MYTH
YOU CAN BEAT A RACE,
BUT YOU CAN'T BEAT THE RACES.

There is no such things as a sure thing.

The racing game is characterized by a large error factor. In any particular race something can go wrong, and frequently something does go wrong. Sometimes it makes sense to bet more aggressively than normal , but the fallacy of thinking you can beat a particular race for big money represents a high risk even under the best of circumstances. If the practice is repeated frequently, the player has a splendid chance of getting crushed.

MAXIM
YOU CAN BEAT THE RACES,
BUT YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE OF BEATING A RACE.

This is a game of percentages and probabilities. The percentages and probabilities repeat themselves season after season and handicappers want to play with the odds and percentages on their side.

In a positive situation, where you are playing a winning game, the approach that works best is to play as often as time and schedules permit and bet confidently and systematically, but not too aggressively. Overly aggressive betting is penalized by this game. Do not bet too much too often.

The way to turn the percentages and probabilities in your favor is to learn as much as you can about the ideas and methods of handicapping and to play as frequently as you can, at least until you have enough evidence to certify yourself as a good player and winner. A winning season, repeated twice, constitutes acceptable evidence you know how to win.

The great promise of the racing game is that once you've learned how to play and how to win you can repeat the winning season after season, at least in the straight pools where you bet primarily to win.

Learn about the percentages and probabilities associated with this game and honor them. You may lose a lot of races when you think you are very likely to win, and you can never be sure of beating a particular race. But you can beat the races rather consistently and nothing about the math or statistics associated with playing the races can prevent a winning player from winning in the long run.