What's your favorite class of race to bet on?

[sealord]

For those of you who prefer a particular class of race over another, let's hear about it. Maybe you cash more tickets on them, or maybe they're just more exciting to you, or maybe it's all you normally see at your track. Either way, it's opinion time.

[sparkywowo]

I usually find the nw1ot, nw2ot and the like the easiest to get a handle on without the improvers and not improvers being painfully obvious.

[Tee]

My vote went for the maidens, especially msw & more so maidens trying something for the first time(going long, turf etc).

Turf routes - mdns, allowance, stakes at a distance are also very high on my list.

[sealord]

Tee, I too like turf routes. What factors help you pick winners? Seems like final fraction times are key from what I hear, although I haven't tested this much really.

[cnollfan]

I also like turf routes. I look for speed first. % are not that great but the price often is.

As far as a particular class goes, my favorite is allowance races for non-winners of two other than maiden or claiming. The horses stepping up from a NW1X win are universally overbet.

[kenwoodallpromos]

The cheaper the better!

[Tee]

Tee, I too like turf routes. What factors help you pick winners? Seems like final fraction times are key from what I hear, although I haven't tested this much really.

Depending on the type of race I'll look at a few factors which really aren't anything more/less than what I use for any other type of race.

Pedigree for 1st time turfers.
My best guess on how the race shape will take place - pace scenarios.
How the track is playing & where the rail is set.
Post position analysis.
Current form of horses - who's apt to improve, decline or if status quo is good enuff to get the job done.

[Zaf]

So many throwouts , so few contenders, so many overlays :jump:

ZAFONIC

[sealord]

So far, it looks like most people prefer the maidens. For those that prefer the maidens, is it value and price you like, or just the thrill of watching the babies running their first race(s)? I've gotta suspect value....

[KingChas]

Cheap claimers with 12 horse fields.And a heavy false favorite. :cool: Thats capping Baby.

Turf races at the Spa 2005 :kiss:

[Valuist]

Its a no-brainer to me; definitely stakes races. The best races usually get the most wide open fields. Longshots in good form.

[thoroughbred]

For those of you who prefer a particular class of race over another, let's hear about it. Maybe you cash more tickets on them, or maybe they're just more exciting to you, or maybe it's all you normally see at your track. Either way, it's opinion time..


Sealord,
At times, I have seen that it is possible to earn more money on the cheaper races, because less is known about the horses by the public. So if you can handicap the winner, you will get higher odds than is often the case in the high class races where more is known about the horses.

[Tom]

Cheap claimers. Bottom claimers. With conditions.
Claimers running for less than I spent on lunch!
Claimers with purses where a trainer could cash his check with the paperboy.
Races where no on could make money from purses - race where they gotta bet to get hay and oats.

[Zaf]

Tom,

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


Cheap claimers. Bottom claimers. With conditions.
Claimers running for less than I spent on lunch!
Claimers with purses where a trainer could cash his check with the paperboy.
Races where no on could make money from purses - race where they gotta bet to get hay and oats.

[kingfin66]

So many throwouts , so few contenders, so many overlays :jump:

ZAFONIC

+1

[Kitan]

Maidens, N1X, N2X. Voted for maidens just because my big hits usually seem to be in those races.

[maxwell]

I have the most confidence in open claimers - salty pros that don't get rattled.

I play any race if I find something that has a shot at a price.

I worry more about speed figs and pars than I do about the class.

[BIG RED]

Any type mdns. That's where I catch some nice prices to win. Of course it's not every mdn race, but when the glove fits, I start to drool !

My faves to watch and bet are stake races. All graded and some sprint stakes. I play a simple exacta play and overlays to win, and still keeps me 'healthy'.

[JohnGalt1]

I voted no preference, but I do poorly in turf sprints and Nw2 and someimes hit the all button in serial bets.

My favorite races are filled with shippers like the Breeder's Cup, Claiming Crown, and tracks like opening weeks of Oaklawn, Canterbury, etc because they're all horses shipping in or off long layoffs.

And any race with a large field.

[46zilzal]

Folks seem to have brain lapses when maiden fields come together. IT TAKES A RACE OR TWO FOR THEM TO GET IT! Longest priced winners from that arena...

[Fastracehorse]

I was watching a Woodbine Maiden race last night on TV and the 2 track announcers both loved pedigree.

I have never been big on pedigree - I think it is a factor - I'm just not big on it.

Anyways, there was a coupled entry and one horse of the entry had a top jock - that horse won. So 2 factors.

fffastt

[wisconsin]

Maidens and beaten claiming (NW2, NW3 etc...)

[BlueShoe]

Neat, I got to vote in a more than six year old thread and poll. :cool: :ThmbUp: Best for this capper is a full field of mid level claimers, colts and geldings 4yo and up on a natural dirt surface.

[bob60566]

Cheap claimers. Bottom claimers. With conditions.
Claimers running for less than I spent on lunch!
Claimers with purses where a trainer could cash his check with the paperboy.
Races where no on could make money from purses - race where they gotta bet to get hay and oats.

Mac:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[lamboguy]

i love all races, i like betting races that have horses coming from layoffs over 4 months in them

[gm10]

Graded stakes, no doubt about it. Big fields, good horses, competent jockey's, trainers with detectable winning moves.
Next would be first level allowance races because I still manage to find value there using only my speed figures.

Surface: turf > poly > dirt.

Distance: middle distance > mile > sprints

Going: Anything but slop.

[keilan]

Non winners of two races going 7f

Generally enough information to learn the ability of each horse and a distance that most players and horses have a tough time with!

[pondman]

High end racing with billionaire owners and large pools-- msw, allowance, graded stakes. Love msw on grass.

I avoid claimers; I won't look at them at most tracks.

[thaskalos]

Absolutely no grass races or maidens.

And if the horses don't have at least seven past performance lines, they don't get even a dime from me.

[Tampa Russ]

Absolutely no grass races or maidens.

And if the horses don't have at least seven past performance lines, they don't get even a dime from me.

Ditto. I went from losing to winning once I gave up on turf, maidens, and 2 yr olds.

[jasperson]

I voted for maidens, but I also like mid level claimers.

[Uncle Salty]

According to my records, I do best on maidens and straight claimers. I have done horrible on claiming races with conditions.

[redshift1]

90% Stakes.
10% Conditioned or optional claimer.

Several years since I bet a stright claming race.

[Simple Syrup]

My favorite to handicap as a fan are the lower and mid level stakes races. My favorite to handicap as a player are dirt cheap claiming races.

[Ocala Mike]

Second time starters in maiden races.


Ocala Mike

[davew]

I like the stakes, they all pay to play - and almost always going to give their best

[open_question]

I love allowances, especially on turf, at any distance. My rate of picking winners is highest in these races, and the most logical choices regularly go off at decent odds.

[classhandicapper]

I like stakes races best. The more consistent the form of the horses and the fewer the complications the more likely I can identify an overlay.

My second choice is maiden claimers because there's usually a large number of terrible horses in the race I can throw out, yet some of them get bet a little. That's all dead money.

[windoor]

I didn't notice this thread started in 2005 either, but as long as it is here.

I just finished an extensive study on claimers up to 16K and will focus my attention on these (with a few rare exceptions) for the foreseeable future.

Regards,

Windoor

[Rigger]

I like betting on the races I find that pay a lot and I can cash more often that not. These races occur in Maiden 2 n' 3 yr old races or non winners of two or three restricted. I will find an overbet horse that should not be the favorite by my calculations. It is usually a horse that won with speed but the pace was not strong. For some reasons, people just like to bet a previous winner. The horse needs to show speed and pace. With the favorite, not in the money, the returns are very favorable.

[wonatthewire1]

MCL
followed by Conditioned Claimers NW 2 or 3 lifetime

[breeze]

bottom, non-winners in a year/6 months, going long