Becoming a good handicapper can take years of following the horses. You must watch thousands to understand the intricacies that go into determining which horse has the best chance of winning a particular race. Most horse racing enthusiasts, who horse handicap, wind up losing thousands of dollars based on inaccurate or incomplete analysis of all the available data.

One way to overcome poor handicapping is to use handicapping analytics to evaluate a race. Using this advanced type of analysis, it is possible to combine the most important factors that go into determining the outcome of a given race.

Formulas assign different weight or importance to such factors as speed, class, condition and pace. They go much more in depth than most handicappers who do their analysis with the charts in the Daily Racing Form. Using the power of computer generated analytics to handicap horse races allows other, more obscure data, such as track variants, detailed trainer records and bloodlines, to be added to the mix of data.

While it is great to have so much data available for analysis that, by itself, will not necessarily lead to better predictability of the outcome of a race. Tools, that are designed to give you an edge while wagering on the horses, are only as good as the choice of data that it is programmed to analyze. Does it really matter that a jockey weighs 112 pounds or 113 pounds when he or she is sitting on the back of a 1,200 pound horse?

Horse racing fans, that like to make more than an occasional wager, are always intrigued by any extra knowledge that might give them an edge when placing a bet. They sometimes act on a hot tip from a friend of a friend and may even sign up for a betting service,  or they may buy one a tip sheet and base their wager on a so-called expert’s recommendations.

Instead of having to flip through all of those pages of the Form and get ink all over your hands, you can access the same data on your smartphone or other electronic device. While the old timers are busy trying to figure out which horse and what bet to make before the starting gate opens, you can have your mind made up in plenty of time to make a bet and grab a hot dog and a drink.

As is true with most products that are for sale, some handicap analytic systems are better than others. Prices range widely and the best performing systems are not always the most expensive ones. The best advice for anyone considering the purchase of such a system is to try it out for a month or two before committing to a long-term contractual arrangement. If it works, great. If not, try another.