Okay, so today I decided to dive into the world of handicapping horse racing. It always seemed so complicated, but I figured, why not give it a try? I’m no expert, so this is just my raw experience fumbling through it.
Getting Started
First, I grabbed a racing form. Man, it looked like a different language! So many numbers and abbreviations. I spent a good chunk of time just googling what all that stuff meant. PP’s, speed figures, class ratings… my head was spinning.
The Data Dump
Next, I tried to, you know, actually use the information. I picked a random race and started looking at the horses. I focused on a few things I’d read about:
- Past Performances (PPs): I looked at where each horse finished in their last few races. Did they win? Did they finish way back? How close? I tried make notes and write down my observations.
- Speed Figures: These numbers are supposed to show how fast a horse ran in previous races. Higher is better, right? I make a comparison between a horse’s speed figures and their competitors.
- Class: This shows you the level of race quality in each race, I guess there has different levels, so I tried to put my focus on this.
Making (Blind) Picks
Honestly, after staring at the form for like an hour, I still felt pretty lost. But I decided to make some picks anyway. I went with one horse that had good recent finishes, another with a high-speed figure, and another, that has a good class rating. I just picked, no any secience way to make this.
The Race and The Disappointment!
I watched the race online. It was kind of exciting, even though I had no idea what I was really watching for. And guess what? None of my horses won. Not even close! One of them was way in the back, so far back he was invisible.
My “Expert” Conclusion (LOL)
So, my first attempt at handicapping was a total bust. But, it was kind of fun! I definitely learned that it’s way more complicated than just picking a name you like. I need to spend a lot more time understanding what all those numbers mean and how they relate to each other. Maybe next time I’ll actually win a virtual bet…maybe.
