Contenders in horse racing are runners that have a chance of winning the race and beating the best horse in the race. The way to find contenders is to first locate the best horse in the race and then compare all other runners to that horse. If you locate the best horse it will usually also be the favorite, after all, the betting public and backside crowd know a good thing when they see it.
But once in a while, you may handicap a horse race and find a horse that you think is better than the horse likely to be the favorite. If you are a good handicapper, then this is an excellent situation, but if your horse picking is suspect, you better check again to see why so many others don’t share your opinion.
Here is a list of some horse racing handicapping factors to use to pick likely contenders (this is not an all inclusive list and subject to speculation).
1. Speed: In order to be competitive, the horse must show it can post a speed figure within a point or two of the favorite.
2. Class: Has this runner ever faced horses close to this class level and run within 2 lengths of the leader at 2 calls?
3. Connections: Do the people who train, own, and ride this horse win enough to be taken seriously?
4. Recency: Has the horse shown a good race in the last 30 days? or a very good workout in the last week?
5: Conditions: Has the horse shown that it can race on the surface and at the distance it is going today?
While these may seem like very elementary factors, it is amazing how often people overlook them and lay serious money on an animal that is a big question mark.
Always consider who the contenders are in the race and then look for value in the contenders. In a race where you can’t find a few legitimate contenders I advise that you pass it by and wait for a good bet.
Author: Bill Peterson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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