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?--On the home page, click New to Horse Race Betting? Betting Basics: Win, Place & Show bets link.

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: Play $1.00 for most of the common types of bets Win, Place, Show, Quinella, Exacta, and Daily Double bets Despite low costs, the following types of bets are a little tougher to hit:  ​$0.50 --> Triple and Pick-3 bets $0.20 --> Pick-5 or Pick-6 bets $0.10 --> Superfecta bets Note: At some racetracks, minimum bet amounts could be higher.

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 in my book.  No other book does it! Plus, I explain all the intricate details that you need to know!  --Sample tickets are shown not only for each type of bet, but for different types of circumstances too.    The terms WITH and ALL are most powerful terms when using a single horse, a few horses, or several horses in your selections. --Nobody else shows sample tickets for both of the above situations. --A picture is worth a 1,000 words! :-)

Is there a way to minimize my losses?  --Trust me...You're not going to win ALL the time.  --To minimize losses, you MUST play "backup" strategies to minimize your losses.  If you don't, you're losing out...literally :-( --You should play backup bets using lesser amounts. --In addition to general strategies, I provide specific backup strategies for each type of bet.​​​

I enjoy going to and playing harness racing with my friends.  Does your book cover how to make bets for harness racing too? --Yes!  There are four types of horse racing:  1) Thoroughbred racing, 2) Steeplechase racing, 3) Quarter Horse racing, and 4) Harness racing.​ ​The good news is that the same principles and strategies that are used in Thoroughbred racing also apply to the remaining types of racing.

When I make a bet, should I care much about the weather? --The weather plays a critical role regarding the outcome of races.  --Some horses have better pedigree to run better on a wet surface than other horses.  Those horses are called "mudders"! --Race distance also plays a key role.  On a wet surface and In a shorter race, you may want to select a horse that shows speed and 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? --In a single race, horses may be repeated in fourth (Superfecta bet) and fifth (Super High 5) positions too. --Horse numbers could be repeated in multiple races too. Using repeated horses in your bets play a significant role in how much your bets cost!  Do you know which bet costs more in the two examples? Example #1:  In a single race:     $1.00 Exacta 2,4 with 1,2,5,8 or $1.00 Exacta 2,4 with 1,3,5,8? In multiple races, for a Daily double bet:    $1.00 Daily double 2,4 with 1,2,5,8 or $1.00 Double 2,4, with 1,3,5,8?  All the different implications are clearly explained you know where!

Is it true that in some races, horses may carry lesser weight than other horses? --Yes.  If an apprentice rider is riding a horse, the horse typically carries five pounds lesser weight (on the average) compared to a horse that is being ridden by a regular jockey in the same race. --So, in a marathon race, if you're carrying lesser weight on your back, wouldn't you have a bigger advantage compared to others who may be carrying more weight? The answer is no different in horse race betting!​ ​--The impacts of apprentice jockeys versus regular jockeys are huge!

Do you know the impact on odds if it is an apprentice rider riding a horse versus a regular jockey? A horse's odds are usually lower if a jockey is riding a horse versus an apprentice jockey.  All the different reasons are listed in my book.​

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! --What if one of these two horses scratches? What are the impacts, and under what circumstances should you play the horse that is not scratched Note:  A scratch means that, at post time, the horse is NOT running in the race.   It could be any reason: Horse is sick, injured, or you name it.

​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! In some races, it's not easy to select a horse to win. --You should ALWAYS play the horse that you LOVE...as a Win bet! ​--If you play a bet using two or more horses, it's possible that you may not win on those bets.  So, the Win bet would cover some of your other losses.​ ​