A horse racing angle is a way to find a good bet.  As the name implies, it is a way of looking at a betting situation as well as an approach.  By approach I mean how you actually structure the wager and which handicapping factors it is based on.

For instance, one angle that has been around for a long time is the lone early speed in a race angle.  The obvious advantage the horse has is that it sets its own pace and isn’t rushed or hurried by the other runners.  Since an easy pace without any pressure suits any runner, then that one should have the best chance of winning providing it is fit.

Other angles are based on the same criteria.  Something the horse has that the others don’t have and the ability to exploit it.  Another angle is the big class drop.  Finding a runner who hasn’t raced at such a low level before can be a good spot play, providing that certain other criteria are met.

The big class drop should have raced within thirty days and have shown some life in a race within thirty days.  One of my favorite angles is a horse who raced within two lengths of the leader at one of the calls and then trailed off.  When that horse drops and meets less competition in the early stages of the race, it will often finish well.

The class drop angle works really well when a horse is going from the conditioned allowance ranks to claimers for the first time.  If you know your trainer angles you know that some trainers will place the horse in a race and at a level where it will be competitive.  Other trainers have a tendency to start out to high and slowly descend the claiming ladder looking for a spot for the horse to finally win.

That can backfire, however, and the horse can get injured or go lame before they find that golden spot.  Therefore, I suggest you stick with trainers who are realistic and put hem where they can win when moving from allowance races to claimers.  That is a great angle when it is a trainer that is competent.

Probably the best angle of all is the drop from maiden special weight races to maiden claiming.  Some trainers will race a horse in MSW races and tell the jockey not to push the horse.  It looks terrible because it failed to menace in the MSW ranks.  Then it is dropped into the claiming ranks and the jockey is given the green light.

This accomplishes two things, first of all, no one claims the horse because they figure it is a dud.  Secondly, it gets the odds up there where the trainer and owner can cash a nice ticket on their runner.  Some trainers are masters at this move and it pays to keep a list of them.