THREE OF THE BIGGEST
MYTHS ABOUT HANDICAPPING

1. The stretch gain is important. The stretch gain is relatively unimportant, especially when delivered by horses that finish from far behind the frontrunners.
2. Speed duels weaken the horses that engage in them. Sometimes they do, but more often than not one of the speed horses survives the early duel and wins.
3. Jockeys are a significant factor in handicapping. Jockeys can be more important in stakes races and in grass races, but typically jockeys should be considered an incidental factor in handicapping.

THE BIGGEST MYTH ABOUT
BETTING AT THE RACES

Longshots should be bet to place and show.

Longshots should be bet to win. That's where the value is. Even when longshots finish second and third the payoffs will be low because the pools must be shared with the other horses in the money. Those other horses usually include the favorite and low-priced contenders.As a rule, horses having odds of 2-1 or higher should be bet to win. The best bets to place and to show involve low-priced and odds-on favorites, horses below 2-1.

MYTHS & MAXIMS

	You can't beat the races.
	You can beat a race, but you can't beat the races.
	Secrets of beating the races exist, and some people know what they are.
	Racing's insiders know something the customers do not know.
	Several races are fixed, so playing the races amounts to playing an unfair game.
	Playing the races is gambling.
	The purpose of handicapping the races is to pick winners.
	Speed Duels
	Class is most Important
	Betting horses after layoffs
	Stretch gains are good bets
	Horses making changes
	Weight on a horse
	Jockeys are important
	Betting across the board
	The No. 1 position