While there is no substitute for a good handicap in horse racing, there are other ways to find good bets on the race track. The whole process of being a successful gamer or winning rider comes down to one thing: you have to be a good detective. A good detective, or a good handicap, must be observant.
Much has been written, partly by me, about observing horses before a race to gain valuable clues about a horse’s preparation and physical condition. Visual impairment, as it is called, is a valuable tool, but it is probably not a stand-alone method of disability for most of us. The same goes for spying on jockers before a race, most of the time.
Tips from riders are not usually worth much, but I do remember a time when a rider tipped me without realizing it was worth it. I was looking at the horses in the Tampa Bay Downs meadow and the riders mounted their horses. As they did so, I noticed a jockey giving a quick two-finger signal to someone by the railing. It all took a second and I’m sure the crowd missed it, everyone but me, of course.
I followed the jockey’s friend to the rostrum and, sure enough, he got in line and placed a bet. I also placed a bet on both of them (not the signal rider’s horse, by the way) and cashed in a very good mutual ticket. It was a nice little adventure, but hardly the kind of thing you can make a living with.
However, if you observe riders, your body language can tell you how relaxed, confident, nervous, or disinterested they are. A jockey who thinks he has no chance of winning a race is usually not very excited before a race. That rider you see with his legs dangling down, his feet out of the stirrups as the horse crawls through the subsequent parade is not going to win the race.
However, if you check the odds board, you will see that some people are still betting the horse. Those who bet on that horse are not visually impaired. On the other hand, if you see a rider in the stirrups talking to the horse, the horse’s ears are tilted back to hear the rider, you can bet there is communication there and he means well.
The next time you’re on a race track, get a close look at the riders in the parade after and in the ring. Watch them as they stand up and talk to the trainer, see how they ride the horse and what kind of communication they have with the runner. You may find some winners that you may have missed.