Best tracks to bet at

[Segwin]

I'm interested in opinions on which are the better tracks to bet at. I'm not a fan of Thistledown and now have heard that Parx is also questionable.

Is the any general agreement on where to go and where to stay away from?

TIA

Terry

[Capper Al]

For me, the track is almost secondary to the type of wagers available. What I like are $1.00 rolling doubles, 50 cent trifectas, and $1.00 exactas in each race. I also like to play on fast and firm tracks meaning that I hold no loyalties if it's raining.

[Robert Goren]

AQU Inner. Nothing even close

[Valuist]

You can ask 100 different handicappers and get 100 different answers. There is no one definitive answer. You have to track your own history, and see where you do best. Many do best on their local circuit, just because they have a good familiarity of the trainers, riders, and how the surface plays.

[Longshot6977]

I'm interested in opinions on which are the better tracks to bet at. I'm not a fan of Thistledown and now have heard that Parx is also questionable.

Is the any general agreement on where to go and where to stay away from?

TIA

Terry

Where to BET AT and where to GO are 2 different things. I don't usually bet PA tracks due to their high takeout rates. NYRA has some nice tracks to go to AND bet at. Saratoga and Belmont come to mind. Monmouth Park is a good track to go to. Can you tell us if you're more interested on where to visit or where to make bets at(either online or at the track).

[thaskalos]

Take my advice and avoid the minor tracks like the plague.

I know that there are exceptions to every rule...but you cannot go wrong by avoiding the following tracks during your initiation period in this game.

The game is played "differently" at these tracks:

Indiana Downs
Hoosier
Evangeline
Parx
All the Ohio tracks
Turf Paradise
All New Mexico tracks
Penn National
Fort Erie
Presque Isles
Mountaineer

I may be forgetting a few...but you get the idea...

[lamboguy]

Take my advice and avoid the minor tracks like the plague.

I know that there are exceptions to every rule...but you cannot go wrong by avoiding the following tracks during your initiation period in this game.

The game is played "differently" at these tracks:

Indiana Downs
Hoosier
Evangeline
Parx
All the Ohio tracks
Turf Paradise
All New Mexico tracks
Penn National
Fort Erie
Presque Isles
Mountaineer

I may be forgetting a few...but you get the idea...you just told the guy not to bet the tracks that i play.

[Stillriledup]

Depends on what hours of the day you want to bet, are you an evening handicapper or a daytime handicapper?

[Segwin]

Where to BET AT and where to GO are 2 different things. I don't usually bet PA tracks due to their high takeout rates. NYRA has some nice tracks to go to AND bet at. Saratoga and Belmont come to mind. Monmouth Park is a good track to go to. Can you tell us if you're more interested on where to visit or where to make bets at(either online or at the track).

More where to make bets at. I bet on the 8th at Belmont today - interesting turnout.

[Segwin]

Depends on what hours of the day you want to bet, are you an evening handicapper or a daytime handicapper?

Daytime. I can barely keep my eyes open past 9PM lol.

[jahura2]

I'm interested in opinions on which are the better tracks to bet at. I'm not a fan of Thistledown and now have heard that Parx is also questionable.

Is the any general agreement on where to go and where to stay away from?

TIA

Terry

Segwin, I think you have to think about what types of racing you enjoy and then get a sample of what types of races and tracks you do well at. Then as Al says consider the types of bets you like and what tracks offer them.
Myself, I don't like cheap racing so Beulah, Thistle, River, Fairmount and tracks like that I do not even consider. As far as I am concerned I don't care if they go under.
I play Gulfstream, Belmont ,Saratoga, Keeneland (I live here) and Churchill. One common thread these tracks have, great turf courses. If these tracks aren't running (rarely) I take a break.They offer the variety, wagering menu, and consistency that help out an "average" handicapper like myself.

[Stillriledup]

One important key is that if you're a really small bettor, its bettor to bet and follow smaller circuits, the only advantage of betting A tracks is if you're a decent sized player and don't want to 'crush' your own price when you play.

[Maximillion]

Cheap tracks are o.k. with me but gave up Parx,Tup,Ct (recently) and Bealuh.

Current favorite is Finger Lakes.

[DRIVEWAY]

Cheap tracks are o.k. with me but gave up Parx,Tup,Ct (recently) and Bealuh.

Current favorite is Finger Lakes.

Finger Lakes is an interesting track to handicap starting around June 21st. All of the paid workout type races are concluded and everyones ready to get down to business.

The one problem is determining value. It appears that 60% of the WIN pool doesn't showup until after the gates have opened. Do you make odds related decisions or do you just take what they give you?

[appistappis]

If you are a numbers type of handicapper (speed,pace etc) then the larger tracks are for you.....the angle players (me) tend to love the smaller tracks, calder and Suffolk being two fav's.

another consideration would be how much you are trying to win in a given race...you can hit for 5 to 8 k at the bigger tracks but you can really grind out 60 to 100 dollar per race at the smaller tracks.

[thespaah]

I'm interested in opinions on which are the better tracks to bet at. I'm not a fan of Thistledown and now have heard that Parx is also questionable.

Is the any general agreement on where to go and where to stay away from?

TIA

Terry
The ones with large fields and low takeouts

[porchy44]

The ones with large fields and low takeouts


Ding Ding Ding!!

Small fields good for horseman (less to beat) but not good for the bettor.

[Robert Goren]

Ding Ding Ding!!

Small fields good for horseman (less to beat) but not good for the bettor. There is size so small it is hard to beat. My limited record though show that 7 horse fields are the best. I am attempting to over haul my handicapping to more a long the lines that pondman talks about. I am not sure that will still be the case when I am done. The track bias- bad favorite model that I have used for years profitably breaks down when field size get to more than ten or less than 6.

[Maximillion]

Finger Lakes is an interesting track to handicap starting around June 21st. All of the paid workout type races are concluded and everyones ready to get down to business.

The one problem is determining value. It appears that 60% of the WIN pool doesn't showup until after the gates have opened. Do you make odds related decisions or do you just take what they give you?

For me, about a month in to a meet seems to work best.

As far as making odds related decisions......my bets are placed at FL very early in the morning.....without looking at the tote.I know others would strongly disagree with this and thats ok.The only other AM track I play atm on weekdays is Lad.The rest are all night tracks.

[PoloUK6108]

I guess im want you call a brand name player. I only like playing the big tracks..NYRA, MTH, the big 3 in Cali (soon to be 2), Arlington from the Chi-town circuit, Gulfstream in FL as opposed to Tampa or Calder. Every now and then Woodbine. I'm from KY so Keeneland (#1) and Churchill are my favorites, and I'll play Ellis, Ky Downs, and Turfway sometimes when they're running since I'm familiar with some of the local connections. Other than those I just don't find playing the small tracks very fun..and even though its a big track I seldom play Pimlico.

[cordep17]

I second what someone above said. If you are more of an angle player, the smaller tracks are the place to be.

More weird winners at the smaller tracks. While sometimes they are too weird and you've got to wonder, you can really cash in on longshots. If you like to get in the trainer's head, good money can be found at the bottom level

[NJ Stinks]

I play Gulfstream, Belmont ,Saratoga, Keeneland (I live here) and Churchill. One common thread these tracks have, great turf courses. If these tracks aren't running (rarely) I take a break.They offer the variety, wagering menu, and consistency that help out an "average" handicapper like myself.

Would it be wrong of me to point out that Arlington and Woodbine have two of the best turf courses in North America?

[pandy]

I'm interested in opinions on which are the better tracks to bet at. I'm not a fan of Thistledown and now have heard that Parx is also questionable.

Is the any general agreement on where to go and where to stay away from?

TIA

Terry

There is no right answer. Some people do very well betting the small tracks and vice versa. I like both for different reasons, but since my preferred plays are longshots, the tracks that are not A tracks are great for longshots and many of the longshot winners are actually predictable if you are a good longshot handicapper.

[Clocker]

Many do best on their local circuit, just because they have a good familiarity of the trainers, riders, and how the surface plays.

If you don't have a local circuit, would it make sense to "adopt" one and follow it for the reasons stated? I think it would make more sense to avoid circuits like NY or Chicago because of wide variations in weather.

Is anyone doing this now, and if so, what circuit have you found to be comfortable with? Will Southern California have a year-round circuit with Hollywood Park closing?

[OCF]

If you don't have a local circuit, would it make sense to "adopt" one and follow it for the reasons stated? I think it would make more sense to avoid circuits like NY or Chicago because of wide variations in weather.

Is anyone doing this now, and if so, what circuit have you found to be comfortable with? Will Southern California have a year-round circuit with Hollywood Park closing?

I would think the wide variations in weather would create opportunities.

[Clocker]

I would think the wide variations in weather would create opportunities.

As discussed earlier, that would depend on the type of player you are. If you tend more toward straight handicapping, the weather would hurt consistency in numbers about track conditions, track bias, etc. On the other hand, if you are an angle player, weather should open things up quite a bit, especially if you know the horses and trainers.

[jahura2]

Would it be wrong of me to point out that Arlington and Woodbine have two of the best turf courses in North America?



NJ, not wrong at all, more like I just left them off mainly because I usually do not bet Woodbine or AP. Thanks for pointing those out, wouldnt want to offend our friends in the Chi- town area or those north of the Border.

[mannyberrios]

you just told the guy not to bet the tracks that i play.
That's the line of the year

[pandy]

You always have to be ready to make adjustments. The Santa Anita winter meet had been a good one for me for several years but the first winter meet that Santa Anita had the infamously screwed up Cushion track I slumped badly and stuck with it too long. At that point I was only betting two circuits, NY and SO CAL. But after that debacle I started to bet a lot more tracks and look for spot plays in my strengths, such as maiden races, and I found that it made it easier to avoid cold streaks.

Sometimes just switching to another circuit can make a big difference.

[Clocker]

I play Gulfstream, Belmont ,Saratoga, Keeneland (I live here) and Churchill. One common thread these tracks have, great turf courses. If these tracks aren't running (rarely) I take a break.They offer the variety, wagering menu, and consistency that help out an "average" handicapper like myself.

Would it be correct to assume that a lot of the same stables race at Keeneland and Churchill? Where do they go for the rest of the year? Oaklawn? Maryland? Thanks.

[jahura2]

Would it be correct to assume that a lot of the same stables race at Keeneland and Churchill? Where do they go for the rest of the year? Oaklawn? Maryland? Thanks.

Clocker, that used to be the case around here but I do not think its entirely like that any more. The big stables from GP and FG come here in the spring for the KEE meet and the first couple of weeks of CD, but after derby there seems to have been a noticeable dispersal all over of these stables. CD's purses at most levels drop off after the Deby so while you may see a stable stay at CD they ship a lot of different places, some stables seem to target the KEE meet for publicity and then after GP and Keeneland racing just rest until Saratoga or pick spots at Belmont. Around here for the big stables its about winning the right races at the right meet in front of the right people (owners, investors, future and present)
Mostly I have observed horses I am familiar with go to CD and to a greater extent Belmont after the spring Keeneland meet, then directly to GP and FG after the Keeneland fall meet.
Churchill has a September meet this year so that might change some trainers and owners thinking as to how they approach the summer or fall but CD will still have to contend with Saratoga and Belmont purses if they are to hope to have full fields.

[jahura2]

Would it be correct to assume that a lot of the same stables race at Keeneland and Churchill? Where do they go for the rest of the year? Oaklawn? Maryland? Thanks.

Some brief examples.
Ken Ramsey-won the Keeneland owners meet with record wins and decided to stay mostly at CD and won the owners title there, also record number of wins I believe. That lends more to what it used to be like: race at Kee then go to CD.
He is presently giving most of his runners a slight break and aiming heavily at Saratoga.
Dale Romans-a local louiville trainer has started to spread out as he has gotten more successful and no longer is is just a Ky. based trainer with his stable.
Along those same lines MIke Maker (trains for Ramseys) has started to spread his stable out more as he has gotten successful and is far remo
ved from his days of turfway-Keeneland-CD only circuit.