School Of Hard Clops - Remington Park offering free seminars on the art of horse betting

By Avery Oden

Guest Blogger

Marilyn's "Winning 101" presentation

Betting on race horses is serious business. As one might imagine, there’s quite a bit of statistical analysis that goes into guessing which of the 10 (or so) horses will win, place, or show. (Them’s fancy words for placing first, second, or third)

And after all I learned tonight after attending Marilyn Toney’s seminar, “Winning 101”, I’ve become convinced that those who participate are nothing short of artists. Not unlike stock traders and economists, these folks have to consider everything from the past performances to the glimmer in the horses eye.

“If he’s a speed horse, you want him to be the only one. That gives him an easy lead to coast on home with.” she explained.

“And you need to be aware of whether or not the horse has his blinkers on, and whether he’s had his blinkers on in his last few races. If they’ve been hanging in the last few races, taking the blinkers off will help them close. These are things you need to pay attention to.”

I honestly believe that, until they behold Marilyn’s wisdom, anybody betting on horses at Remington Park is probably wasting time and money.

And did I mention it’s free? That’s probably a good deal cheaper than a lost bet. 

"..And this bit of text here tells you when the jockey last did a cartwheel"

Here’s how it works:

First you learn all there is to know about the stat sheets. There’s an enormous amount of information provided in a very small amount of space, and it’s important to understand all the numbers and what they mean. This may sound simple enough, but believe me, it’s very complex. That’s why we have Marilyn!

Next, you move on to the more theoretical side of things. Now that we understand the numbers and what they correspond to, how do I evaluate them? What do I need to look for? What patterns are starting to emerge?

Then, there are all the things to look for that can’t even be listed on a stat sheet. How do the horses look today? How glossy are their eyes and coat? Do they look relaxed and focused, or jumpy and distracted?

Finally, there’s my favorite part. After analyzing all the information about one of today’s races, you get to step outside onto the balcony and watch it all happen live - right on there off of the balcony of the suite. 

In summation, tonight I learned that there’s virtually endless factors to take into consideration when betting on horses, but that’s why it’s just as artistic as it is scientific.

At the end of the day, more knowledge is always better. But sometimes you just gotta listen to your gut.

You can catch Marilyn's seminar, "Winning 101" every Wednesday during live racing in suite 19 on the suites level. 

For information on events and promotions, check out Remington Park's website --here.