The Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse Sprinters

A Critical Look at the Science of Speed Handicapping

More than any other form of gambling, horse racing has a dream to fit every imagination. The dreams are so varied that they often have little in common except that they have horses at their center.

Often the way to understand more about something is to look at it from a different vantage point. In this book, we will look at horse racing from a number of different perspectives.

The more you know, the more you win. That is the allure of horse race handicapping. Like other forms of gambling, horse racing requires a basic knowledge of the rules to avoid random and foolish losses. But unlike other forms of gambling, knowledge not only minimizes mistakes, it actually alters the odds of winning. Throughout, we will consider quarter horse racing, which is seldom viewed from a handicapping perspective. We will consider it both as a way to investigate what goes on in the early stages of a Thoroughbred sprint and as a handicapping arena of its own. We will compare and contrast it with Thoroughbred racing, and new ideas for handicapping both breeds should emerge.

In horse racing, any realistic dream is a little more attainable. The realistic dreams are those in the middle of the spectrum. Pick-Six bets and picking a Kentucky Derby winner out of a pen of yearling's are off opposite ends of the scale. For serious handicappers and serious horse owners, racing provides attainable goals. Both are in search of speed. As we look at each factor, from the industry in general to the finest details of the mathematics of time, it will be for the purpose of finding what adds and detracts from speed.