Harness Race Handicapping Articles | Horse Betting

By: Richard Bleuze

Harness Race Handicapping

I have found the best way to harness race handicapping horses on a half-mile track is by following the method below. 

#1.  I suggest that you eliminate the harness horse races that are most unpredictable.  I consider maiden and trotting races to be in this category.  In so doing, you will now be left with the most predictable races in my opinion.

#2.  Eliminate all horses in the first betting race that are not in a post position.  An exception to this rule is if a horse started in the second tier. You would then handicap the horse in the second tier and eliminate the horses in the fifth post position.

#3.  Eliminate the horses that are making a start off a qualifying race.

#4.  Next is to eliminate horses that are coming from a different track.  An  exception to this rule would be if the horse raced at the current track at least four times in its past seven starts.  Should this be the case, then you would handicap the horse’s past races at the current track.

#5.  Eliminate horses that made a break during a race within the last four races.  The exception to this rule would be if the horse made a break because of interference by another horse.

#6.  Is the horse dropping in class?  If so, give that horse a plus and give the remaining horses a minus one.

#7.  In this step you would give the horse in first post position a plus one because of its superior post position.

#8.  Horses that can take the lead in the first quarter mile of a harness race should be given a plus one.

#9.  The horse that had the fastest last quarter in a prior last should be given a plus one.  The exception would be if prior last that the horse raced on had a sloppy track.  You would then go off the horses second previous race.

#10.  Driver changes occurred.  You would then give the horses that had superior driver changes a plus one while horses that had inferior driver changes a minus one.

Do not lose patience with me on this winning harness race handicapping system.  You will not regret it.  Besides, there are only seven more rules to this winning harness race handicapping system.

#11.  Give the horses that won their last race a plus one. 

#12.  Give the horse that had the fastest race time in its last race a plus one.  Once again, the exception would be if the horse raced on a sloppy track last time out.  You would once again go off the horses second previous race.

#13.  The horse that has the most current year wins a plus one. 

#14.  Give the horse that has the most earnings in its current year a plus one.

#15.  Give a plus one to the horses that have finished in the money in all of their last three starts.

#16.  This step is important and maybe a little complex.  This rule requires a little easy math.  You would subtract the last race finishing positions of the horses by their post positions.  For example, if a horse started from the fifth post position and finished third then it would get a plus two (5-3=+2). However, if a horse started from the fifth post position and finished sixth,  then it would get a minus one (5-6=-1).

#17.  This last rule is to add all the pluses and minus on each horse and the most likely winner would be the horse with the highest number total.

This system may seem like it is complex, but you in most cases you are not handicapping many horses.

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