Short handicapping lesson...no.2

[JJP]

Originally Posted by fjh513

Another question from a beginner.
I hope I can continue to do this from time to time as "Lesson 1" helped a lot.

This one involves watching a race or a replay.
What should I be looking for ? How the hell can you tell if a horse is going all out to win or is there for exercise?
What constitutes a bad trip and how do I spot it ?
What do you guys / girls expect to come away with when you watch a race or replay...what do you put in the back of your mind for future reference ?

Thanks again for your input.I know these questions are very basic to most of you.

I would suggest reading Beyer's book "The Winning Horseplayer". Not that his other books aren't good, which they are, but this one addresses trip handicapping better than any other. I think what you want to do when you watch a race is determine who really was the best, or 2nd or 3rd best horses. To get the big picture, you must make a judgement on the pace, the bias (if any), and racing position during the race. If the field was to face each other again, who would be worthy of a wager? These type of betbacks are the bread and butter plays for most high level players.