Wind as a handicap in horse racing

Because horses run outdoors, the elements play an important role in racing and which horses are good bets and which are at a disadvantage. Most people who have trouble with horse racing are aware of rain and muddy tracks. There are some horses that run best when the surface is muddy, unkempt, flexible, or good. There are also tracks that have a bias in bad weather. It may be because the interior of the track collects water from the slope of the slope or for some other reason.

Smart handicappers familiarize themselves with the bias at their favorite spots and use it to assess each runner’s chances. But how many people know how to use the wind as a factor or realize the important role it plays? It is important in thoroughbred racing and especially important in sled racing.

Fortunately for handicappers, most race tracks have flags on the inside of the track, so wind direction and speed are obvious. Crosswinds and headwinds play differently. A crosswind is one that blows through the spans at an angle of approximately 90 degrees. Therefore, it will blow in the face of the riders in the curve or in the back.

In the case of a headwind, the breeze blows in the same direction as the stages and will be on the faces or will blow on the buttocks of the runners. In races where the margin is sometimes just a nose or a head, this can make a big difference. Imagine a 20 or 30 mile wind blowing against a horse running ahead on the stretch. Any horse behind him has the advantage of cover, but the lead runner will meet the headwind at some point, whether running down the back stretch or at the homestretch.

On days when there is a strong head wind, look for more closers to win. They don’t necessarily have to come from far off the beat, but they will be a horse that sat behind another and benefited from that. If you are handicapped using track models and racing styles, be aware of the effect of the wind and adjust your game accordingly. On windy days, especially if you blow them in the face, only play a front runner who is very strong. Anyway, such a horse will probably have outdone the bet, as most people don’t use wind as a factor, so you may want to see any horse running close to that one, but benefit from the cover.