Horse racing is a lot of fun. For a two dollar minimum wager you have a stake in the outcome of the race and can cheer wildly as your horse is ridden to the finish line. But if you are going to the track for the first time, the amount of new information presented to you can be overwhelming.

At most thoroughbred race tracks you can buy a track program, but you will find out quickly that there is limited information in the program. A race horse has its past performance information is a newspaper publication called a racing form. In this paper, there is listed several of the horse’s most recent races. The information is given in reverse chronological order from the most recent race first. But the symbols have to be understood and learning these symbols can be like learning a foreign language. It can take several hours to learn this and even once you can read the information, it then must be interpreted.  There are many ways to interpret the data that is presented.

It isn’t strictly necessary to study and learn for hour after hour in order to bet on live horses. All you need do is buy a program and use the information contained inside. Most programs at the track are shaped like a pamphlet; being tall and narrow. They easily slide into the back pocket of a pair of jeans.

Each race of the day is contained on one page with the number of the horse, the name of the horse, and on the far right side, the name of the jockey riding the animal along with the morning line odds. These odds are important to making a selection. These odds are created by the track handicapper and are his opinion of what the final odds of each horse will be when betting is closed at the start of the race. They are not the odds of the horse winning, but the odds the track handicapper believes the betting public will make the horse.

In fields of eight or less, the winning horse will be among the three lowest odds horses eighty percent of the time. In fields of nine or more, it will be the four lowest odds horses. Circle these odds and focus on betting them. Take a peek at them in the paddock and post parade to see which one looks best.