in question with the present race's purse. Within a given track's class structure, the purse is often a useful barometer; however, comparing purses from one track to another is a less reliable guide. Horses dropping in class are generally a good bet -- if they meet other handicapping criteria. An edge in class is worth one or two handicapping points, as horses dropping in class are meeting softer competition.  Horses moving up, however, may still rate consideration if they have been winning impressively or posting fast times while facing horses in a lower class. Younger horses who have made only a few starts also may move in class readily, as their true class might not yet be established.

4. Post Position. Generally speaking, the inside post positions (numbers one through four) are an advantage, especially on half-mile tracks. Horses who do not have good post position risk the possibility of being "parked out" and losing considerable ground while racing on the turns. The inside post position bias is most pronounced on half-mile tracks, where there is a short distance between the start and first turn. 

5. Time. An important handicapping concept to understand is that the final time posted by a horse is not as important as his individual quarter-mile times.   A horse that has raced on the lead or outside in a challenging position, or closed strongly in a fast quarter should get extra points in handicapping. Although fractional times are more important than final time, it is a fact that some horses are just faster than others. It is important to check how fast horses have been clocked in recent races.  .

6. Form. Like any other athlete, a harness horse's performances cross peaks and valleys, but most every race winner has shown that he's been racing at or near top "form." In the most recent races listed for each horse in the racing program, the running positions (where the horse was in a race: 1st, 6th, etc.) are the indicators of form. Horses tend to fall into two broad categories: those that race on or near the lead, and those that race farther back and come on strongly at the finish. Front-running horses displaying good form show that they can hold the lead all the way, while the latter type horses show come-from-behind rushes to either win or just miss. Changes in form can be spotted by comparing race lines week to week. Once a front-runner's past performance lines start to show he can't hold the lead all the way, he's going "off form." But when each line shows he's getting closer to going "wire-to-wire," he's coming back into form...and is worth a bet. Sometimes, though, what appears to be a downward swing in form may not be that at all. A dull-appearing performance may be the result of an "off" track (sloppy, muddy, etc.), interference, show fractional times, or simply of having raced against horses of superior class. Horses must also race frequently to keep their form, and they compete on an average of every six to ten days. Long layoffs are almost always a bad sign.