Track Bias -This is of the most important handicapping angles in the sport. This is also were we have a big advantage over the general betting public. We watch every race, every day at each of our tracks. We know if front speed is winning or late speed. If you do not watch every race, every day, you MUST learn how to read the race day charts!

Track Bias

A track superintendent's main job is to provide a safe racetrack for tl horses, but he also wants a fair racetrack without bias. A member of track crew measures the depth of the main track every day by drivin! around in a truck and stopping at every 16th pole to measure. The Wl sticks a probe into the dirt cushion at 3-foot, lO-foot, 20-foot, 30-foot ( 40-foot marks and writes down the measurement. If the depth isn't ur the crew grades the racetrack until it is. Grading prevents a build up of materials down along the rail.Despite all this effort, however, over the Course of a race meet, certain trends can develop on the main track, turf course, or both that give certain horses
an advantage over others.

Main track biases

Following are some of the most common main track biases:

Golden rail: If the rail is golden, meaning the speed horses last longer then as a handicapper, you better pick up on it and use it to your advantage. You'll see the speed horses break from the starting gate and be taken straight to the rail by their jockeys.

If a golden rail exists, even when a come-from-behind horse wins, this horse needs to spend a good part of the race saving ground on the rail before commencing a rally.

Dead rail: The converse is true when the rail is dead, meaning the inside speed horses keep stopping like they're running in quicksand. Any speed horses that win over this track bias will race far off the rail, maybe as wide as ffour or five paths lanes from the inside rail. In this case, look for come-from-behind horses to rally wide in the stretch.

Pure speed bias: When you see a pure speed bias racetrack, which path or lane the speed horse runs in doesn't matter. Sometimes you see ridiculous fast fractions like a quarter-mile in less than 22 seconds and half-mile less than 45 seconds. With a speed bias, the leaders just keep going and don't get caught by the closing horses.

You'll notice with experience that certain tracks have enormous biases due to rain and weather.

As a horseplayer, be careful about a track bias, because you can easily get fooled. For example, say the speed horse on the rail wins the first three of the day. Many handicappers will immediately label the main track as favor ing inside speed. However, the three winners may have been the best horse in the races regardless. Also, when a jockey rides a speed horse, he tries to break the horse sharp and, regardless of the post, move left towards therail. Remember that riding the rail is the shortest way to the finish line.If the first three winners were rally wide horses, many handicappers will list dead rail and an outside lane speed bias. Again, the three winners may just be the best horses in the races. And remember that horses that rally from behind, most of the time, rally wide because the jockey doesn't want toget caught in traffic on the rail.