| Date - May
2, 2009
Race Track – Church Hill Downs
Address/Location: 700 Central Avenue
Louisville, Ky. 40208-1200
(Approximately 4 miles from downtown, 3 miles from Louisville International Airport) |
Bet on Kentucky Derby 131 now |
Kentucky Derby
Thoroughbred Racing Tips & Key Terms:
1. Wager
on the favorite.
The favorite is the horse with the lowest
odds or the one on which the most money has
been wagered. Favorites win approximately
one third of the time. This is not
necessarily a sound wagering strategy as
favorites can pay very little.
2. Purchase a tip sheet or handicapping
aid.
These are prepared by professional
handicappers and may provide useful wagering
selections. They are available for purchase
from a couple of our past performance
partners.
3. View the horses.
Watch the broadcast signal while the horses
are in the paddock and in the Post Parade.
4. Trainers and jockeys.
It's always wise to take into account the
human factor. Some trainers do well with
2-year-olds while others are particularly
adept with horses shipping in from long
distances. Some jockeys seem to ride better
on the front end, and others are better
known for their come-from-behind style. A
good idea is to check the standings, which
show the leading trainers and jockeys at the
meeting.
5. Changes in equipment.
Blinkers are used on horses to limit their
vision and to prevent them from swerving
from objects or other horses. It's worth
noting changes in blinkers - a horse wearing
them for the first time (or for the first
time in a number of starts) or racing
without them for the first time. Mud calks
are used for off tracks. Calks, pointed
extensions or cleats on a horseshoe, are
designed to prevent a horse from slipping.
Certain other equipment worn by the horses
is noted in the past performances.
6. Trip.
It is important for a bettor to watch his
horse during the running of the race and
again on the replays after the race to
observe what kind of trip he had. Was the
horse squeezed back at the start, or carried
wide on the turn, or blocked at the quarter
pole? A horse who loses a race because of a
troubled trip might be a good bet in his
next start. Usually trouble encountered by a
horse in a race is shown in the past
performance lines.
7. Weight.
Weight, the old saying goes, will stop a
freight train, so it's especially important
to notice when horses are carrying
considerably more weight than they did in
their last start. Conversely, it's just as
significant to watch for horses that are
carrying much less weight than they did in
their last outing. One theory is that weight
plays a bigger role in long races, but
another line of reason is that weight is
every bit as important in sprints.
8. Condition.
Condition may be the most difficult
handicapping factor to master. It is defined
as the fitness of a thoroughbred - how
prepared he is to run a particular race. The
dates of the horse's most recent workouts
and races and the probable effects of this
activity on his current condition are highly
important. If a horse is racing for the
first time in a month or so, a steady
pattern of workouts is a good indication of
fitness. A good time for a workout generally
is when a horse covers the distance in 12
seconds or less for each furlong - 36
seconds or less for three furlongs, 48
seconds or less for four furlongs, etc. A
"short" horse is one not trained up to the
last ounce of his energy and thus not fit
enough for the race he's running in. He'll
tire, and his stride will shorten before the
end of the race.
9. Derby Future Horse Betting.
The Kentucky Derby Future bet is a $2
minimum wager and is a win bet only. It
offers racing fans the opportunity to wager
on contenders for the Kentucky Derby well in
advance of the race at odds that could be
better than those they would receive on the
day of the race.
Kentucky Derby Horse Racing Glossary Key
Terms.
Entry - A horse entered in a race is
called an entry. And on rare occasions, two
or more horses are said to be "coupled" and
run as an "entry," comprising a single
wagering unit. A wager on one horse of an
entry is a wager on both.
Furlong - One-eighth of a mile or 220
yards. Races are measured in furlongs.
Morning Line - Approximate odds
printed in the program and posted before
wagering begins. This is a forecast of how
the morning linemaker believes wagering will
occur In a particular race.
Post position - A horse's position in
the starting gate, numbered from the inner
rail outward.
Purse - The amount of prize money
distributed to the owners of the first five
or six finishers in a race (varies by
state).
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