Xpressbet.com & Horseplayer.com's Jeremy Plonk has been using the Betmix online handicapping database to investigate some common handicapping myths. Read & click below for his discoveries during August.
How Do Maidens Match Up in 2-Year-Old Stakes Races?
I dialed up the Betmix database to look at all North American 2-year-old stakes races since 2013 and the performances of the maidens entered in those.
Is It Harder for Sprinters to Maintain Their Form Than Route Runners?
The rigorous, all-out nature of sprint races leads many horseplayers to believe that it’s more difficult for these horses to maintain their best form. Sprint fields also are less spread-out typically than routes, giving more opportunity for bad racing luck.
Is 10-furlongs a Hurdle for Horses to Prove Their Mettle?
I dialed up the Betmix database to look at all North American dirt races at one mile and one-quarter, finding 226 such races since 2014. The comparison will be for average winning payoff, percentage of winning favorites and percentage of races won by longshots 10-1 or more.
Is Luis Saez Getting on the Best Mounts?
Horseplayers (and trainers) often will shrink the importance of riders and associate their success simply by who is the best passenger on the best horse. The winningest jockeys get the best mounts, or, the best mounts go to the jockeys atop the standings.