POPULAR ARTICLES
VIDEOS
LATEST
What is betting "across the board," and is it a smart strategy?
Like any sport, horse racing comes with its fair share of specialized lingo. One confusing phrase you’re bound to encounter is “across the board.”
Analysis
Mucciolo: Breeders' Cup reflections; the good, bad, and ugly
I survived yet another Breeders’ Cup weekend, and I once again came out on the positive side of the ledger, albeit by a small amount. The World Thoroughbred Championships have been good to me on more occasions than not over the years, but I did leave it very late this season to find a signature win. Here are a few of my experiences from the grand weekend of racing:
Breeders Cup
Trends, angles to note for 2021 Breeders' Cup turf races
To borrow an observation from the iconic jockey Frankie Dettori, the Europe-versus-America dynamic in the Breeders’ Cup is reminiscent of golf’s Ryder Cup. While the parallel extends to American success in a few of the turf races, others have been more evenly matched, and Europeans remain historically dominant in the 1 1/2-mile Turf (G1).
Breeders Cup
Exploring jockey stats and win percentages
While horses are naturally the most important factor in handicapping any horse race, many bettors look toward jockey statistics to strengthen their opinions and separate top contenders.
Analysis
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Rattle N Roll
When Rattle N Roll joined the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), racing fans were left to ponder if he's bred to handle the Kentucky Derby’s 1 1/4-mile distance.
Horse
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Jack Christopher
Does Champagne S. (G1) winner Jack Christopher have the pedigree to handle the testing 1 1/4-mile distance of the Kentucky Derby?
Horse
Pedigree profile: Corniche
Based off Corniche's victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), it seems two of the speediest horses of the 2010s have combined to produce one of the speediest Kentucky Derby contenders of the 2020s.
Horse
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Major General
The first horse to strike on the 2021-2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby was Major General, who displayed an affinity for Churchill Downs and battled to a tenacious victory in the Iroquois S. (G3).
Horse
Ten horses to watch for in the second half of 2021
John Mucciolo offers his analysis of the ten horses you need to keep an eye on for the second half of 2021.
Analysis
Scully: Analyzing new shooters in the Belmont Stakes
Commonly referred to as new shooters, horses making their first start of the Triple Crown in the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes have held their own in recent years.
Belmont Stakes
Pedigree Profile: Ram
From claimer to Triple Crown contender, Ram has made great progress. The improving chestnut sold for $375,000 as a yearling, at least in part because he’s bred to be a high-class prospect.
Horse
Pedigree profile: Unbridled Honor
Unbridled Honor isn’t the most accomplished three-year-old in training—at least, not yet. But he’s made steady progress and might eventually grow into the top-class pedigree he brings to the table.
Horse
Analyzing 30 years of Kentucky Derby pace fractions
Once upon a time, the Kentucky Derby was a race in which any running style could regularly succeed. But times have changed.
Kentucky Derby
Horse racing: Finding an edge in claiming conditions
Spotting changes in claiming-race conditions can lead to profitable wagers.
Analysis
Exclusive: Money Management for Winners by Frank Scantoni
Effective money management is crucial to long-term success. If you want to conquer the gambling world, you need to have the proper money-management skills to protect your bankroll but also help it grow year in and year out.
Analysis
Betting Regional Class Advantages, Part 2
In a recent article here on TwinSpires, we discussed how regional class advantages can exist throughout the sport of horse racing and produce to profitable wagering opportunities.
Analysis
Betting Regional Class Advantages, Part 1
While the old saying “a good horse can come from anywhere” is certainly true, it’s also true that good horses are more likely to come from some places than others.
A great example comes from California, where a greater emphasis is placed on dirt r ...
Analysis
Betting Races on Soft Turf, Part 1: Why Europeans Can Have an Edge
Relatively speaking, racehorses in North America don’t get many opportunities to run on truly soft, rain-inundated turf courses. When heavy rains strike, turf races are frequently transferred to the dirt track in order to preserve the grass.
But i ...
International
Should You Bet Horses Returning on Short Rest?
Although there has been a tendency in recent years for trainers to give their horses more and more time between races, there are some trainers still willing to run their horses back in a week or less, and when you can identify a trainer who’s skille ...
Analysis
Exploring the Advantages of First-Time Lasix
If you’ve followed horse racing for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard phrases like “first-time Lasix” or “racing without Lasix.” But what does it all mean?
For the most part, racehorses in North America are treated with Lasix a few hours p ...
Analysis
Deciphering Track Biases, Part 2
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could predict when track biases will appear and wager accordingly, yielding impressive profits while simultaneous gaining some bragging rights?
Perhaps it sounds far-fetched, but truthfully, it’s not as hard as it sounds. ...
Analysis
Deciphering Track Biases, Part 1
Track biases… is there a more mysterious aspect of handicapping horse races? Maybe, but I'm not sure what it would be.
In essence, track biases are simple enough. Their name says it all—some tracks can be biased toward horses racing on the lead, o ...
Analysis
Maiden Special Weight to Maiden Claiming: A Classic Class Drop
In the sport of horse racing, you’ll often hear handicappers refer to horses that are “dropping in class.”
The definition of dropping in class is simple—it means that a given horse is going to be facing easier competition than in his previous star ...
Analysis
Betting First-Time Starters in Maiden Claiming Races
Once in a while, handicappers will come across a maiden race filled with horses that seemingly lack the desire or inclination to win.
This can be particularly evident in maiden claiming races, the lowest category of races for horses that have neve ...
Analysis
Using Trainer Angles in Handicapping, Part 2
The history of horse racing is filled with rags-to-riches stories of horses rising from humble beginnings to enjoy success at the highest levels of the sport.
Legendary Hall of Fame inductees such as Lava Man and Stymie have taken the “claim-to-fa ...
Analysis
Arrogate setting a track record in the Travers Stakes (gr. I) - Susie Raisher/Coglianese Photography
How Fast Finishes Can Identify Future Stars
How can you tell when a young, lightly-raced horse has the talent to step up in class and become a winner at the highest levels of the sport?
There are many ways to judge the merits of a young racehorse, but one factor I’ve routinely found valuabl ...
Analysis
How Pace Makes the Race: Part 2
In an article on Bet America last week , I discussed how the 2013 Triple Crown series is a perfect example of how pace can make a race.
When Orb produced a huge late rally to win the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), he looked like a star in the making, ...
Analysis
How Pace Makes the Race: Part 1
Pace makes the race. It’s an indisputable fact of Thoroughbred horse racing that the pace at which a given race unfolds can have an effect on the outcome.
A slow pace can favor front-runners, allowing them to finish strongly and hold off late runn ...
Analysis