A horse race form is a printed program that displays all of the necessary information about a horse race. It will usually list the scheduled races, the names of the horses, and other pertinent race information. A horse race card helps bettors make an informed betting choice. There is a lot of very valuable information on the forms that betters really should know such as the time that each race will be starting.

It will provide information about the purse which is the prize money that must be split between the owner, trainer and jockey. Prize money is also distributed, on a sliding scale, to those finishing in the first few places. The form also provides detail on the distance of the race which is very important. Flat races are usually run at distances from 5 to 12 furlongs. A furlong is one eighth of a mile or 0.2 km. It will also give all of the race details, the horse’s odds at the beginning of the day and will keep you notified of the changes that occur with that horse during the day.

The form will tell you the color of the saddle cloths that the horses are wearing so that you can tell them apart basically. You will need to know the post position which tells you which position is assigned to the horse in the starting gate. Of course you will want to know the name of the horses too, which is listed on the forms. Owners often use a name that stands out and is easily recalled by bettors. Actually, some bettors bet on name alone.

The major colors are bay, chestnut, black, brown, white, gray, pinto (patches of brown, white and black), buckskin, dun, and roan. The color of each horse is also listed on the form as well as abbreviations of the horse and its sex. Some of the abbreviations are c=colt, f=filly, h=thoroughbred aged 5 or older, and g= gelding. All of this information is very important to know before betting.

You should also know the horse’s age because most horses reach mental maturity at around seven or eight years old, when their behavior generally becomes calmer and more accepting but of course your forms will tell you this information as well. People often want to know who the parent’s of the horse are and their names. This information is usually, but not always included. This data is useful for bettors to determine possible horse performance through lineage.

It is valuable to know who handled the horse’s upbringing, the amount of weight, including the jockey that the horse will be carrying. Obvious other facts of importance are who the trainer is, who the owner is, certainly the jockey who has a huge part to play in a big race. His ability to guide the horse in the race often spells the difference between victory and defeat.

There are other sections on the forms as well but the summary of past results is very important. These are crucial to viewers who want to distinguish which horse they have backed.

 

Thoroughbred horse racing comes in a number of different forms.

a) Maiden races, this type of thoroughbred horse racing places untested horses against one another and it is the debut of all these race horses. Some horse racing fans like this type of thoroughbred horse racing to be more exciting because of the fact that all the horses involved have not raced before. The whole career of a race horse in their maiden race often determines their future success and shows the world just what a race horse is capable of doing.

In maiden races, thoroughbreds of varying ages participate. In this type of thoroughbred horse racing, in order to even the odds, horses carry similar weights and no handicapped penalties are involved.

b) Allowance racing, this type of thoroughbred horse racing involves horses that have already raced in their maiden race but are not ready for the grand stakes races. Usually, this type of thoroughbred horse racing involves racing for a purse that is higher then the purse involved in maiden races and owners use this type of race to train their horses.

c) Grand stakes racing, this type of thoroughbred horse racing is the most popular form with horse racing fans since it will involve a lot of money. Horse racing fans like this form of thoroughbred horse racing so they can wager money on their favorite race horse. The “grand stakes” in this race the reputation of the horse is on the line and also the amount of money involved. A grand stakes race winner usually becomes a celebrity among race horses.

In this type of thoroughbred horse racing, the dreams of countless horse racing fans are also at stake because wagering in this type of thoroughbred horse racing can cost a lot of money. Some horse racing fans like to put their hopes and dreams on only one horse and that is the reason why thoroughbred horse racing will remain supported by horse racing fans all over the world today.

d) Handicap race, this type of thoroughbred horse racing is the evenest of all horse races, theoretically. The reason is that all the horses racing in this event have been handicapped according to their past performances in other horse races. More horse racing fans wager at this type of thoroughbred horse racing and the reason is that all of the odds are even. Theoretically, any horse has a chance to be a winner in a handicap race.

Although thoroughbred horse racing gains popularity because of the money involved, there are horse racing fans who see it as a great test of spirit. There are horses which have the potential to be great and real winners. However, if that horse did not have the will to win, then the potential would forever be useless. Thoroughbred horse racing is not just a game, it is a reflection of life.