Track Bias Help

[2MinsToPost]

Would someone take a few moments and lay out for a novice what Track Bias is and kinda give me the ABC's of spotting a Track Bias so when I am capping a card I can start to put this to work. Thanks for the help.

[dellinger63]

If the first four dirt races are won wire to wire you probably have a speed bias. If horses who normally close and run flat despite an honest pace you have a speed bias. Same with a wide trip/rail trip and all other bias' etc etc.
What most people don't keep track of including me because of time constraint is to keep track of bias' for each card for help capping future races later in the meet.
Find a closer who did so on a speed biased day and is now coming back on a closing track you got something. Or vice-versa with a speed horse who ran well on a closing track etc. Hope this helped a little.

[Thunder Gulch]

Simply put, it's when the track favors one running style or post position over another. Look for it by finding multiple examples of horses with a given style outrunning their odds. Just because half the card goes wire to wire doesn't mean there is a bias if those horses were 6-5 on the board.

[SCUDSBROTHER]

Well,going into this last Saturday,I hadn't bet Saratoga( the whole meet so far.) After watching races last week,I felt my 1st play might be in the all -stakes pick 4 on Travers Day.I thought the track had been pretty dead,and favoring horses like the Kimmel maiden that came from the clouds last week.The horse had all day to get up (in what appeared to be a death march.) So,I had planned to play Sweet Talker,Typhoon/Ashkal way/3 or 4 raters in the K Bishop/Bernandini.I still feel that was a good plan.The problem was when I saw the 3rd race of the day on Saturday.Now,it is up to your own eyes.You have to watch the races,and ask your own self ....Is this dirt the track I saw all week? Is it still dead? That is not always easy to do.Often a favorite will win while being near the front all the way.Did the horse do it despite the track being dull? Well,I didn't think High Finance looked to be running on a dead track.Even though it could be said that horse had it easy up front,I just thought that the way he did it meant that I shouldn't try to beat Henny Hughes(or any other speed types in the King's Bishop.) So,I didn't play anything Saturday.I had planned for a dead track,and in my opinion,they did not give me that dead track that I had hoped to get.That's the way I handicap(by feel.)Who appears to be struggling on the track? The pace horses,or the raters? No doubt in my mind that the raters had a huge advantage at Calder when LITF,and Dubai Escapade ran there.A lot of people don't care what horses are running on.For instance,many were saying all week that Henny Hughes was going to win.I don't think Henny Hughes would have won the race if it had been ran earlier in the week on the dead surface.I put a lot of emphasis on track surface.Some others also do,and some don't.

[sumitas]

Saturday's track at the Spa was alive near the rail and favoring the speed. Just watch the early races and you can tell. However, on opening day there was also a speed bias but Awsome Twist overcame it to win at the wire. It was a huge effort by him.

As far as the turf, check out the condition before the card. Is it firm, good, yielding, or soft. Then handicap on that basis by looking at the entrants pp and see how they ran on the turf rated the same as today.

[2MinsToPost]

Thanks to those who took the time to respond. I appreciate your insight and help!

[AeWingnut]

another thing to look for is he pace of the race. Horses will go wire to wire if they aren't challenged. Track bias really shows when a horse that runs really quick early manages to hang on.

Keeneland used to be race to the turn and hang on for the win.

Usually on big stakes days the track miracuously reverts back to a speed track.

if you aren't up near the first flight you ain't going to win.