Horse racing handicapping with even times

By times are speed figures or actual times with which the average winner wins in a particular race class and distance. For example, a $10,000 event over 6 furlongs for kids ages 4 and up might have a torque of 1:10, which means one minute and ten seconds, and a torque of 88 (figure speed). The velocity figure can be a Beyer velocity figure or another method can be used to calculate it using proprietary software.

They are also used for fractions or segments of the race, such as a pair of 80/92/89. That would mean the eventual race winner ran the first section or quarter of the race at 80, the second quarter at 92, and the last quarter at 89. Looking at each runner’s expected pace would give you an idea of ​​which horses best fit the winning pace profile for the race.

Of course, in a perfect world, the horses would always run exactly the same and you would win all your bets, but this is the reality of horse racing, so we know that’s not going to happen. Making any kind of profit betting on horses, even with such sophisticated information as this, is still very difficult.

On the other hand, before the race starts it’s good to think that you know exactly how the runners will run and where each one will be during each quarter of the race.

Once the door opens and the pandemonium begins and you get that sinking feeling in your stomach, well, that’s when you realize that the times and pace and speed figures are just a guide. However, they are useful and should not be overlooked as a disability tool. A good way to use them is to look for horses that have run a recent race where they have set the even times for each split as well as the final time.

Using the example of even times and pace pairs above, any horse that has set both those pace pairs and also the final time of a race would be considered a contender. Since this isn’t an exact science, you might want to allow a bit of leeway and say that any horse that came within a second or two of those times was also a possibility.

With younger horses, these methods should be considered a rough guide because young horses are still improving and values ​​established in earlier breeds may not indicate what they are capable of today. However, when it comes to handicap breeds for older horses, many have already peaked and the times seen in earlier breeds are the best that can be hoped for.