As if the charm of the Kentucky Derby wasn’t enough to boost Prove it or lose it’s charm, the race track has added a new thrill to its long-running event: betting. Betting has been part of the game since the first gambling was done, and, while Las Vegas still has the heavyweights to boast of, Kentucky has turned the tables and put the boot into their collective mouths. Now, betting on horses is second only to gambling in terms of revenue in the state, according to the Horse Racing Industry Association. And why not? It’s easy to beat the odds at Kentucky.
First, horses run a much faster pace than people. On flat tracks, they coast along at top speed all day, taking full advantage of every turn and change of direction. But on a track with three turns (including one that has a three-turn turnaround) and the fences placed closer together, horses run slower and don’t take advantage of the natural tendencies to dart out and around the curves. When they do, they have a better chance of winning the race.
So you’ve always believed that you’ve always been ku11 the horse that would win, but that just isn’t so. Betting on more than one horse has become very popular in Kentucky. If you’ve ever walked away from a race track with a little more than you came in with, then you’ve seen this phenomena first hand. It happens all the time. I’ve often walked away from the track with more money than I came in with, and I’ve often made more on my bets when I beted on the winner. In fact, sometimes the runner who seemed to be the “leader” would actually trail by a little, whereas the horse that seemed to be “settling in,” would usually settle in first.
So how do you determine what’s the leader? One way is to look at the top three finishers in each race. If one of those horses is always the leader, then you’re probably betting the horse that is always the leader. If, however, there’s another horse in third place or somewhere close, and that other horse doesn’t seem to be going too well, it might be a good bet to back. Again, though, you’re probably going to lose money on the first horse if you choose incorrectly.
Betting on multiple races is another matter. I think of betting as “rate betting.” That is, if you are already betting on one race, you may feel that you’ve “settled in” on that race and that, with a little luck, that second race will be your lucky day. In that case, go for it and put up the wager.
How can you use your intuition to improve your betting at Ku1? By watching the races closely and being aware of the horse that seems to be “settling in.” But don’t get greedy. If you’ve always picked the favorite, maybe it’s time to switch up and give another horse a chance.