I enjoy going to the racetrack with family and friends.  I am new to horse race betting and not sure which type of bet I should make FIRST.  What's your advice?  ​There are many different types of bets that are available for a person to play at the racetrack.  It takes time to learn what each type of bet means.  For a person that is a beginner or new to horse race betting,  I would recommend playing a Show bet to start off with. You have three chances of winning.  The horse that you select MUST come in first, second, or third position. If your horse comes in fourth or in remaining positions, you're not a winner.

I can't afford to play BIG amounts.  What should I do?  ​The beauty of horse race betting is that you don't have to spend big bucks to win big bucks!  You may play using smaller amounts and still win big money! The key is to take advantage of "minimum bet" amounts!  There are different minimum amounts for different types of bets: $1.00 for Win, Place, and Show bets $1.00 for Quinellas and Exactas bets 50-cents for Triples 20-cent bets for Pick-5 or Pick-6 bets  10-cents for Superfecta bets NOTE: Different racetracks may use different minimum amounts for the SAME type of bet.

I made some bets, but I'm not sure what my tickets mean.  What should I do?  This is EXACTLY the reason that I included sample tickets for each and every type of bet and also explain all the intricate details that  are involved.  For example, a person may ask the teller that he/she wants $2.00 Exactas 6-2, 6-4, and 6-8.  To save paper, the teller may have printed the ticket as $2.00 Exacta 6/2,3,4.  However, a person who is new to racing may not know what all this means.  Also, sample tickets are shown for different types of bets that involving using the powerful terms WITH and ALL.  No other book provides massive number of examples as I do! Plus, every aspect is described clearly.

Is there a way to minimize my losses?  Yes!  It's called making "backup" bets by using lesser amounts. Various strategies are provided (in the book) for EACH type of bet.  In some cases, you backup bets could get you bigger profits!  ​​

I enjoy going to and playing harness racing with my friends.  Does your book cover how to play horses at a harness track?  Absolutely!  In fact, my book covers all four types of horse race betting:      1) Thoroughbred racing              2) Steeplechase racing    2) Quarter Horse racing              4) Harness racing The good news is that the same principles that are used in Thoroughbred racing are also used in all of the above types of racing! Same winning strategies can be used in harness racing too.

When I make a bet, should I care much about the weather? Definitely!  The weather plays a critical role regarding the outcome of races.  Some horses actually run better on a wet surface than a dry surface.  The distance of a race also plays a key role!  For example, in a shorter race, you may want to select a horse that shows speed & play catch me if you can! Key factors that you should look for in a racing form are discussed.

I noticed that some of my friends have tickets with horses repeated in second and third positions.  Why would a person repeat a horse number in other positions? Do I have to pay extra money to repeat horses in my bets? Repeating horses in certain types of bets is absolutely critical. In fact, horses could be repeated in fourth and fifth positions for Superfecta and Super High 5 bets respectively. Horse numbers could be repeated in multiple races too. A major advantage of repeating horse numbers in your bets is that it allows you to consolidate several tickets into a single ticket!   Your costs also depend whether you're using repeated horses in the same race or in multiple races.  All the different impacts are explained.

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Is it true that some horses carry lesser weight than other horses? Yes! If an apprentice rider is riding a horse, the horse typically carries lesser weight compared to a horse that is being ridden by a regular jockey in the same race. Consider this factor: If you are carrying lesser weight on your back, wouldn't you have more of an advantage compared to, say, a friend who is carrying more weight? Well, it's no different in horse racing!​

Do you know the impact on odds...if an apprentice rider is riding a horse versus if a regular jockey were riding the same horse? A horse's odds are usually lower if a op well-known jockey is riding the horse.  However, if an apprentice rider were riding the same horse, the odds would be higher in most cases! Also, know when to use an apprentice jockey versus a regular jockey!

There is a horse entry in the race: Horse #1 and horse #1A.  What does it mean?  If I play horse #1, do I win if horse #1A wins? Yes! Basically, you're getting two horses for the price of one! If you bet one of them and the other wins, then you're still a winner! The other question is...Do you know what the impacts are if one of these two horses is scratched? Under what circumstances should you play the horse that is not scratched? These finer details are explained in the book.

​You LOVE a certain horse in a race! Considering all the types of bets that are available, which type of bet should you absolutely play? First, CONGRATS on selecting a horse that you love! Congratulating you because...Sometimes, it's not always easy to select a horse in a race; especially in a large field of horses. You should at least play a WIN bet! It may not be a guarantee that you will win your other types of bets: exactas, quinellas, triples, daily doubles, etc. Playing a Win bet would  cover some of your possible losing tickets. Of course, the key is that the horse that you selected MUST win! Also, you should really consider playing your horse for Win AND Place! You would be amazed how often a horse loses by a nose, a neck, or a length or more.  :-( ​​

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