Top 3 Handicapping Books to Consider
Legal horse betting has been around since equestrian sports first appeared in ancient Greece and Egypt. There is evidence that gambling on chariot races and mounted horse racing events took place in the ancient Greek Olympics as early as 648 BC. And as gambling on the horses became a common reality, you can believe that handicapping systems probably appeared about the same time. Flash forward to modern day times and enthralling thoroughbred horse races like the Kentucky Derby, the Belmont Stakes and the Preakness Stakes, and handicapping systems are alive and well.
Many legal horse betting aficionados develop their own systems, some based on technical information and others on hunches or trends. The powerful horses that make up the equestrian racing industry are as unique and different as are the many handicapping systems which their proponents endorse. Some rail-birds like mudders, others like betting maiden races. Some prefer outside runners, with others preferring to bet the middle or the inside of the track. And while there are probably just as many handicapping books out there as there are racehorses and horse racing gamblers, there are a few that are well known in the industry for offering pretty intelligent device.
Picking Winners by Andrew Beyer
You probably recognize the name of this author, since he proposes that you can use previous horse speeds to predict future performances. Creating the Beyer Speed Figures in the early 70s, Andrew Beyer is a well respected and intelligent industry analyst. He has also released "The Winning Horseplayer" and "Beyer On Speed", but "Picking Winners" is considered among many to be his best book on handicapping horse races. As you can imagine, much of the betting platform here is based on speed figures, but track bias, trainers and other handicapping basics are covered as well, such as exploitation of market inefficiencies to help you pick winners. This book is also fun and easy to read. Learn more about this book
Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz
Widely regarded as one of the classics of horse racing handicapping, "Betting Thoroughbreds" is well known throughout the industry. The book has been out for some time and has been updated, but do not let its age fool you. If you are just starting out, some of the concepts and vocabulary may be tough to grasp. But if you have a basic understanding of handicapping and horse betting strategies, you definitely should consider this intelligent and beneficial piece of literature as a handicapping book for your library. Learn more about this book.
The Handicapper's Condition Book by James Quinn
Quinn writes a pretty dry and straightforward piece here, but there is no doubt that the information contained within is extremely valuable to the horse racing handicapper. "The Handicapper's Condition Book" can take you from beginner or entry-level status to understanding intimately what is really going on when the horses are running. This has long been a "go to" book for professional handicappers, and it focuses on teaching you how to look at Class Levels and conditioning to find the best races to bet on, as well as the strongest horses in those races. Learn more about this book.
There are literally thousands of handicapping books that explore all areas of legal horse betting, from weight to lineage, track type to distance, weather conditions, position, class levels and every other possible and seemingly impossible area of horse racing. But these three offer a wide variety of views that lead in the same direction ... handicapping horse races to improve your odds of placing a winning bet. Grab any one or all three of these and the beginning and veteran horse racing gambler can both expect to improve their day at the betting window, both online and off.
