KNOW WHEN TO BET AND WHEN TO NOT BET
While all horseplayers have their angles or special plays, they all need to learn the most important parts of horse racing for the horse player are DISCIPLINE and MONEY MANAGEMENT.
Without a doubt, DISCIPLINE and MONEY MANAGEMENT are the biggest reasons for winning or losing on the day. This issue is not just for the horseplayer who tries to make a living out of gambling, but it also pertains to the weekend player who goes monthly to the races.
DISCIPLINE and MONEY MANAGEMENT:
Can you skip races when you are at the track? In other words, can you recognize that you have a better opinion on some races than others? If so, are you thinking about the amount you wager on each race? Do you play ten dollars a race? However, if you play the same amount each race but have stronger opinions in three races, should you not bet more money in those three races?
A Horseplayer cannot afford to not make money on the races in which there is a strong opinion. AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT PICKING WINNERS IN MULTIPLE RACES IS DIFFICULT!
Therefore, the horseplayer needs to hammer the races that can be combined for value, but skip wide-open races.
WIDE-OPEN RACES:
Two places that a horseplayer will encounter wide-open fields are Race 5 on the NYRA circuit - it is usually a 6 Furlong Maiden Special Weight on the dirt or even worse a 5.5 Furlong Maiden Special Weight on the turf. This race is wide-open because there is no consistency to examine other than morning workouts as well as these horses can improve greatly off their initial performances. The other place is the last race on the card usually a Maiden Turf race of some variety and most times going two turns.
HOW TO USE DISCIPLINE and MONEY MANAGEMENT:
Example 1:
August 29th at SARATOGA, I had a strong feeling on the 2 horse, BREAKING THE RULES, in race 3, but I never placed a win bet on the horse because I prefer to play PICK 3'S, PICK 4'S, AND PICK 5'S. However, my rule is stick with the horizontal wagers and only make win bets on horses returning more than $10.00 on a $2.00 win bet.
In the 4th race, I had a strong opinion about the two Pletcher horses 2 PERFECT MUNNINGS and 6 BLEWITT. While I had a strong opinion on the 2 PERFECT MUNNINGS, I like horses cutting back to 7 furlongs at Saratoga, AND 6 BLEWITT fit the bill. However, my strong opinion was proven correct when the 2 PERFECT MUNNINGS wins.
I should have played the double hard - my mistake- instead I played multiple the PICK 3 tickets in race 3 having played the 2BREAKING THE RULES WITH 2 PERFECT MUNNINGS and 6 BLEWITT WITH 2 MOMMASGOTTARUN 3X (a second time starter for Tom Amoss who finished second in her only race), 5 OH MRS MAISEL , 7 A MO REAY, AND 10 HIGHLY DISTINCTIVE.
Again, this race had 11 horses entered and only two were not making their debut 2 MOMMASGOTTARUN and 3 GERRYMANDERING. Therefore, the race fit the definition of a wide-open race.
Unfortunately, the longer half of the Chad Brown entry, 3 GERRYMANDERING (370K yearling), wins the race at 10-1. Again, I have been playing against Chad Brown on the dirt all meet and that had produced many winning tickets; however, this time I covered Brown's 670k yearling 10 HIGHLY DISTINCTIVE in my plays but missed the longer half -- an angle I like to play, but the angle has not been hitting as often as it used to on the NYRA circuit.
USING BETTER Money Management and DISCIPLINE:
THE BETTER PLAY THAN THE PICK 3 WAS THE DOUBLE FOR RACES 3 AND 4:
The 2 BREAKING THE RULES WITH 2 PERFECT MUNNINGS returned $17.30 for a $1.00 bet.
The Play should have been a $20.00 double 2 with 2 which would have returned 20 x 17.30 = $346.00
Example 2:
Again, races 7-10 on the August 29th Saratoga card, I play a Pick 4 ticket for $36.00.
In race 7, I had a strong opinion on 5 MONTAUK DADDY and 12 CHARLIE FIVE O, but added , 7 DETERMINED FURY for insurance. They run 1-2-3 to hit the TRIFECTA - which I do not play, so no loss for me. I do not play TRIFECTAS.
In race 8, 2 BEAU LIAM is the standout and I should have just singled, but I wanted insurance and played 4 NIGHT TIME with Saez in the saddle -- again looking for value when the logical horse is the 2 BEAU LIAM. I doubled the price of my ticket while the 4 NIGHT TIME offered value the 2 BEAU LIAM was a single. I should have at least played 2 BEAU LIAM on another ticket for twice as much as the 4 NIGHT TIME. The horses run 1-2 to complete the EXACTA, which I do not play.
In race 9, Chad Brown's 8 SIFTING SANDS (GB) won earlier in the meet at odds over 20-1, but today 8 SIFTING SANDS (GB) WAS CLOSER TO 8-1 and was included in my pick 4 ticket along with 2 DR. JACK and 7 STRAW INTO GOLD. I had a strong opinion on these horses as WIN candidates.
In race 10, it was wide-open, so playing four horses gave me coverage, but I only really liked 11 LORD FLINTSHIRE. Yet, I added 2 MOLINO, 7 JARREAU, and 8 MADE MY DAY (IRE).
BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE! When the 6 CHULIANN wins the race and 11 LORD FLINTSHIRE runs for second.
UGH! I had three solid opinions, but played a four race ticket.
USING BETTER Money Management and DISCIPLINE:
THE BETTER PLAY THAN THE PICK 4 WAS THE PICK 3 FOR RACES 7-9:
The Play should have been a 5 MONTAUK DADDY and 12 CHARLIE FIVE O WITH 2 BEAU LIAM WITH
2 DR. JACK and 7 STRAW INTO GOLD, 8 SIFTING SAND (GB) - A $6.00 PICK 3 ticket that returned $80.00 for a buck, but it could have been played 5x for $30.00 which would have returned 5 x $80 = $400.
CONCLUSION:
Using DISCIPLINE and better MONEY MANAGMENT, the alternative plays that included only betting the strong opinions would have netted $760.00 for less than the investments made in race 3 and in race 7 on the card.
All and all, I liked five races on the card, and I did not bet them the way I should have, In each instance, I ADDED A WIDE-OPEN RACE -- AND IT COST ME. It turned a winning into a losing day.
However, I am not saying not to play the multiple place wagers, but to do so when you have stronger opinions and when their are horses with more consistency such as Travers' day:
Sounds easy! However, horseplayers need to make money when they are right. They cannot walkaway with no profit when they have a strong opinion. And skipping a wide-open race to have more bankroll for a race with better insight will make for a profitable day. Take it from a fellow horseplayer who is still struggling to learn this lesson!
