What is a handicap race?
In horse racing, the terminology a “handicap race” is where you’ve got horses of differing ability running in the same race, and they’re given certain weight levels to make it a more even contest. Good horses carry more weight, bad horses carry less. If a handicapper is doing his job, they should all finish in a line, but this rarely happens.

What is ‘the going’?
The going is the condition of the ground, which the horses are racing on. The going depends entirely on the recent weather.

What does ‘Bar’ mean”?
In horse racing, the terminology ‘Bar’ is a betting term you’ll often see in bookmaker lists. When the horses are given their odds at the end you’ll see something like 33 to 1 bar. This ‘bar’ means there are other horses in the race, but they’re 33 to 1 or better to win the horse race or event.

What is a Nap?
The phrase ‘A Nap’ in horse racing terminology refers to a tipster’s bet of the day. A tipster will give many selections on the horse race, but his nap is his standout bet and is the one you should really bet on.

What is a stake?
A stake is the amount of money you put on a horse. If you’re having £5 on or you’re having £10 on, you’re having a £5 stake or a £10 stake.

What is the Starting Price?
The Starting Price terminology in horse racing is the price that bookmakers pay out on the winning horse or horses finishing in the first three.

What is The Tote?
“Tote” is short for the Hose Racing Totalisator Board. It’s a bit of a mouthful. Punters bet with the Tote and all that money goes into a pool, and that pool of money is paid out to the winning punters. It’s generally considered to be the fairest way of betting on horses. It’s also the better value, because you get best odds and the profits go back into horse racing. People prefer to bet on the Tote, rather than lining the bookmakers’ pockets.

What is ‘booking on the rails’?
In horse racing terminology, ‘booking on the rails’ is a line of bookmakers which separate the on-course bookmakers and the members’ enclosure. Now, they’re situated by the members’ enclosure because often the members are the guys with the most money, and they’re more likely to be able to accommodate big bets. This is why you’ll see more household names of bookmaker positioned here at the horse racing.

What is Ante Post Betting?
The horse racing term ‘ante post betting’ is betting a long way before a horse race, sometimes a year, six months or three months. The important thing to remember is that you will be getting better odds on your horse, but, if your horse doesn’t run, you lose your money.

What do ‘Evens’ or ‘Even Money’ refer to?
In horse racing terminology, Even Money means that if you put £10 on you get £10 back.

What are silks?
The terminology ‘silks’ in horse racing are the colours which the jockeys of the horses wear on their shirts and on their hats during horse races.

One of the oldest sports in America that has got everyone hooked is horse racing. There is no doubt in mind that a lot of people find joy and excitement just by watching the race. On the other hand, there are also those that found that they can really double their money just by choosing the best horse. But then, if you are one of those who have little money to spare, this is not something that you should venture into.

Like any other kinds of gamble, you can never be too sure if the horse racing result will be in your favor. Those who have been betting in this sport for long have realized that anything can happen especially if you do not consider some important factors related to horse racing.

If you are intent on winning your bet in horse racing, you have to educate yourself on how the entire sport works. Below are some of the things you need to consider about horse racing.

1. The chemistry behind the sport.

Betting on a certain horse is not only about choosing the one that you think is strongest or fastest. The first thing you have to do is to know the idea behind the race.

Have a basic understanding about the many rules and strategies of the game. Your first concern should be the horse you will put your bet on. If you do not have any idea about these horses, the best thing to do is find a horse racing magazines with the latest review on the horses that have already competed.

Through these magazines, you will read about which horses are among the favorites of those who are placing their bets. Most often than not, you will also see statistics that tallies the number of winnings of each horses.

From your reading, you will have an idea which horses are best to bet and which ones to avoid.

2. Survey the horses and the racetrack personally.

Aside from reading the reviews, it is also advisable to personally check out for yourself the horses that will be competing. You can do this by visiting the racetrack early on when it is already open to the public.

SEE if your favorite horse looks good and well conditioned on that particular day. Watch out all the horses’ movements and check if they are in high spirits and are capable of running a good race.

While there, you can also check out the racetrack itself. Do an analysis of the whole scenario. From your perception, you will be able to tell the initial result of the race just from looking at the place it will be held.

3. Money you can afford to lose.

Horse racing is a gamble. And just like any other gamble, money can be lost in an instant. Always bear in mind that in this game, there are always winners and losers. And you can become one of the losers.

Be sure that the money you gambled in horse racing is something that you can afford to lose. Even if you feel that you are on a winning streak, luck can change course any minute. As long as the race is not yet over, anything can happen and your money is still on the line.

Bear these considerations in mind. Once you have educated yourself well and is prepared to accept the consequences of your actions, then it is time for you to enjoy horse racing.

Man has been known to use horses for racing since this specie was first domesticated. Historical evidences reveal that as early as 4500 BC, the nomadic people of Central Asia has already developed systems of horse racing. In fact, the Greeks are known to have incorporated horse racing in the Olympics since 638 BC.

Both the chariot horse racing and the mounted horse racing were popular during these ages. These later became an obsession among Romans when they have adopted the sport.

For thousand of years that followed, this type of sports was known to be performed only for the noble men and royalties.

Modern racing is said to have started in the 12th century when the first breeding between Arabian and English horses were made. These were sparred by the return of the noble knights to the mother land after the Crusades. These are known to have produced sturdy horses with excellent speed. Thus, breeders maximized the potentiality of a racehorse and put them into tracks. This breed is the Thoroughbred that we know of today which is still the most popular breed in the United Kingdom.

King Charles II was known to have held horse races in his private courses during 1660 to 1685.

By the 16th century, the English had been known to produce a number of racecourses. Queen Anne who founded the Ascot in 1711 is known to have made horse racing an official sport.

Halfway in 1700’s, the Jockey Club was created through the initiation of the elite figures involved in horse racing. This organization was the first legion of jockeys that established the comprehensive rules and regulations including the standards as covered by the sports. Thus, they became the overseers of the sports and sanctioned horse racing events.

The Jockey Club was also the initiator for the regulation of breeding among horses. Thus, James Weatherby, an accountant of the Jockey Club during those times, traced back the family lines of all racing breeds in England. His researches brought forth the publication of the General Stud Book, which was basically, the basis of authority in terms of the breeds that could be put to race. According to the General Stud Book, only those pedigrees that have descended from the line of the “foundations sires” are considered as Thoroughbreds. The foundation sires are the: Byerley Turk, Darley Arabian and Godolphin Arabian.

Only in 17th century did the sport arrive in America for which the very first racetrack was seen in the Long Island. While it has become a favorite past time among Americans, no one initiated the formalization of horse racing until after the Civil War. Because of the already-established obsession plus the industrial development, and widespread gambling on horse races, the sport grew largely by the year 1890 when 314 operating tracks are known to be on regular operation in the country.

Due to the lack of a governing body, this sport had become purely dominated by criminal elements. In 1894 though, the most prominent and high-ranking stable owners met and organized the American Jockey Club which was patterned on the system as used by the Jockey Club in England.

Nowadays the sport has reached various countries across the globe. Governing bodies were also formed to regulate the horse racing events.