Handicap horse racing does not refer to a disabled horse that is being made to run in a race. The same meaning applies to horse racing and the term handicap horse racing means to evaluate the factors that seem to be against a particular horse wining a race – the handicaps. To put it simple handicapping is using historical data to predict the outcome of future races. To obtain the kind of inputs that are needed to effectively handicap a horse race the DRF (Daily Racing Form) is a vital input as it contains complete information regarding all the horses in a particular race, including a detailed history of the horse, its past performance and the odds under which it ran, the amount of money it has earned for its owner and much more.

The DRF will give details of the speed a horse ran at various stages of a race and the lead it had over others at those stages or how far behind it was. This punter will have to be use this information in conjunction with the conditions of the race track the race will be run on to see how the horse is like to perform under those specific conditions. Not everything can be gleaned from the DRF and it is necessary to study the horse itself to see if it is calm and ready to race or if it seems nervous or off form – things which will affect it performance on that day.

While fast horses win races, this should not be confused with “pace” which is what handicappers use to judge a horse’s likely performance. Speed refers to the fastest the run can run but pace refers to its running style. Some horses start fast but fade quickly and are best for short sprints, other have stamina and are steady runners while other may be slow initially but are able to put on a burst of speed at the end – the best for long races. The handicapper will have to balance the pace of each horse against the other competitors and also the nature of the race track itself to see which one is the most likely to win. Handicap horse racing is not only about studying the horse and its history – keeping a eye on the tote board to note any sudden changes in the odds which may signify a change in betting trends can provide a valuable indication of public perception of a horses expected performance.