HORSE RACING
I’ll Have Another Makes History In Kentucky Derby Win
Added on May 05, 2012 by Jack Thurman in
Heading up to the Kentucky Derby sharp horse players had their eye on I’ll Have Another. One turf writer quipped that I’ll Have Another Was the ‘Rodney Dangerfield of thoroughbreds’ in that like his comedic predecessor he received ‘no respect’. That wouldn’t change when he arrived at Churchill Downs–at that point he received a brutal post draw, starting in the #19 position. Given the fact that no horse starting in the #19 slot had *ever* won the ‘Run For The
Hunter S. Thompson’s Kentucky Derby Classic Re-Released
Added on May 01, 2012 by Jack Thurman in
The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place this Saturday, May 5th, at the venerable Churchill Downs race track in Louisville, Kentucky. Just in time for ‘The Run For The Roses’, a literary classic from Louisville native Hunter
Uncle Mo Ready To Resume Training
Added on Jul 04, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
2010 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Uncle Mo–who was the early favorite for the Kentucky Derby before a late scratch from the race–is ready to resume training. After a disappointing third place finish in the Wood Memorial he received a full
Dialed In To Have Knee Surgery
Added on Jun 24, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
Bad news today for the connections of Kentucky Derby beaten favorite Dialed In. According to trainer Nick Zito, Dialed In will have knee surgery next week and will be out of training for an undetermined amount of time. The prevailing
Tornado Strikes Churchill Downs
Added on Jun 24, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
All racing and training at Louisville’s iconic Churchill Downs was cancelled on Thursday after a tornado struck the facility on Wednesday night. The most extensive damage was to barns where horses are kept, but the rest of the track suffered
Preakness Winner Shackleford Expected To Run In Belmont Stakes
Added on May 23, 2011 by Jack Thurman in
Though the conventional wisdom on Preakness Stakes winner Shackleford is that he’s better suited to shorter distances, it looks like he’ll brave the 1 1/2 mile course at Belmont Park and run in the third leg of the Triple Crown.
Overview of Horse Betting
Thoroughbred horse racing is one of the oldest sports in existence, dating back to the chariot races of ancient Rome. The first horse racing track in the United States was opened in 1665, and the sport flourished until the early part of the 20th century. In the early 1900’s, a growing anti-gambling sentiment slowed the growth of horse racing. This setback was short lived, however, and with the advent of parimutual wagering in 1908 the sport began to grow anew. From that point until World War II horse racing was arguably the most popular sport in America, rivaled only by baseball. In the 1950’s and 60’s, its popularity slipped somewhat in the face of the myriad sports options presented by the new medium of television. Despite many challenges, horse racing still attracts a devoted audience of betting enthusiasts.
Part of horse racing’s historical popularity as a betting sport has been the diversity of bets available. Like sports wagers or casino games, you can either bet on simple, low odds “straight” bets or more exotic wagers with a higher potential payoff like exactas or perfectas.
The basic wagers are the “win”, “place” and “show” in which you wager that a horse will finish first, second or third respectively. If you bet the horse to win, it has to finish first. A “place” bet will cash if your horse takes first or second. A “show” bet wins if your choice finishes first, second or third. Obviously, the win bet pays the highest rate of return followed by the place and show
Exotic bet offer more complex wagers with the potential for greater profits. The “exacta” involves selecting the first two horses in order and the “perfecta”, which involves picking the first three horses in order.
Another popular exotic bet is the multi-race wagers like the “Daily Double” where you need to pick the winner in two separate races. Along the same lines are the ‘pick four’ or ‘pick six’ where the horse betting enthusiast must pick the winners in four or six consecutive races with a greater return for a successful wager.
